he Amazing World of Insects

Celedonio GarcĂ­a-Pozuelo Ramos

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Index 1. Animals without Bones

10

2. Insect Planet

18

3. An Immense Diversity

26

4. Flying Flowers

38

5. Armored

48

6. Camouflaged Lives

58

7. Social and Flying

66

8. Superbuilders

74

9. Flying Machines

82

10. Spiders

90

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ead, .

The Amazing World of Insects, a work that introduces you to the universe of the tiniest animals.

The

Amazing

World

Insects of

e m e h t n o Wing

Insect Anatomy

If we come closer to the brain we will find it has a ring shape surrounding the channel through which food passes from the mouth till it reaches the stomach that means it is located around the esophagus. Thus, the nerve cord that goes through its body can join below the digestive system.

Antennae

Ocellus Brain

All insects share a common anatomy but its diversity is almost infinite. Surely, this does not surprise us because they are so many of them. So many different designs are Eyes known, that a book would not be enough to hold them all. As we have mentioned earlier, they have bodies that are divided into three parts: head, thorax and abdomen that with its six legs and its pair of antennae is enough to tell them apart from the rest of the animals. Often it has wings and if so then there is no doubt, it is an insect.

Among the invertebrates only insects have wings and can fly. They are covered by armor, the cuticle consisting of chitin. It is its external skeleton, and to be able to move the cuticle is thinner and more flexible at the articulations. t live almos Now, let us go inside an insect. We will find ourselves pions.They know scor world and one of u yo ly re surrounded by a liquid, the hemolymph which is theSu the which re around imperator everywhe name of its blood and it occupies every part of its body. d Pandinus length an est is the And floating on this liquid we will also find that the the larg enty centimeters in rica. n Af s tw distribution of its organs is similar to the arthropods. reache much of Sub-Sahara

Heart

40

autiful e most be Many of th long to the be eir butterflies e family. Th Papilionida ntly have a sort ue wings freq swallows. ilar to the of tail, sim of this Bhutanitis se It is the ca ts in that inhabi Asia lidderdalii uth East So of s ie countr e see nd. Here w but like Thaila only one, t no s ha that it

s its species ha idopteran p wh le , e in n th la f Each o nt is me lor pigme rk sk a co d c si e a th b e Th beings also p or tak they f Some have c see. unable to eiv rc e p is h ic light wh m co l a su eir vi allowing th lour is not co cases, the in ill see this but we w fc o y la p is d Why this . Sometim or to hide n speci o ir of the w ion. uct for reprod ced by ti o n n go u t co g have bri h er! g n a D “ y sa

inhabits

s d i n Bedbugs h c a r A G! N I T A N FASCI Well, there are bedbugs,

front with their the other e. of t ud on tit fr at g one in threatenin themselves zers, with e to grab. ee ac tw pl They place e a r lik fo looking edipalps), ed toward “arms” (p o wrestlers ous stingers, direct e two sum ison a good po ve in ha d t They are lik de no ose this will add tails en aphids, that crickets, essive to th pror And if we can think orpions, im hip dance. ent”, we sc on g pp on “o am e ts th enecicadas, and up courto about to a ever this sc is not a fight but a they belong end. How species ve iders, butthats form itnessed it, 85,000 sp w e ve lik ha s, id id they ha . hn who hn ac ac ar ar l so al rs are al es). As the Hemiptera order. d in grippe pion or en , Scorpions Sc se er ca rd oup (o at, in this rax and s th lp ho ot pa different gr al di ph pe They are called this and two dy into ce of eight legs vision of bo s like another group have the di because the two casesome members n e ee ar tw e They also er be th ction , although of e distinhave ch th the order wings abdomen in whi opiliones, s, id hn ac . to spiders. ar rhard, nt that areospartly ila re m pa si t ap t as em parts is no this case th e bugs. In such as the elytra Well, mor

of the beetles, but in other parts they are membranous.

They are called Hemelytra, Hemelytra as in the case of bedbugs. In this order the wings form as the nympha develops because its

ons doscorpi ida) The pseu doscorpion (order pseu l scorpions al sm e lik look palps their pedi because of but they rs, as tweeze ith ve a tail w do not ha They are a stinger. e on than not bigger ng. lo centimeter

face to have a ae) seem lps are rder Solifug eyes. Their pedipa (o es ug lif found in simple The fast so they can be with two , d ds an ar , w gs le e th an looking up th e en mor

The

Decide to learn great life lessons from the tiniest teachers!

Amazing

World

Insects of

Giants Flies and

family

Which do you prefe r, a pand Well, for a sure you would ch bear or a fly?

However, oose although ies arethe panda. th y nmflig and tran smitgilialnnet drageo ht be ve ta ss a annoying e im tr s, upeytope7rf5orm ry g th eroupsorts ant task n if ri n u o s a rb thveery s e a in d m n s n a In C hituhmw a g s tu in ie re an being ragon,flsome g dw achtuin allay bene sos.mTehedre preserve in. se are, so ere altmheou octswth S a t pusfit rs ined flie c te a ta e u s athloapt re se in a p g m e wastdeit;io e st destroayl is centim M s. n e S o th so m e e m a v othersoref Centr tr e pollyinoau ha te plants gigantism et way. Here rests cycle fo l a a ic s p bees dr” o re c its the tr b oste o. in more dis a ro h e in t lu an is s tha lled “b a c is it s wingsp m caerulatu ; It merica uador. e A c E th th in g u T o h in r” S e p eyes of th me and rs trap trisim e “ id d p E n s ri a st a n re a a Ric huge, as flyd it felin eduss o Costa th an eyes shouldtaeniops fly y aeretenrs be, an ot bad. T ntiem 19 ceM editerrnan weeanb.S hey live around dth w o ir e e a, the tro e in thAfrica, Ne pic a way, it is r and Middle Ea al East st. By th one of th e e many flies. pollinati ng

k like s and make ky silk the pa and t.

The ceili ng of th e caves th ey inhab it in New Z ealand a nd Australia lo starry sk ok like a y with th e light the y produce .

We migh tn they have ot love them bu t their littl e hearts too. Ma les of th e Europe Cyrtopo an gon rufi cornis perform a nuptia l dance, some sp as ecies of birds do moving , the and dow ir abdomens up n before the fema le.

