Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

20
EUROPEAN HORNET CLASS Insecta ORDER Hymenoptera "'" CARD 41 Vespidae Vespa crabro The hornet is the largest European social wasp. Each spring a queen builds a nest and lays the first eggs. She tends the larvae until workers hatch to share her parental duties. CHARACTERISTICS Length: Female, 1-1 in. Workers and males smaller. Coloration: Brown thorax. Yellow facial marks and abdominal bands. BREEDING Breeding season: May to October. No. of eggs: 4-400, depending on time of year. Hatching time: 5 days. Egg to flying insect: 4 weeks. LIFESTYLE Habit: Sociable and predatory. In spring the queen starts colony, which increases through the year. Diet: Adult eats tree sap, nectar, and fruit. Larva is fed insects. lifespan: Workers and males die be- fore winter. Females hibernate and start colonies the next year. RELATED SPECIES The hornet is a member of the wasp family Vespidae, which includes yellow jackets. Original range of the European hornet. DISTRIBUTION Found in Europe, the U.S.S.R., and as far east as western Mon- golia. Introduced in North America and elsewhere. CONSERVATION Extermination and habitat loss caused populations to decline earlier in this century. Numbers are rising with better manage- I ment of old woodland and more awareness of the hornet's It is protected in Finland and Sweden. FEATURES OF THE EUROPEAN HORNET Wings: 2 sets . At rest, they are folded lengthwise, with forewings concealing hind wings. Both sets of wings are connected, which makes flight smooth . The female can move flight muscles without moving wings. This creates body heat that can be used to warm the nest. © MCMXCII IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A. EUROPEAN HORNET YelLOW JACKET The European hornet is 1 times the size of a yellow jacket , and its markings tend to be brown rather than black. Eyes: Indentation in front edge of compound eye gives it kidney shape characteristic of the family Vespidae. Mandibles: Used to chew insects into semiliquid food for larvae. Also used to make wood into pulp mixed with saliva -the material for building nests . 0160200511 PACKET 51

description

European Hornet, Morpho Butterfly, Leafcutter Bee, Tsetse Fly, Dor Beetle, Large White Butterfly, Leafhopper, Purple Emperor, Great Green Bush Cricket, Apollo Butterfly

Transcript of Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

Page 1: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

EUROPEAN HORNET

CLASS Insecta

ORDER Hymenoptera

"'" CARD 41

Vespidae Vespa crabro

The hornet is the largest European social wasp. Each spring a queen builds a nest and lays the first eggs. She tends the larvae

until workers hatch to share her parental duties.

CHARACTERISTICS Length: Female, 1-1 ~ in. Workers

and males smaller.

Coloration: Brown thorax. Yellow

facial marks and abdominal bands.

BREEDING

Breeding season: May to October.

No. of eggs: 4-400, depending on

time of year.

Hatching time: 5 days.

Egg to flying insect: 4 weeks.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Sociable and predatory. In

spring the queen starts colony,

which increases through the year.

Diet: Adult eats tree sap, nectar,

and fruit. Larva is fed insects.

lifespan: Workers and males die be­

fore winter. Females hibernate and

start colonies the next year.

RELATED SPECIES

The hornet is a member of the wasp

family Vespidae, which includes

yellow jackets.

Original range of the European hornet.

DISTRIBUTION

Found in Europe, the U.S.S.R., and as far east as western Mon­

golia. Introduced in North America and elsewhere.

CONSERVATION

Extermination and habitat loss caused populations to decline

earlier in this century. Numbers are rising with better manage-

I ment of old woodland and more awareness of the hornet's

~ds. It is protected in Finland and Sweden.

FEATURES OF THE EUROPEAN HORNET

Wings: 2 sets. At rest, they are folded lengthwise, with forewings concealing hind wings. Both sets of wings are connected, which makes flight smooth. The female can move flight muscles without moving wings. This creates body heat that can be used to warm the nest.

© MCMXCII IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A.

EUROPEAN HORNET YelLOW

JACKET

The European hornet is 1 ~ times the size of a yellow jacket, and its markings tend to be brown rather than black.

Eyes: Indentation in front edge of compound eye gives it

kidney shape characteristic of the family Vespidae.

Mandibles: Used to chew insects into semiliquid food for larvae. Also used to make wood into pulp mixed with saliva -the material for building nests.

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Page 2: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

The European hornet needs a habitat of old woodland

that contains both healthy and dead or dying trees.

