NAM*AN*IMALS
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Arthropods
Bugs and Friends - this info for Arthropods I and Arthropods II
Extra Tips - Arthropods
Hints and logistical nuances of teaching this station
Insects.org
bug info
Lorenz Butterfly
Play with chaos theory - watch particles interact with strange attractors
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All arthropods have an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and jointed legs. What is an exoskeleton? What are the advantages of an exoskeleton? (protection) What are the disadvantages? (must shed it in order to grow, cannot grow very large). What do arthropods eat? (decaying plants and animals, live plants, other arthropods, occasionally small mammals). How are arthropods important to other members of the food web?
Arthropod hunt
Use the sweep nets (demonstrate proper sweeping technique) and look under rocks and bark to collect arthropods. Remember to respect their habitat and be gentle. Place the collected arthropods on the white viewing sheet. Open your field study notebooks to the arthropods pages. Choose an arthropod to examine. How many legs does it have? Does it have wings? Does it have antennae? Which of the five types of arthropods is it? What color is it? Where was it found? Draw the arthropod in your field study notebook. What might it eat? What parts of its habitat would it find useful? Use the field guides to identify it.
Insects
* 3 pairs of legs (six total)
* 3 body segments
* 1 or 2 pairs of wings
* One pair of antennae
Insects include beetles, ants, flies, bees, etc. Insects are the most numerous group of animals. There are more species of beetles than all other non-insect animal species combined. Insects have been around for 390 million years. The African Goliath Beetle is the heaviest insect in the world and weighs 100 grams (the same as 33 pennies).
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Arachnids
* 4 pairs of legs (eight legs total)
* 2 body segments
* No wings
* No antennae
Spiders inject enzymes into prey that digest the insides. The spider then drinks the liquefied innards through hollow fangs. Arachnids include spiders, ticks, mites, and scorpions. The longest lived spiders are the tarantulas, some live up to 28 years.
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Centipedes
* 1 pair of legs per body segment (total of two legs per body segment)
* No wings
* One pair of antennae
Centipedes are carnivorous, they eat smaller insects. Centipedes have a poison gland to kill prey. The longest centipede in the world is the giant scolopenders of South America and Asia, which can reach up to 11 inches.
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Millipedes
* 2 pairs of legs per body segment (total of four legs per body segment)
* No wings
* One pair of antennae
Millipedes are herbivores and decomposers. They eat forest duff layer and put nutrients back in the soil for plants to use and grow. They decompose 90% of the duff layer of soil. Millipedes have stink glands to repel predators and they curl into a tight ball when threatened. The millipede with the most legs lives in California and has 375 pairs of legs, that's 750 total legs!
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Crustaceans
* 5 or more pairs of legs (ten or more legs total)
* No wings
* 2 pair of antennae
* Many body segments
Crustaceans have specialized legs for walking, swimming, crushing, and for defense. Crustaceans include crabs, lobsters, barnacles and crayfish. The pill bug, or sow bug (sometimes called the potato bug) is the only land crustacean.
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