The a Eph dult e as th meropt vulg is Ephe era m that ata, hav era e win on t remain gs v h wing eir abd ertical o larg s at the men; th e fron and th back are e e t exist are sm ones a t a e Also nt in so ll or non the , alm me have ost a specie cerc three lo ll of the s. is at ng t m a t abd ome he end ils or n. of th eir

It looks lik e a worm of the m etamorp but it is not. It is hosis ma the first experien hen ny fl stagefirW ce st t they fl larvae ha (all diptera are h ies and mosquit oes aduime, they ya for the olometa ve fake fe lts bo re et. And can the if flies ca lous). Someon adults thyet, but p not larvae. r n live an a c yw th e mor t will m e-

! e ntrary, th On the co pygmaea ya Nannoph st of alle is the sm abits ies. It inh a, dragonfl sia, Chin A st a e South ingspan w s It . n and Japa meters and nti is two ce s a red ha le a m the one n, so the a abdome n is o ti ra st u in our ill female.

May

flies

May fl the ies are o a nam rder, Ep lso a m a hem e of alth erop jor grou t h eo o p t and ugh som rder sa era, con in this y s c the ome do e specie s it all: t taining hapter. chan abo heir They s live not ut do n li c e ot w e to fee ven rea several fe as ad 3,000 belo sp d du u d c ork. e to h an ho ays, mo lts is ve ecies ry ur. st time and As adu of them shor also lt beca s they d live h use o their not h mou th

There are diving beetles such as the carnivorous dyticus (in the picture male and female Dytiscus marginali). marginali ). Some of these aquatic beetles need to breath constantly on the surface but others have a water bubble attached to their bodies and can breathe from it indefinitely. This is because Carbon dioxide escapes from the bubble into the water and from the water enters oxygen that is breathed by the beetle. We wish we could do the same!

Invertebrates will show you how their effective design allow them to live in particular environments.

You will also get to know the invertebrates which can be harmful to human beings.

1

Animals without B ones

The eart hworm le ts when it moves th air into the soil rough it it with it and enri s excrem ches en insect, p ollinates t. The bee, an plants an honey, w d produc hich we es like so m of these uch. Non two little e a at b n th o im s n te e a ra s; ls have those of w inverteb their kin Invertebra There are a fe d we call human beings to te l fu s. s rm ha can be ere be careful. Th Sometim so we need to , and us no es, we m iso po are igh disgustin are some that e m so g but wh t think them e ar e er th e, a t a great d o ! r W ou what is mor st hat w wo trate and infe which ou ould it be of the rk they . that can pene es as se di r food is field in us rio se g in produce the earth bodies caus without worm or e the group ar es sit ra th p pa e o ssible the bee? It is These ong se invert also tes found am ebrate b own unpleasant a of invertebra kn es as ugs seem se di n g d in uc u g od ly pr o s f what th to us bec worm r ey do ause sis. There othe as helminthia robes) it, but we nee and the way the ic (m ” gs bu y do le d itt to “l r la le in lu arn to se unicel itted the roles th e them ey have and are transm atthe b y th e that infest us s feed on other an en given. If oups of insect ima by different gr ow about all then they are kn recyclers ls’ corpses to t understa an you will ge n . d ok th e bo at they a d we should the life c re throughout th also part ycle. of How ma ny Almost a invertebrates are ll the anim th of the an als we kn ere? im ow: 95% 1,200,00 als scientists hav en 0 species approxim amed; there co uld ate are still m be ten times mo ly. But re! There any to b e discove red.

s m r o W c i t i s Para

is there movie, but it ience-fiction sc another a is m It fro s. al zone an anim mid tropical hu in ntimeter lly ce e cia on world, espe easure up to diarrhea, ma. It can m which causes , sis ia an Ancylosto om st lo ia. ky em an e an , th ng es di ely and caus e to the blee loss) and, du eeding (blood

ction of n shows a se This illustratio cope. os icr m e r th a muscle unde uscle cells there m e th n ee tw Be chinella Triich st ((Tr is a trichina cy uses nematode ca is Th ). lis ira sp n ingested he w is os in trich is sted pork. It by eating infe uscles it also m e th in ed lodg in ea, and pain causes diarrh

is lled ascariasis The disease ca m, the matode wor ne a by ed caus n affect icoides. It ca Ascaris lumbr e world. The th of rt pa y us in an yuriasis s with the ox r same happen ed by anothe us ca is as bi or entero res several su ea m at th nematode robius ng: the Ente millimeters lo in the e on e th e lik is,, vermicularis serious e us ca t no do photo. They

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1. Annel id 2 y 3. Cn idaria 4. Arthro pod 5. Mollu sk 6. Polifer a

I T A N I C S A F

Shrimp This Mantis s) is a crustac scyllarus) Ocean Indo- Pacific centim up to twenty mer, w unwary swim f the d it, unaware o gers b one of his fin aped appendices sh s thou with a force weight.

Hitting clubs

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t e n a l P Insect

Discover the interesting anatomy of the insects and how some of them go through metamorphosis.

How are th

rmation. er an ant fo ve tripped ov or ha ts u an yo of ly s re Su sand home to thou u have yo ly re An anthill is su of them. And by hundreds even millions oud formed cl a h ross ug ro We come ac walked th mosquitoes. of of s nd ds re sa nd ou or th are hu here. There e are insects everyw for each of us and ther ere em th th gh of ou ns th millio known, al s ie ec sp of 1,000,000

ey…?

ore. ten times m tween five or all the an th s could be be ie ec are more sp uding all the Alone, there together, incl s al im fferent an e rest of th out 7,000 di Every year ab y s. an te m ra py eb cu rt inve Also, they oc . ed m g in na e insects ar planet, includ tems of the ainly of the ecosys t they are m Bu . ns ea oc d an s polar zone terrestrial.

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Abdomen Thorax

Head

Alas

Antennae Legs

hosis a complete metamorp life cycle go through all. insects that during their resemble an adult at les are some of the l form that does not larva tterflies, flies, and beet a hes hatc . From the egg lled Holometabolous

and they are

Metamorphosis

“Very “ Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born a born again? Mission impossible! This is what Nichodemus might have thought o this passage of the Bible. Nevertheless, the miracle is there, within our view. It is performances of nature. It is metamorphosis.

It occurs in several types of animals and it is well-known in amphibians, such as, starfish. But, the “being born-again” occurs in many of the different groups of in before and after the change are generally very different. .

To know t hem Collection of bugs

Among the groups of insects with incomple (hemimetabolous) there are the dragonfly bedbugs are miniatures of adults called ny their wings grow bigger until they get to an adult with appropriate wings to fly. A great differences in the lifestyle of the l terrestrial) they do not go t pupa, as in the cas

better

Aspirated air

There are oth er simple wa ys collect bugs besides the we to known butte rfly net. To cat llnocturnal flyi ch ng insects you a white sheet can use hanging from a branch of a a rope or tree. Behind the you should pu t a lantern tha sheet the sheet. Lig t will light ht and you can col attracts many insects are little you cou lect them in a jar, but if the y ld use a ho me like the one in the picture. It made aspirator through a thi is a tube widene cke d external narrow r one, you aspirate by the tube that is ins protected by ide the wider gauze to avo tube id swallowin g the bugs.