The queen usually makes her nest in a hollow tree, but

she sometimes uses a rock crevice or an abandoned

mouse nest instead. Throughout the summer the nest

becomes larger to accommodate hundreds of chambers,

or cells. Each chamber holds a single larva or egg.

~ lIFECYClE The European hornet lives in a society dominated by a single female, or queen. In April the queen chooses a nest site in an enclosed space, usually in a hol­low tree. She creates wood pulp by mixing rotten wood and tree bark with her saliva. Then she fixes a layer of this pulp to the ceiling of the space and forms a stem from which the nest will hang. A long chamber, or cell, is attached to the stem, and other cells are added to its sides. The first eggs are glued to the cell walls, with one egg in each cell.

A larva hatches from each egg, anchored in its cell by a strand of mucus. It molts three times before becoming a pupa.

After a month, the first workers emerge. The queen remains in the nest from that point on, while the workers find food for themselves and the others in the nest. By summer, the work­ers have enlarged the nest to house up to 400 larvae and eggs.

Toward the end of the season, the workers produce larger cells, where young queens and males are reared. Whenever a young queen leaves the nest, she is seized by a male and mates.

As the weather gets colder, both workers and larvae die. Only queens survive the winter. They remain dormant until the warm weather returns, and the cycle starts again.

~ DEFENSES A hornet seldom stings any animal unless its nest is dis­turbed. Although many peo­ple fear hornets, there have been only 70 human deaths from hornet stings over the past 40 years. The sting is usu­ally dangerous only to people who are allergic to the ven­om or who are stung on the tongue or a major blood vessel.

Left: The hornet eats liquid food only, but it kills other insects to feed its larvae.

DID YOU KNOW? • The first worker hornets are smaller than those that devel­op later, because they are fed and reared by the queen without help. • A hornet that lacks a good nest site may use a birdhouse. In Germany and Great Britain special hornet nest boxes are now put up.

Hornet venom affects the heart and blood vessels of mammals. It reduces blood pressure and prevents blood from clotting. As a result, the poison spreads rapidly.

Medical researchers have recently become interested in the venom and are trying to find out if it can be used to lower adrenaline levels.

Right: The queen scrapes wood audibly when making pulp for her nest.

• A hornet nest can be 10 to 25° F hotter than the air out­side. To warm the nest, hor­nets place their heads in the cell entrances increasing the temperature with their body heat. If the nest gets too hot, they fan their wings at the entrance to create a flow of cool air.

[ "& NATUREWATCH The best time to see the Euro­pean hornet is from July to September. The queen usually finds a nest site by May, but it takes a while before the addi­tion of the hatched workers makes the nest site obvious.

L You may find a nest in a hol-

~ FOOD &: FEEDING The adult hornet eats only liq-uid food, especially nectar and tree sap. But it is also a preda­tor, hunting insects like flies and caterpillars to feed its larvae.

The hornet has excellent eye­sight. It flies over an area of veg­etation until it spots a suitable insect such as a fly. It pounces on its victim, carries it off, and often removes its head, legs, and wings, which have little food value. It then chews the abdomen and thorax (middle body part) to a pulp that can be eaten by the hornet larvae. The hornet hunts all through

Left: The nest has few cells at the start of the breeding season, but it graws steadily.

low tree in mature woods. But the hornets are likely to attack if you disturb their nest or stand in their flight path. If you find a hornet nest under your roof, ask a local wildlife society to

remove the nest and find an- I other place for it.

the night, preying on slower­moving moths as well as on quick-moving insects that are active during the day.

When the worker returns to the nest with food, hungry larvae attract its attention by making rasping noises on their cells. A larva stops calling for food when its hunger is satis­fied, and other larvae can then be fed. In return for being fed, the larvae produce droplets of a carbohydrate-rich sweet liq­uid that the adult hornet sucks up. The hornet also obtains energy from the sap of trees, such as ash and maple, and from a variety of flowers that are sources of nectar.

Page 3: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

'" CARD 42 MORPHO BUTTERFLY "~ _________________________ G_RO __ U_P_5:_I_N_S_EC_T_S_& __ SP_I_D_ER_S __ ~

CLASS Insecta

ORDER Lepidoptera

FAMILY Nymphalidae

GENUS Morpho

Morpho butterflies are among the largest butterflies in the world. Their iridescent wings create flashes of bright color as they flit

through the trees of their rainforest habitat.

