Insects and Creepy Crawlers

Theresa Hardy

Entomologist

An entomologist is a person that studies insects. They know a lot about metamorphosis. Do you know what metamorphosis is?

Metamorphosis is the process that animals or insects changes or grows. This is a life cycle. There are many metamorphosis in a this life cycle.

Adult butterfly lay eggs under milkweed plant leaves.

The eggs hatch. Larva eat the milkweed leaves for about 2 weeks. Becomes adult caterpillar. Caterpillar

attaches itself to a twig. They shed outer skin and begin transformation into a pupa (chrysalis). This takes a couple of hours.

After about two weeks, the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis. The butterfly waits for its wings to stiffen before it flies away to start its life cycle over again.

Eggs

The eggs hatch. Larva eat the milkweed leaves for about 2 weeks. Becomes adult caterpillar.

When the eggs hatch they are born as larva.

Caterpillar

The eggs hatch. Larva eat the milkweed leaves for about 2 weeks. Becomes adult caterpillar.

The larva eats leaves until metamorphosis into an adult caterpillar. Metamorphosis is the change

from larva to the adult caterpillar.

Cocoon

Caterpillar attaches itself to a twig. They shed outer skin and begin transformation into a pupa (chrysalis). This takes a couple of hours.

The caterpillar is now ready for the next metamorphosis. A caterpillar sheds its outer skin and changes into a pupa.

The pupa is protected in a silk case called a cocoon.

Butterfly

After about two weeks, the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis. The butterfly waits for its wings to stiffen before it flies away to start its life cycle over again.

When the pupa comes out of the cocoon it is a butterfly. Changing from a chrysalis to a butterfly is also a metamorphosis. The butterfly then flies away.

Once the butterfly is ready it will lay eggs and cycle starts again.

Now that you know about the life cycle of a butterfly lets talk about their body parts. An insect has three body parts.

HeadAbdomen

Thorax

Head

Head

Antennae

An insects head has one set of antennae. It also

hold the eyes. An insect can have up to 30,000 lenses that are

used for eyes.

Thorax

The wings and legs of an insects is on the thorax. Insects have six legs. They also have wings. Insects can have

two or four wings. Dragonflies have

four wings.

Wings

Legs

Thorax

Abdomen

Abdomen

The abdomen is the part of an insects body that holds the insects guts.

Arachnids are different from insects.

Spiders

Arachnids have eight legs and two body parts. Spiders are

arachnids.

The legs and eyes are on the thorax/head of an

arachnid.

Head/Thorax

Legs

Thorax/Head

Eyes

Abdomen

Abdomen

The spinnerets and guts are in the abdomen.

Webs

Spiders use spinnerets to make webs. Spinnerets make the silk that creates webs.

Insects and spiders are invertebrate. This means that they do not have a spin or backbone.

Now you know all about insects and arachnids. Can you tell me which of these are insects

and which are arachnids?