Air released by bugs

You can also catch inv

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3

There is an immense diversity of insects according to their size, physiology and behaviour. Some of them can transmit illnesses, however, others perform very important tasks in nature, which actually benefit human beings.

ice (order tera) are a group cts that feed on copic lichens and ora in damp places. e insects feed on gi that grow in ges of a book they e paper damage. e a wingless species ose with wings sort of hump in orax. Their wings, not flying, are kept ey were a roof. mouth anatomy ome; in it they nse the water in the

Immense Diversity

An

All kinds of Insects So, how many insect groups are there? Well, it depends on how we gather them. However, they are so many and so diverse that in this book we will see them grouped by orders, which is the way zoologists, who study animals, call these groups. You will be able to see that there are many species put together under the same order and there are many insect orders.

Cockroaches “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want� want� (Philippians 4:12). These biblical words of the apostle Paul show an unusual virtue among human beings: to be content and to take advantage of what one has. Among insects, in the same way, cockroaches stand out. They do not disregard anything. They eat everything and you can find them anywhere. Besides, they are very resilient and can adapt to almost any environment. They can withstand a dose of radioactivity fifteen times higher than humans can. Some species love to live with humans, although this is not reciprocal. Even so, many of them are among the best and most surprising mothers in nature.

In Africa there lives one of the biggest cockroaches,

The most universal among these insects it is the common cockroach ((Blatta Blatta orientalis), orientalis), which is dark brown, and the reddish American cockroach ((Periplaneta Periplaneta Americana).

Americana).

The common cockroach has short wings, insignificant in the female (drawing) and a little longer in the male, but in either case it will not help them to fly. Caution!

Cockroaches are not clean at all and can carry on their legs microbes responsible for causing many diseases. .

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4

g n i y Fl rs e w o l F

Butterflies are some of the most beautiful insects; for that reason, they are known as flying flowers. Here you will learn some of their great life secrets.

s

Lacewing

They are and beautiful g fascinatin ey insects! Th nd five group arou s in ecie sp nd sa thou a Neuropter the order eat have a gr and they d shapes an variety of wingspans sizes, with less om ranging fr eter to illim than a m ntimeters. fifteen ce als little anim They are plete with com phosis metamor abolous); (holomet a , both larv es or iv rn ca gs . The win and adults of the ck and the la be as r tu oviposito d out from cercus stan es. their bodi

ewings, Among lac gs, ewin green lac , rla carnea Chrysope . t common is the mos es ac pl y man It lives in , Europe, of America ! And if Ah and Asia. se enough clo t you ge will eyes you to see its a ey are of th t find ou lor. co en gold beautiful

Ear

e most among th re re a s th a o s and m als comp to Butterflie sects. Few anim ar il m are si l in beautifu uty. Their wings petals. a be wer to their urful flo ful and colo h beauti delicate ones wit er group ly n o e is anoth are not th But they ng insects. There roptera) due u o e m N a r (orde brics to wings cewings” the elaborate fa h we la “ d e ll to ca hic e w c f n o mbla , and to its rese amed, is related n s which it apter. in this ch peror ssive Em tlas) is a will learn re p im e th ttacus a , here is Moth (A pical forests For now s a tl A The in tro China.

Butterfly. indeed. It lives southern th d o n a m , t a n si gia st A mply Southea design, si aches 30 of India, colorful re a se e e v a th h size of Its wings And the r! la u c specta ters! centime

opteran This neur a little look like nce its mantis. He tispa, is name Man g up surin small mea s and a imeter to 2 cent nt ck and fro ne its t bu half

39

d re, is calle o a carnivo t Its larva, als similar to other an ry ve st ju as ant lion, orld, and nd the w lions arou

…? ths). y e h t e and mo ow ar tterflies

H

Scaring the Enemy

u ptera (b 00 species. o id p e L 180,0 Order Around Wings

Many caterpillars also use the tactic of “disguising” themselves with huge “eyes” on their backs in order to intimidate predators. This is what happens with this Deilephila elpenor moth larva. Actually, caterpillars have in their heads only ocelli that do not become eyes like the ones of the winged adults.

The regal moth caterpillar (Citheronia (Citheronia regalis) regalis) is an amazing creature and the appendices, like horns, located on its back are intimidating but harmless. In other caterpillars these spikes can be dangerous and even sting. In any case, they are a defense against the ones who want to eat them. Caterpillars are not very fast and are a nutritious mouthful. Others defend themselves by accumulating poison or any other unpleasant substance they take from the plants they feed on.

The Parnassius nomion butterfly has a soft beauty.

It inhabits steppe forest areas in a geographical band

Eyes

Species of the genus Caligo are known as owl butterflies butterflies.. They live in the forest of Mexico, Central and South America. The fact that they are known as owl butterflies is because they like to move at night and have huge “eyes” drawn on the underside of their enormous wings. Some species reach 20 centimeters in wingspan. So what are the eyes drawn for? They are common in many butterflies and can intimidate possible predators.

Mouth

Spirally

a are idopter The Lep ed by scaleeriz charact ings and an w d re e v co h like a d mout ally, e t a elong spir at coils tube th y it is called h that is w e. Except som u t spiro b ory mouth t mastica s moth . al form a rv Their la s and th lar il caterp is is orphos m meta a y e h (t te comple olous). tab holome

There is another specie of insects with a kind of armor that function like a shield. This is the case of the beetles that can carry 1,141 times their own weight.

A wonder of nature, an incredibly strong animal is the Dung beetle Onthophagus taurus. s.

However, this enormous strength of some tiny animals is due to its small size.

Beetles

hey can carry 1,141 times their own eight. Can you imagine a person of 70 ograms taking 80,000 kilog rams on his ck! It is one of the living crea tures with eater relative strength. This wonder nature is an Australian Dun g beetle. e shape of a beetle’s legs, body, of the minences of its jaws, its thor ax, its ennas… or its many sizes , make beetles edibly diverse. They feed on almost thing. Their sensory organs are mainly their heads although their bodies are ered with hairs that help them perceive ations and certain structures of their legs them to capture sounds.