KEY FACTS

SIZE Wingspan: 2-8 in.

BREEDING Breeding season: Throughout the year. Eggs: Laid singly. Dome-shaped, sometimes striped. Egg to adult butterfly: 3-4 months.

LIFESTYLE Habit: Males fly among treetops. Females stay closer to the floor of the forest. Diet: Adults feed on rotting fruit and sap. Larvae feed on plant matter.

RELATED SPECIES The subfamily Morphinae includes three genera: Antirrhea, (aerois,

and Morpho. All are found in Central and South America, but the Amazon basin holds the great­est number of species.

Range of morpho butterflies.

DISTRIBUTION Morpho butterflies are found mainly in rainforest areas throughout Central and South America.

CONSERVATION Morpho butterflies are greatly threatened by the loss of their habitat. They can be saved only through conservation of the rainforest. There is some regulation of the commercial collect­ing of butterflies. '

FEATURES OF MORPHO BUTTERFLIES

The males of nearly all the species have brightly colored upper wings with a metallic sheen. The colors are produced by pigments and by the scattering of sunlight by tiny ridges on the scales.

MORPHO HECUBA

Found in the Amazon basin . With a wingspan of up to 8 inches, it is the largest morpho butterfly. Un­like most other morphids, the male has yellowish brown wings.

Morpho cypris: Found in Colombia. The male is a brilliant blue, and the female is yellowish brown.

Scales: Wings are covered 'with thousands of tiny, overlapping scales. There are more than 32,000 scales per square inch of wing surface.

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Page 4: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

Female morpho butterflies are very dull in comparison

to the male butterflies, whose brilliantly colored wings

range from silvery white to vibrant blue. The wings'

shimmering iridescence is produced when rays of

"white" sunlight fall on the tiny, prismlike wing

scales. These rays of sunlight are split into

colored light in a process called refraction.

~ HABITAT Morpho butterflies are found

mainly in the tropical forests of

South and Central America, at

elevations below 6,000 feet.

They are most abundant in the

Amazon basin, but among the

50 morpho species there are

exceptions. Some species oc­

cur in the high Andes Moun­

tains, while others live on the

lower western slopes or in arid

parts of Mexico.

The males and females are

active at different times of the

day and live in different parts of

the forest. Females stay in the

undergrowth in denser parts of

the forest. Males usually fly at a

higher level among the tree­

tops, descending only to drink

from rivers. Because of these

different habits and the male's

brighter coloring, male mor­

pho butterflies are seen more

often than females.

Right: The plump, hairy larvae of morpho butterflies feed voraciously on forest plants.

~ DEFENSES The undersides of a morpho

butterfly's wings are usually

dull brown, often with patterns

that look like dead leaves. A

feeding butterfly holds its wings

upright and blends into its su r­

roundings. But when a male

flies off, he reveals the brightly

colored upper sides of his wings.

This contrast may be a defense

-the flash of color surprises

the predator, allowing the but­

terfly to escape.

Morpho species have differ­

ent flight patterns. With a wing­

span of nearly eight inches and

left: Usually bright blue, the upper sides of the male's wings may also be brown, red, or yellow.

DID YOU KNOW? • Male morpho butterflies are prized by collectors. Some vil­

lage populations once sup­

ported themselves by hunting

and selling these butterflies.

• The larvae of one morpho species are attacked by tachi­

nid flies. The flies lay eggs on

leaves that are eaten by the

morpho larvae. The fly larvae

a small body, the largest mor­

pho species glides on air cur­

rents. Species with smaller

wings and larger bodies fly by

beating their wings up and

down. All species can change

instantly from a slow, steady

flight to wild, swooping move­

ments, allowing a quick, unex­

pected means of escape. The larvae of some species se­

crete a fluid and comb it through

the hairs on the body. The exact

function of this fluid is unknown,

but it may make the larvae taste

bad to predators.

Right: The pattern and color of the undersides of the morpho's wings blend in with the forest's leaves.

hatch inside a morpho larva

and feed on its tissues. When

ready to pupate, the fly larvae

bore through the body wall

of the morpho larva.

• Male morpho butterflies of­ten chase each other, so col­

lectors take advantage of this

behavior by waving bright

blue scarves to lure specimens.

~ FOOD & FEEDING Unlike other butterflies, morpho

butterflies do not feed on flower

nectar. Instead they suck the

juice from overripe or rotting

fruit. They also eat the sap from

damaged trees and vines. Most

species are solitary feeders, but

clouds of butterflies are some­

times seen feeding together.

