Some Awesome Insect Groups

The Bed Bug

Some cool facts…  Bed Bugs suck blood  They feed by following the Carbon Dioxide expelled by the sleeping host  The make great pets, if you don’t mind feeding them!

Bed Bugs live in Cracks and Crevices…

And usually it’s the cracks and crevices of your mattress and box springs!

After feeding, bed bugs swell with blood

Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don’t let the Bed Bugs Bite!

How did bed bugs find OUR beds?  Ancestors of the Bed Bug (the Bat Bug) fed on our ancestors who lived in caves  As we progressed into houses with beds, so did our little friends

“Traumatic Insemination”  When mating, males stab the female’s body cavity with their penis and ejaculates into the body  The female is left with scars, showing the number of times she has mated

The Praying Mantis!

Some Facts…  Females may eat their mate –Sometimes, they may even turn on the male before they are finished! –However, males are STILL capable of mating after their heads have been chewed off!  One egg sac produces nymphs

The Sad Saga of the Male…

Raptorial Forelegs  Allow mantis to capture and devour quickly!

Prey Victims

And how cool is it that there is a form of kung fu modeled after the mantis? This is called the “mantis quan”

Velvet Ant + = ?

NO!  Velvet Ants are actually wasps! –The female is wingless –The male has wings

Cool Facts  Velvet Ants are solitary –Males fly around looking for a loner female  Females lay an egg in the nest of a bee or wasp host –The larvae hatches before the host, eats it, and uses the nest for itself  Few, if any animals can eat the velvet ant  Feed on Nectar and Water

Why are they so hard to kill?  Their exoskeleton is pitted (holey) and acts like a suit of armor

“Cow Killers”  Wasps can sting over and over – the sting of some velvet ants is the worst of any insect

Don’t get this close!

The Thistledown Velvet Ant!

Cicadas

Some Cool Facts  Periodical Cicadas only come out every 13 OR 17 years  Dog-Day Cicadas hatch every year  Females insert eggs in slits they cut into tree branches –Nymphs hatch and drop to the ground, digging underneath the soil until they are ready to emerge…

They are so noisy!  The make sound using “tymbals”, structures that are on their abdomen

13-year Cicadas are found in Alabama The counties with dots are counties where emergences of the 13-year Periodical Cicadas have been found

Emergence…

Coming up from the ground

Climbing up…

Molting into Adults

Finding a Mate!

Female lays eggs

Young drop to the ground and the cycle begins again Emergence Video 

Dog Day Cicada – we get these every year

Luna Moth “Moon Moth”

Cool Facts  Nocturnal – only active at night  Larvae prefer walnut and hickory leaves  Adults have no mouth – eat nothing!  Males and Females mate at night for about 4 hours

So beautiful!

Luna Moth range

Attract mates by using pheromones

Luna moths are Silk moths Io Cecropia Polyphemus Imperial

A friendly reminder from the Lunesta moth:  Sleep is as important to your health and well-being as diet and exercise  Even a few bad nights can affect your mood and your physical health! So tonight…Get a Good Nights Rest!