The strongest nimals is an invisible mite .

d e r o Arm

pons sive wea t ve defen t pair is in fron a h y e th rs s fi e t e a m h ti me gs. T hitin, th ored. So irs of win out of c t only arm ey have two pa cuticle, made o n re a They is the on. Th rmor. lso shield. It d lightweight a tant acti dbugs a with dis ns becoming a n a t n ies of be se two c ta e is e s p s rd re y a a Man s the and h omes insects. at make and bec armored thing th groups are very e hardens ly n m o o s e g t th re is th ther. Bo e are no t for bein less, the But thes rmor. Neverthe nt from each o eetles stand ou a b re e is have th insects very diffe d behavior, th r of ion afte pes an a h s f groups o conclus s is h e rm s th a te k in hat w “I thin diverse . aldane w wered: t diverse t John H od and he ans is say so? g e the mos lo n a io the b e by G id Hald d d d e a k y s m h a s tle. That y W e e re .

Once th died the creatu ss for beetles” ximately, is a be ost ne tu ro h the m having s s a special fond ur animals, app any species wit dagascar a a m fo h M e Creator of every rough th affe weevil of , have a long one out ested th Because f God is manif rising as the Gir the photograph rp so in fondnes es, some as su les, as the one p a a h M s ). d varie giraffa tually. phorus head ac (Trachelo xtension of the e neck, an

y…? e h t w are era (beetle

Ho ings or

Hard w

elytra

pt Coleo 0 spec Order an 350,00 h t e Mor ve les ha

Excrement

Balls

catanga in the Andes pine and everywhere is e dung beetle. Actually, ts of species and though m make balls of his is their most common .

Egg

Those that make balls take them to their nests, away from the original excrement, burying them and putting their eggs inside. In other cases, as the one in the illustration , they have the nest under the excrement, and make the balls there, and then put them inside the nest.

Then, they lay the eggs in the balls. When the larva hatches it feeds on the fecal matter that is why they are said to be coprophagous. Wow! Disgusting? But, what will it be of us if they did not take the excrement away ?

ings nous w Membra flying for

This rhinoceros beetle ((Lamp Lamprima adolphinae) is from New Guinea and its pair of antle rs are the jaws. Apart from its “horns” their metallic color s also stand out. These are the so called structural or physical colors. These types of color s are common in some animals but not caused by any pigm ents.

When colors are the result of pigments they do not vary according to the angle in which there are seen at as it does with the structural ones. Structural colors are like those of comp act discs that change according to the angle in which we look at them.

Light hits the surface and the irregularities cause it to decompose and scatter the colors that form. In other occasions this dispersion occurs when the light goes through many layers and each one of them reflects different color s.

!

G ATIN

N FASCI

It is the greatest of beetles. It can be up to seventeen centimeters long. The female is rarely seen and its larvae are unknown. It is Titanus the Longhorn beetle ((Titanus us). It lives in the Amazon giganteus). jungles of Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela. Ah! And it can break a pencil with its

Pupa cocoon

jaws.

Adult

52

Fireflies or light bugs are actually a family of beetles with more than two thousand species.

They are known for courting at night with cold light pulses produced by bioluminescence emitted from the abdomen of male and females. In Europe it is common to see the Lampyris noctiluca specie, which is in the picture as a bright adult male.

Some coleoptera are endowed with chemical weapons.

There are several species of beetle known as gunners or bombers that shoot dangerous chemical compounds. That is the case of the Brachinus explodens that shoots a boiling poisonous substance against anyone who bothers them.

in the rock identical Surprise! There is a fossilized beetle it in Russian Siberia and to a modern one. Scientist found . This fossil, according to sibiricus rus Helopho as it d identifie sixteen million years. If evolutionism, is not younger than these animals have on were true, how can it be that

t or bee d elytr ptera calle s g Coleo h in orew atory mout hard f eta astic m m e t a le have comp Larvae ience exper tabolous). e of e (holom t types, som legl n n re e e v f e if , d rs e co erpilla to cat flies. On th a f gs o le s e g n n o have lo e a v r la fast.

Larva

Weevils (family Curculionid ae) are characterized by the tough ness of their elytra and the peak shape of their mouth. That is the case of the Red Palm Weevil ((Rhyn Rhyncchoph hophorus Ferrugineuss), ), one of the largest. It measures up to 5 centimeters long and feeds on palm trees. It is originally from Southeast Asia but has invaded other continents extended by human being s.

Its invasion has caused the palm grove of Elche (Spain ), one of the world’s largest and herita ge of humanity, to be endangered because of its attacks.

The colorado potato beet le ((Lept Leptiinota notarrsa sa decemlineata) a) is not welcome. The female lays about 30 yellow-orange eggs deposited together on the underside of the potato leaf.

The eggs hatch into larvae, and then they leave the plant… like this. They are a real plagu

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In this section you will get to know the great masters of camouflage, which manage to hide from the rest of the animals.

It is fascinating to observe them taking the shape of tree leaves, rocks, or sand. They are almost unnoticeable!

d e g a fl u o Cam ives L

ot ey are n ge”. Th ut. They a fl u o m f ca nd o asters o tters sta r are “m with capital le te p a h c this ters the mas cters of g them in chara The ma nes, but amon smids o ha the only the order of p ed stick to call re a d belong n a of them atodea) , many t ones. o ls (Phasm A . ts longes f insec ng the and lea o m a d e record te They are the ghosts amo re coun cia kibyi has th r long. ng insects due to their invis ibility. They are there,abefo our eyes, but we can´t see a rn a m re h them. Maybe a slight mov lf a ete n in e of their body can give P them away. Then, there they than ha re are! It seems to us it is a o m sa show g piec e of a plant that bein moves and walks. pondero ig, though ia c a rn Stick and leaf insects are a Ph mainly nocturnal and feed not so b timeters on leaves. In this order the species can reproduce ation is n tr s sexually male and female. lu il enty ce However, they can the also reproduce without a male. This seems to be an up to tw emergency plan in case it reaches both sexes don’t come acro

Stick and Leaf insects

ss each other. This is wha t in biology is called parthenogenesis. In this case, from the female repro ductive cells called the ovules, the offspring deve lops, usually more females.

This phenomenon is known in other animals and is very common in insects.

The American phasmid Aniso morpha buprestoides, defends itself by hiding, but it also squirts a toxic liquid that can damage our eyes.

Not all of these insects produ ce toxic substances although it is common.

They tend to segregate it and keep it in its body. You should alway s be careful with them.

y …? e h t w are ickets and

dlike Threa ae n n te n a tum

Prono

Ho Orthoptera (cere lobsters).