The butterflies drink from riv-

~ lIFECYClE Most female morpho butterflies

lay their dome-shaped eggs one

at a time. An emerging larva, or

caterpillar, is usually bright red

and yellow with a triangular

head covered with stiff hairs.

On the last segment of the

body is a two-pronged tail.

As a caterpillar grows, it

sheds its skin regularly. The

new skin stays soft for a few

hours to allow the caterpillar to

expand. Some morpho cater­

pillars molt up to seven times.

ers and streams in the forests.

Morpho larvae feed on a vari­

ety of plant material, depending

on location. Mimosa is popular

with a number of species. Some

of the food plants are toxic to

humans, but they do not seem

to harm the larvae or make

them unpalatable to birds that

prey on them.

In its final stage the caterpillar

spins silk to make a tough outer

covering. It enters the pupal, or

chrysalis, stage and hangs from

a branch by a silk thread.

Within the chrysalis the cater­

pillar's tissues are broken down

and reassembled into the tis­

sues of an adult butterfly. The

pupal case finally splits open,

and the butterfly emerges. It

hangs from the empty shell to

let its wings dry and expand.

Then it flies off to seek a mate.

Page 5: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

LEAFCUTTER BEE

CLASS Insecta

ORDER Hymenoptera

FAMILY Megachilidae

The female leaf cutter bee constructs an intricate nest that has a separate cell for each of her offspring. Each cell is built from tiny

pieces of leaves that are glued together with saliva.

KEY FACTS

CHARACTERISTICS

Length: Female, 1 in. Male, slightly

smaller.

Coloration & form: Both male and

female are dark and sturdy. Similar

to the honeybee but darker and

with a more rounded abdomen.

Mouthparts: Sharp, scissorlike

action slices through leaves.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Solitary.

Diet: Nectar and pollen.

Lifespan: Adult female, 2 months.

Adult male, 1 month.

RELATED SPECIES

There are over 1,000 species of leaf­

cutting bees worldwide. More than

100 of them occur in the United

States. Most of the known species

are found in the temperate zone,

but there must be thousands more

awaiting discovery in the tropical

rainforests of the world.

Range of the leafcutter bee. ~~==~~~~---

DISTRIBUTION

The leafcutter bee is found throughout the United States,

southern Canada, and northern Mexico. It is also found in

most of Europe and western Asia .

CONSERVATION

The leafcutter bee is in no danger at present, but modern farm­

ing methods have probably reduced its numbers.

FEATURES OF THE lEAFCUTTER BEE

Ja.ws: Powerful and scissorlike

Eyes: Large and compound, pro viding good

hairier than the honeybee.

© MCMXCII IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A.

Nest building: The leafcutter bee may cut and discard many pieces of leaves while building its nest. Nests consist of a col­

lection of individual cells, each built from 15 to 20 oval pieces of leaves.

0160200631 PACKET 63

Page 6: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

The leafcutter bee belongs to a group of bees known

as the "solitary bees." The leafcutter bee dies before its

young have hatched, but it leaves them well provided

for. The female lays each egg in a tiny cell that she fills

with a mixture of nectar and pollen. This food lasts until

the following spring, when the young bee emerges.

~ HABITS The female leafcutter bee con­

structs a cigar-shaped nest in a

tiny hole in wood or sometimes

in the ground. The nest consists

of a line of thimble-shaped cells

-one cell for each offspring.

Each cell is made up of 15 to

20 pieces of leaves. Oval pieces

are used for the walls of the cells,

and round pieces are used for

the partitions. The bee glues the

leaves' edges together with sali-

va, which forms a cementlike

substance when it dries. The

leaves are so well glued togeth­

er that the entire nest can be

removed without falling apart.

The bee prefers soft, pliable

leaves and may discard several

leaves before finding a suitable

one. Groups of nests are often

found near rosebushes, since

rose leaves and petals are pop­

ular building materials.

~ lIFECYClE The female leafcutter bee fills

each cell with pollen and with

nectar that she disgorges from

her "honey stomach" -an ex­

tension of her gut. She then lays

an egg, seals the cell, and has

nothing more to do with her

offspring. The food in the cell

lasts until the young adult bee

emerges the next spring.

The female determines the

sex of her young by withhold­

ing or releasing collected sperm,

which is stored after mating. Fe­

males are produced from fertil­

ized eggs laid in the cells on the

inside of the nest. Males are pro-

Left: The female leaf cutter bee begins the process of nest build­ing by gathering leaves.