The leaf insect Phyllium westwoodii has its habitat in Southeast Asia. It is not simpl y a leaf; it can be any types of leaf.

This is an extreme case of parthenogenesis. Among stick insects Sipyloidea sipylus there are only females found. A male has never been found not even when they are bred in captivity.

It inhabits the African island of Mada gascar and it can measure up to ten centimeters. Although these insects fly very little, or they simpl y do not fly, this species has the abilit y to make short flights.

The Australian stick insec t Extatosoma tiaratum has a body length of approximat ely twenty centimeters.

It can bend its belly as if it were a scorpion. It is not the only species that does this and again they seek camouflage and imitation because it is not as fierce as it looks.

To know th em

A ghost in m the terrariu

better

Although there are many spec ies that are commercialized as pets, the best thing to do is collect some that live in your and once you studied them area take them back to their origi nal place, unless you commit to look after them for the rest of their lives… and their offspring’s. However, you must be careful not to take prote cted species.

Phasmids are not difficult to breed.The terrarium must be ample; a good measurement is 40 x 40 centi meters base and 50 centimete rs high, but the higher, the better. Insid e there must be plants, as the leaves are their food. You can put some little branches of their food , with the roots, inside jars with water so the leaves are kept edible. It is usua lly very easy to find the plants from whic h they feed. If you live in the zone of Peru or get some samples of Peruphasm a Schultei their food could be the privet (Ligus (Ligustrum vulgaree)) and olive (Olea europaea) aea) but you can try different plants. If you have caught it yourself try with the plants near wher e you found it. Make sure the humidity is appropriate because it is always important, especially when the insect molts. With the Peruphasma, a, humidity should be 70% or slightly higher, and temperature of 25 ° C. These conditions are appropriate for hatching eggs of this species; they are about four millimeters and are camouflaged as seed s. Phasmids let go of their eggs and the have to be foun d, or deposit them on land.The Perupharma usually lay one egg a day and drops it to the grou nd.

Pick them up and put them on paper towels in a covered plastic box, and next to it, a bottle with water and a cotton plug to relea se moisture.

After four months they will hatch and the nymphs will come out. After fivechangesyouwillhavethe adults,whichwillmeasurebetw eenfiveand six centimeters in length.

Listening to, watching, and paying attention to everything

r Order ppers or t cies. o pe h s s s 0 a gr 00 d 20, Aroun

re tera a aving rthop h The O erized by e (like a ct chara ke antenn asticatory m dli threa ). It has a head e ds threa Behind th in the h. t m u u t o o m n The a pro it has f a saddle. ready o g n m r lo o f re legs a ir cercus back e p. Th and their lete m ju ll p to y sma is is incom r e v e ar hos morp olous). a t e m b imeta (hem

If it is humid, the nymphs of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria ria)) are green so as to be unnoticed by their predators. But if there is shortage of wate r, their bright colors are a warning that they are toxic due to their food, and that they are ready to form the dread ed plague of locusts. They go from being lonely to form ing massive groups.

They can jump or exceed, a meter of distance. All Ortho ptera are great jumpers, and the group of them that is known for this is the grasshoppers. The Zonocerus elegans lives in the East and South Africa 65 , and is a pest for several crops. Their color s are a warning: You won’t like me and I am toxic, so don’t eat me!

y cator Masti mouth

This is not the only species that meets in big groups, but the Desert locust is the most harmful to crops. The adult , as the other grasshoppers, but differently from nymphs, has a horizontal and elongated shape and due to its size they are greater eaters. A swarm of these insects can have tens of thousands of millions of them from all ages! They are a real scourge in North Africa.

Locusts blend in with the environment they live in and some are truly amazing.

If there are great insects that stridulate besides the crickets, those are the grasshoppers. They do it by rubbing their back legs against their wings.

7

Bees are insects that teach us the value of work, cooperation, and ability to forecast. Discover how these fantastic insects live.

S o c and flyiinal g

“Sluggard sd time they o not plow in sea son; so a look but t find noth 20:4). It’s ing” (Prove harvest the sad re rbs ality expre verse; be ssed in th fore him, is Bible the lesson and undo of many ub insects laborious tedly bees. Such a Hymenop truth! Th ese tera have “a gift to been qua human b lified as e ings”. Th appreciate ey are no d t only pollen, w for the sweet hon ax, ey, is not a sh and royal jelly the propolis, y provide ort list bu . It t th missing: th ey help lo e most important is ts of plan As plants ts with flow ers canno to reproduce. help to p 66 t move th ut into co ey ntact polle ovules (fe n (male) w need ma ith animals ca le). The wind, wa ter, and d n ifferent major be do this work, but ings invo b e es are the lved of this ta sk can exc in pollination. Th e value eed up to that whic fifty h th as is the ca ey produce, to w times to hich we g se with h ain, oney. Ho by beeke neyb epe productiv rs have an essenti ees, bred ity al work fo r wild plan of many of our cr ops and fo the ts. Someti mes their r many in trucks hives are to places m in which necessary their work oved , it is ...a is very gift.

!

To know th

ING T A N CI

FAS

Observingand tapestry mason bees

em

better

Certain bees, especially of the family Megachilidae, use cavities, often tube-shaped that they cover with different veget al materials or mud. They are called tapestry and mason bees and in a simple way you can offer them a place in which to nest, and at the same time, to observe and study their life cycle.

ich builds nests s Colletes, wh ey as with genu make, but th ry, s lita an so m d hu an plastic es are small build on the ey recycle the ey th th st at th ne t e no th r Plastic! It is ich they cove per. They leave lyester with wh cellophane pa , their own po wrapping it in larva hatches re e th we n ey he th W if g. the eg to seal it, as m and hang tto bo e th in nd pollen d feeds on it. n the food an

oison glands

are an Hymenoptera ales. The order of ... fem males is that most common ction.You can prepare a room for them in lots of simple ways: ly for reprodu by making tubes with on t en es pr are ens paper,drillingwoodenblocks,orwithplastictubes.The lengthshouldnotbe t of the specim less than twenty os m y wh is five centimeters and the diam That ve ha to eter can ing be between two are go millimeters and five centimeters.

If you prepare a box with transp that you find or sit ipo ov arent tubes of (for example, a methacrylate) kind a is It er. you s ng can discover more secrets of the life a sti release these bees, of that used to live mainly in Euras laying eggs it of d tea ins ia and Africa, that now have that spread throughout the world the ‘queen’ of is h with huma hic ns.

W n. poiso A wooden box made by you, or ps. one of those used to dispense napki stings...? Was ns, can becom e an ideal place. It should be close d, the tubes on the inside and only the entries will remain open to them.