Right: Each egg is laid in a sepa­rate cell filled with a food supply of pollen and nectar.

1010 YOU KNOW? I -: Megachile rotundata, a leaf­

cutting bee found in Africa, is

a valuable pollinator of alfal­

fa, a crop grown as protein­

rich food for cattle.

• The leafcutter bee's great­

est enemy is the cuckoo bee,

which tries to lay its eggs in

duced from unfertilized eggs

laid on the outside. In spring

the males emerge first and

compete to mate with the

females who follow them.

The male dies soon after mat­

ing. The female lives a few weeks

longer to build the, nest. She

spends several hours building

each cell and filling it with food.

Right: The female uses a mixture of chewed leaves and saliva to glue her nest inside a hole.

the leafcutter's nest. To pro­

tect its nest entrance, the

leafcutter covers it with hun­

dreds of pieces of leaves.

• The mason bee, a relative

of the leafcutter, makes a

clay nest and decorates the

outside with pebbles.

~ NATUREWATCH A leafcutter bee's nest is hard

to spot because it is covered

w ith pieces of leaves and has a

small opening . The nests are

easiest to find in spring, when

they are being built. They are

usually found near rosebushes.

~ FOOD &: FEEDING The leafcutter bee feeds on the

pollen and nectar from various

flowers such as clover and rose.

The bee can see ultraviolet light

as a range of colors invisible to

the human eye. A flower that

looks white to humans contains

a wealth of patterns to a bee.

These patterns direct the bee to

Left: The leafcutter bee often trav­els as far as one mile when search­ing for food.

the nectar inside·the flower.

The leafcutter bee feeds at

great speed, often visiting up

to 25 flowers per minute. As it eats, the pollen trapped on its

body pollinates the flower. The

female collects pollen on the

long, bristlelike hairs on her ab­

domen, and she stores nectar

in her honey stomach. She uses

the accumulated pollen and

nectar to fill the cells in her nest.

Page 7: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

TSETSE FLY

CLASS Insecta

ORDER Diptera

GROUP 5: INSECTS & SPIDERS FAMILY Muscidae

GENUS Glossina

Tsetse flies feed only on blood, and they carry deadly diseases as a result. Despite many attempts to wipe them out, tsetse

flies thrive throughout tropical Africa.

KEYFA~C~T~S ______________________________ ~

CHARACTERISTICS

Length: About y,; in.

Mouthparts: Piercing.

Wings: 1 pair of wings and 1 pair

of halteres, or "balancers."

BREEDING

Breeding season: Throughout

the year.

No. of young: 1 reared at a time,

with an average total of 12 pro­

duced during the 6-month lifespan

of each female.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Solitary; parasitic.

Diet: Exclusively fresh blood ob­

tained from mammals, birds, and

reptiles.

RELATED SPECIES

There are 20 species of tsetse flies,

5 of which transmit sleeping sick­

ness. Close relatives include the

bloodsucking European stable fly

and the housefly.

FEATURES OF TSETSE FLIES

Wings: 1 pair of function ing wings and 1 pair of halteres (balancers) . Fly rests with wings folded on its back.

Range of tsetse flies.

DISTRIBUTION

Found throughout tropical Africa, south of the Sahara Desert

and north of the Kalahari Desert.

CONSERVATION

Numerous attempts to eradicate tsetse flies have been unsuc­

cessful. But new advances in control methods show promise of

limiting populations in the near future.

Larva: Female gives birth to a

full-grown larva. Larva immediately

pupates in soft sandy soil

and emerges as an adult fly 30

days later.

Mouthparts: Slender, needlelike tube, tipped with crown of microscopic razor-sharp teeth. Can pierce thick skin to reach a blood vessel.

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Page 8: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

Tsetse flies have a highly sophisticated feeding technique

and an advanced breeding system. As a result, nearly all

of their offspring survive. Tsetse flies have resisted

every attempt to eradicate them, and they remain

one of the most dangerous insect pests.

~ HABITAT Central Africa is infested by 20 species of tsetse flies, each of

which has its own habitat. One disease-carrying species, Glos­sina palpatis, lives in forests

along rivers and lakes. It feeds mainly on the blood of croc­

odiles and swamp-dwelling antelope, as well as the blood of humans. When the forests

are cleared for farming, the fly retreats into the remaining

trees and continues to plague local people.