You will see how they cover the walls with petals and leaves, if they are the Megachile bee, or other vegetal materials, as the Anthid ium bees do.

If it is a mason bee, it can add clay to condition the walls and there are some, which only make partitions between the cells so you can see what is inside.

Anthidium bee

bag

. Wasps do form colonies es that join to materials until be le ble tab m ge bu ve d me bees an European by chewing so It is not only on sts m ne m eir co th e e th mak se of surrounded by too. They often rt of paper. –That is the ca be d an ow a so will gr making it into ing a nest that vulgaris) hang Food wasp (Vespula

Usually they leave in the cell a mixtu re of honey and pollen,whichwillbethefoodofthe larvathatwillemerge from the egg they lay there.

Larva

Wall

Honeybees do all kinds of jobs in the hive and go back to them if necessary, from the work of cleaning, to the enviable explorer for the collection. What bee would be jealous of another one given the fact that all them have done all types of jobs?

Any honest wo is worthy of consideration and bees teach us this with hum

Some of the greatest builders of this world are very tiny. Ants have an extraordinary ability of organising themselves in order to carry out important projects. In this chapter, you will also learn about the termites, other insects that build colossal constructions.

nsects with no

all. It is the se cret of dvanced socie ties. enerations rem ain in the ng care of each other new comers. Th is allows nd termites to build imal empires.

Only an rainforest, the dry ts is four times heavier rtebrates (mam mals, , amphibians an d fish) there. Some sp ecies lonies with man y ens. In the case of e ant (Linepith ema f its super colo nies 6,000 kilomet ers taly, extending to ng through Fr ance believed to be the lony in the wor ld.

8

Superbuilders One, two, three! All ants put up their super buildings at the same time. Well, not all of them because there are colonies that only have a dozen workers and one queen. But there are others formed by millions of workers and one or several queens.

Weaver ants belong to Oecophylla genus.

They build big tree cities in the center of Africa, Northern Australia, and Southern Asia. They fold leaves to make nests and keep them folded forming dwellings with the silk produced by the larvae. A colony can have almost a hundred of these nests and can count up to half a million workers.

Limits

But they are not the only super-building insects. Termites compete with them being skilled in this art too. They are different insects though; ants are Hymenoptera such as wasps, whereas termites belong to another order, the Isoptera. Still, apart from having a similar appearance, they also share different aspects of their biology and behavior.

Dare to find out more about them!

In dry places there lives some species of ants whose workers can become authentic living storerooms fo r food (honey) hanging from the ceiling of the anthill.

This is the case of the Australian Cam ponotus inflat us from which th e natives colle ct honey.

otermes The Macr sand, h it w build their ow d n a saliva, these h it feces. W they ts ingredien e that ast form a p d becom once drie of w pro r e m ham

7

r ants Leafcutte er rm fa e th re a ca, fr of Ameri Uni southern n ce States to a, th Argentin ac termite M s fu cultivate ay similar w e th u o S d an

To know th em better Watch into

6

an anthill

Sedes

3 Feeder

nus Odontom achus, e planet. They are n open up to a se jaws, besid es nother purpos e: hem away to avoid

And there are more threatenin g jaws, as in the case of the Gi ant Australian bu lldog ant (Myrmecia brevinoda).

1 Hum 2 Room fung 3 Roy 4 Larv 5 Air 6 Air 7 Ve

Plasterboard

Would you dare to build an anthill?

If so, it is better if you choose small ants.

One option is that you dig into an anthill until you find the quee n and take it to your anthill. The other option is to start with a winged-female that has been fertili zed. The reproductive queens and kings have wings.

Ifyoudecidetodigupaqueenyouwill distinguishitbecauseofitsprominent abdomen.Becareful,itis very sensitive to light. Take it to your anthill with some workers, and if possi ble, with larvae and pupae.

The other option is that you find a wing ed female that has been fertilized.You can collect winged ants from several nests and watch if some of them get rid of their wings. That migh t be the queen you are looking for.

Youmustputitinsideyouranthilland leaveitalonewithsomedampcotto n.Somedropsofwaterwithhoney or sugar will be fine to feed it. It is impo rtant that you know what they feed on. Usually, they eat seeds and insects but a leafcutter ant or sauva will need some leaves to cultivate the fungi it feeds on.

You can make an anthill with plaster.

You can ask for help from someone who knows how to use and prepare the right amount to make a plasterboa rd of 20x30 centimeters approxima tely. You put the paste in a box with those measurem ents and wait for it to begin gettin g

2

Winged reproductive ant

3

If le o 1 t

Some insects are real flying machines. They are designed in such a great way, that some of them can fly at a speed of over 15,000 kilometers per hour.

9

Flying

Machines

If you watch the flight of a dragonfly surely you will be impressed and end up thinking it is a miracle. And there is a miracle you can enjoy even if you only having a little time. You will see that it remains suspended in the air when “Then Peter go t down out of suddenly it moveswibackwards pinpoint the boat, accuracy, nd, he was af with walked on theit raid and, begin water and cam ning to sink, cri hand and caug ed out, ‘Lord ht moves or disappears at full speed, giving impression to, save me!e’ toward Jesus. But w him. ‘You of little the Faith is one of fa ith Immediately Je ,’ he sa those virtues th id, ‘why did yo sus r u doubt?’” (M at weto to refle wobirds; have vanished. They are however, ct onnot uld do we atthew 14:29it. It comparable ll to develop an is known that several species exceed the po d certain even ssibil ts of nature of drag ities of these smspectacular onflies mIn many insects areoccapable of performing flights. ake really amaz ean, and cro all animals. A ing trips whi ss it in an annu few species, giv al “B m e an igr ec auseinsects ationorders authentic ‘leap you have so . this chapter, the mmain belong two of flying of fait little faithto . Truly I tell you, ountain, ‘Mov if you have faith e from here to there,’ and it wi as small as a m creatures: the Ephemeroptera ustard seed, yo ll move. Nothing will be impossi ble for you” (M Thetheir “dragonbasic by only accomplishing objectives and the fly of faith” a is this humble Pantala flavesce ns.

OdonataThdrais isgoonnfleiesofbethe most cosmop olitan cause they are found stralia, Africa, South belong. Inin anAuthe United Kingdom some species of Asia, d many places in America.

Odonata are known as pondhawks. Surely, you

Miraculous Fli

ght

Transparent wings

How are they…?

Order Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies). About 6,000 species.

Elongated abdomen

In the months of October and November these insects jump from Ind ia to the waters of the Indian Ocean to reach Afric a (specifically Kenya and Tan zania), where they reproduc e. They travel up to 3,500 kil ometers in the open sea!

The next generation flie s back to India in June. The trip back and forth can be up to 18,000 to kilometers O g lon be lon ey dog.naNo r. Th tesw,hatha p in this chapte e ve ttwo partial o a major grou 000 species. Th live metam Mayflies are als aining about 3, nt orphosi s. They unde co b t, a, or y er sh g pt ry ro rgo ve s ch mero win life as adults is the order, Ephe eir s, the win g with molts aracterized th ur : ho all e it liv ys gs during them der sa which bedbug also grow, a days, most of l name of the or ra ve ve ha se t e no liv s s in the ca e species ults they do their en and locusts, O se of although som an hour. As ad ti d eir mouths not even reach when th re larval life in onata spend also because th d and some do an e th e y tim e wate to becom e du ed la fe r. n to e d B ce adults . the chan they liv ut e on do not work.

Mayflies

A Doub

le Life

External

86

s es of their bodie rcis

e gills on the sid

The se the flig dragon other fl insects insertio wings.

It is com mon th lay thei ceatrta Odinon r eggs in the w while fl knoat ying, p are lacing th abdom are lles en Empero in it. Howsti ever, r drag secret s. onfly (A imperat

o n vegetat r) lays them in a io th under w n or another surf ater wh ile perch ing

gills

Larvae, al nymph so called s, dragon from both flies an d damselfl ie feature s, have many s in but they common, because clearly differ o gills, th f the place e use to organs they ex from th tract oxygen e placed water, are in Damse their bodies. lflies hav e external g look as ills which

Mask

10

We could not miss the spiders, insects known due to the perfection of their webs. In this chapter, the arachnids, from which we have lots to learn, are also presented.

Spiders

bad. Although, eps. But it is not that give someone the cre can m y are running the the e of e tim nam the Just the o true that most of als is it es, on s y come across ou ger is that both parties ma there are really dan at it is likely to happen the person is Wh . ere ms wh ble w pro kno g ly idin on away, avo same place. But it will the in e tim e sam unexpectedly at the . once it has touched him The flower crab spider belongs to the family Thomisidae.

They have two pairs of front legs, larger than the rear ones, and they usually place them open, as you see in this Misumena vatia that lives in Asia, North America, and Europe.

Tarantula fangs

94

Before this tarantula, all the spiders you have seen so far in this book belong to the large group of Araneomorphae (90% of the spiders) which are distinguished by having fangs that oppose each other. The other major group is formed by the Mygalomorphae that includes the tarantulas. Their fangs are paralleled to the axis of their bodies, as you see in this Citharischius crawshayi from Kenya and Tanzania. Impressive, isn’t it?

hey…? s. t e r a ie How 00 spec

!

ATING

N FASCI

Diving. That is the way the Argyroneta aquatic spends its life. It lives in areas of Africa, Asia, and Europe. It makes a web shaped like a hammock in the aquatic vegetation and under it; it places the bubbles of air that it carries in its abdomen. The big bubble that is being formed under the web gives it a bell shape. In its house, under the water, it will hunt and reproduce.

,0 als bout 40 ss of anim s s in a cla ted from insect neae. A g ra le t A h r ig a e nti he a. Ord id bugs wit rized and differe s. Besides, they n r h e c th o ra function d thorax ions and ids are characte Class A ith scorp n n t sensory e da ped w Arach iders me rax (hea are grou nt from insects. that in sp into cephalotho Spiders edipalps differe d p e ) a o id id iv : tw n d rs ide (Arach gs and body is ps of sp g eight le or antennae. Its ajor grou by havin ings three m ies; w re a ve a re h e do not w spec men. Th e ing of fe nd abdo joined) a thelae, consist h have chelicera , so ic xis e h - The M lomorphae, w d to the body a le iga - The M in fangs paralle rantulas; ta that end mong others, e ga ich are th ody axis h w , e a includin h b rp e o th m ct o e e n rs yed - the Ara Their fangs inte se of the big-e . ca ty e ri th jo a in m as icularly, perpend . e a id ic lt Sa from the end of

!

E AL

RT

It measures 26 centimeters their extended legs. It is the Goliath Birdeater blondi)) the largest of Theraphosa blondi tarantula ((Theraphosa Leg in the jungles of Venezuela, the spiders living Guyana. and Brazil, Northern

You will have the chance to realize

Palp

This is a tick Ixodes ricinu s (order Acari), a blood-sucking parasite that, as you can see, made up of its abdomen and a tank. Ticks can transmit diseases, such as, the Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Abdomen

Chelicerae

Surely you know scorpions.They live almost everywhere around the world and one of the largest is the Pandinus imperator which reaches twenty centimeters in length and inhabits much of Sub-Saharan Africa.

They look like daddy-long -legs spiders but the divisio n in their body between the cepha lothorax and abdomen is not seen, even if there is.

They are the opiliones (orde r Opiliones), as this Rilaena triangularis that throws smelly liquid or get soaked in it as a means of defense.

96

Cephalothorax

TING!

FASCINA

The amblipigi (order Ambl ypigi) called whip spiders and tailless whip scorpions look like spider s with a flattened body and long pedipalps ending in sort of combs. They move laterally and live in the tropical zones of Amer ica, Africa, and Asia. They seem threatening, but are harm less.

Microscopic mites also belon g to the order Acari which feed on our dead skin. Their droppings can cause skin allergies. Well, one of these tiny bugs is probably the strongest of all bugs. The name is almost as amazing as his strength: Archegozetes longisetosus and it can drag 1,182 times its weight.

Can you imagine person like you dragging 1,182 times their own weight?

Stunning!

Arachnids They place themselves one in front of the other with their front “arms” (pedipalps), like tweezers, with threatening attitude.

They are like two sumo wrestlers looking for a place to grab.

And if we add tails ended in poisonous stingers, directed toward the “opponent”, we can think that this will not have a good end. However this scene among scorpions, impressive to those who have witnessed it, is not a fight but a courtship dance.

Scorpions are also arachnids, like spiders, but they belong to a different group (order Scorpiones). As all arachnids they have eight legs and two pedipalps that, in this case, end in grippers.

They also have the division of body into cephalothorax and abdomen, although there are cases like another group of arachnids, opiliones, in which the distinction between the two parts is not as apparent.

Well, more bugs. In this case the most similar to spiders.

The pseudoscorpions (order pseudoscorpionida) look like small scorpions because of their pedipalps as tweezers, but they do not have a tail with a stinger. They are not bigger than one centimeter long.

Easy to read, interesting, and full of atractive illustrations. Through this work you will immerse yourself into the amazing world of some of the inhabitants of this planet.

Index Aedes, 33

Alert – Bedbug, 56 – Fleas, 30 – Lice, 28 – Mosquitoes, 33 , 17 – Parasitic worms, 16 – Tick, 96 Amblipigi, 96 is)),, 22 etamorphosis Ametabolous (See m Anemone, 12

– Construction of a terrariu m Intelligent design and aquarium, 15 Siphonaptera, 30 – Butterflies’ scales, 41 – Raising of butterflies, 47 e lessons)– Eye, 14 (Se s Solifuge, 95 ral Mo – Raising of coccinellids, 57 Spider web, 93, 97 Mosquito, 27, 33 – Insects’ senses, 36, 45 – Raising of dragonflies, 89 ) rtebrate rfly tte bu e (Se Inve Spider, (Chap. 10) th Mo (Chap. 1) – Raising of earwig, 37 14 , Isopteran Chap. 8 (See term Spiracle, 20 Myriapoda – Raising of stick insects, es) es) 65 (Chap. 6) Stick and leaf insect s) – Recollection (snares) inse ewing lacfish , 12 cts, 25Neuroptera (SeeJelly 20 , Stigmata – Spider web collection, 97 , 37, 62, 86 Nymph, 22, 34,L35 adybug, 42, 49 Eye (See also ocellus) Stinger, 71 62 Larv 22, 49, 67 , 42a,, 90 – Camouflage, 42 Stridulation, 54, 61, Ocellus, 20, 23Lep . 9) apbut y) (Ch idop nfl tera go (See dra e (Se terfl – Diopsinaes, 26 ies ies) ata ) Odon Termitarium, 79, 80 Lessons – Dragonfly, 21 Ommatidium, 21– Termite (Chap. 8) Cou , 33rage, 89 – Insect, 21 Onchocerciasis, 17 – Ded Terrarium, 15, 65 icat ion, 37 – Spider, 90 Onychophora, 13 – Fait h, 89 Thrips, 34 – Trilobites, 14 ips) Ootheca, 64 – Family care, Thysanoptera (See thr 47, 57 Filariasis, 17, 33 Opilion, 96 – Friend’sop 6) .

20 , ap elec ea (Ch ch tion Tra grassh per) (deceptions), 65 Flea, 30, 31 Orthoptera, (Se–e Lea rning from nature, 97 Trap 72 , 61 , 29 sit, Flight (mechanism in inse Ovipo – Perfection, 25 cts), 85 – For insects, 25 Fly, 26, 27, 32, 33 – Perseverance, 81 , 90 – Of the insect, 32 alp P – Alder, 29 – Work, 73 fly) Trichoptera (See rail Parasites Lice – Black flies, 33 s, 14 30 ite a, ob Fle Tril – – Diopsinaes, 26 – Book lice, 28 Tube feet, 13 – Mite, 96 – Hair lice – Rails flies, 31 28 17 , 16 , rm Types, 75 – Wo Living fossil, 13, – Scorpion flies, 30 100 52, 87, 92, 93 s, 60 esi en og en Typhus, 28 rth 6) Pa .

Loa ap – Stoneflies, 28 loa, 17 and leaf insect) (Ch k

Phasmatodea (See stic Maternal Pheromone,–45, 68 and paternal cares Gnats, 33 Bed bug s, 54-56 , 62 , 57 Plague, 32, –51Bee Grasshopper (Chap. 6) tlesne , 53 fly) sto e (Se ra pte co Ple Green lacewings, 46 – Cockroach, 34, 35 Polyp, 12 – Earwig, 37 Halteres, 27 44 Processiona–ry, Spiders, 93 Helminthiasis, 16 58, 59 , , 27 Pronotum Ma laria, 33 Hemimetabolous 66 lis, Propo Malpighian tubes, 21 (See metamorphosis), 23, 24ntis (Chap. 6) 54, 58, 59, 83 Protura,Ma Hemiptera (See bedbug), , 95 ion orp (Chap. 5) Ma udosc nto dea Pse (See mantis) tis) Hemolymph, 21 book lice) (Chap. 6) e (Se ra Ma yfly pte , co 88 Pso Hexapod, 24 Mecoptera (See scorpion Pupal, 23 flies)

Gall, 72

Hive, 68, 69 Megaloptera (See Alder flies ) tera, 29 Holometabolous iop RaphidMe mbracids, 54 (See metamorphosis), 23, 10 le, cyc Re Metamorphosis (See ame 29, 32, 39, 49, 67 tabolous, Horsefly, 27 y, 66 Royal jellhem imetabolous, holometabo Hygiene, 17 , 41 lous), 22, 23 39 s), Mili e, 14 rfly’s wing butte cale (inped S Hymenoptera (See bee, was Mite, 96 p, ant) somiasis, 17 Schisto Moisture mealy bug, 14 Insect anatomy, 19-21 on, 95 Scorpi Mollusk, 12 nsects’ diversity, 18, (Chap.

36, 45 rs, 3) Senso Molt, 14, 65

Virtues (See lessons)

Viviparism, 34 Wasp, (Chap. 7) 72 – Burrowing bee, – Ichneumon, 72 – Potter wasp, 72 Weaver, 30 Weevil, 51 Wings, 39 – Lacewings, 38, 46 Worm – Earthworm, 10 – Parasite, 16, 17 – Platythelminth, 12 – Silkworm, 47

Yellow fever, 33 Zoraptera, 29

(Prover (Pr – Talk and be quiet (M cks (M – Watch out with tri h) roach) Blattodea (See cock Bumblebee, 70 Butterflies (Chap. 4)

Crab, 14

s) flies) Caddisflies (See rails Centipede, 14 Cercus, 27 Chagas (disease), 56 chelicerae, 90 Chitin, 20

With this book, Editorial Safeliz and the author give the reader a simple, but rigorous, introduction to the universe of insects and other little animals.

Taking a few minutes to observe to the naked eye any of them, insects, spiders or worms, we begin to understand that they are beings wonderfully complex, authentic mini “stars”.

Again, we put at your disposal the wonderful teachings and virtues of the nature’s beings: • The extraordinary maternal (and paternal) cares of many insects.

• The “intelligent” behavior of the bee and many other bugs, instead of their reduced dimensions.

• The incredible miracle of metamorphosis. . . and much more.

We invite all the family to enjoy an extraordinary adventure that will take us to penetrate in the mysteries of Creation and His Designer. Those mysteries do not leave anybody indifferent. Have a nice adventure!