Glossina mortisans, another disease carrier, occurs on the savannas of eastern Africa. It

feeds on the blood of wilde­

beests, zebras, buffalo, and other grazing herds. These

animals have become im­mune to the disease the fly carries, but they still act as

hosts to the disease organism.

~ SPECIAL ADAPTATIONS Blood lacks several important vitamins. But this is not a prob­

lem for tsetse flies because they cultivate microscopic plants within their bodies to supple­

ment the nutrients in their diet.

I Nourished by the blood tak­

~nto a tsetse fly's gut, the

plants manufacture the miss­ing vitamins and provide the

fly with a steady supply. Both the plants and the fly benefit from this arrangement, which is also common among blood­sucking parasites such as bed­

bugs and lice.

~ FOOD & FEEDING Tsetse flies feed only on the fresh blood of mammals, birds, and reptiles. Their mouthparts form a "drill" that can bore

through the thick skin of ani­mals such as the crocodile. The "drill" is basically a slender

tube tipped with microscopic teeth. Powerful muscles make

the tube vibrate to rasp away skin tissue. The tube is so deli-

Left: After feeding, tsetse flies clean their delicate and highly efficient mouthparts.

[ DID YOU KNOW? • The Europeans who ex­plored tropical Africa in the 19th century had to travel on foot because their horses and

mules died from sleeping sickness carried by tsetse flies.

cate that a bite from a tsetse

fly is seldom felt. A tsetse fly appears flat and

shriveled when it lands on its

host, but by the time it leaves its abdomen is swollen with blood. The fly rests after feed­

ing and excretes excess water in order to reduce its weight.

One meal may be enough to last the fly for several days.

Right: A tsetse fly's needle-sharp bite is rarely felt unless it hits a nerve in its victim.

• Some farmers in areas that are infested by tsetse flies have stopped raising cattle. Instead they raise native ani­

mals like the eland that are immune to sleeping sickness.

~ TSETSE FLY & MAN Tsetse flies are deadly because

they carry sleeping sickness. This disease is caused by a single-celled organism that

breeds in a tsetse fly's gut. The fly injects the organisms into its victim when it takes blood.

The cells multiply in the vic­

tim's bloodstream. Then they

invade the central nervous sys­

tem and cause drowsiness. If the sufferer is bitten by another tsetse fly, the disease is passed

on from one person to another. The disease organisms may stay in the bloodstream for years

before killing the host, or they can prove fatal in a few months.

~ BREEDING Most flies lay several hundred

eggs at a time and abandon them to their fate. Usually most

of the offspring die before they reach maturity.

Tsetse flies have evolved a completely different breeding

system. Instead of producing hundreds of offspring so that a few will survive, the female

produces one at a time and guards it with her life. Instead of laying the egg, she hatches it inside her body, and the leg­

less larva then grows inside her. It breathes through two black

openings that protrude from the female's birth canal. The

Left: The female gives birth to a fully developed larva, which bur­rows into the earth.

larva is nourished by a secre­

tion made from the blood that its mother eats. It drinks this "milk" from a nipplelike gland inside the mother's abdomen.

The demands of the hungry larva force the female to feed more frequently than usual.

Birth is delayed until the lar­va is fully grown. As soon as it emerges, it burrows into the

earth, where it pupates and is transformed into an adult.

Because it never feeds inde­pendently as a larva, it is not

exposed to predators. In her lifespan of about six

months, the female tsetse fly

produces only 12 young. But their high survival rate makes

this process successful.

Left: A tsetse fly's bite is deadly to humans and wildlife. The flies carry sleep­ing sickness, which kills both humans and livestock.

Page 9: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

CARD 45

DOR BEETLE GROUP S: INSECTS & SPIDERS • FAMILY GENUS &: SPECIES ,,'--------CLASS ORDER

Insecta Coleoptera Geotrupidae Geotrupes stercorarius

The dor beetle is one of thousands of species of dung beetle. These creatures do the world a service by burying and

recycling the dung of grazing animals.

KEY FACTS

CHARACTERISTICS

Length: ~-l in .

Wings: 1 pair, plus 1 pair of elytra

(wing covers).

Legs: 6.

Mouthparts: Biting.

Coloration: Glossy black.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Lives alone or in pairs.

Diet: Animal dung and other rot­

ting organic matter.

Lifespan: Average, 18 months.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: 1 year.

Breeding season: Early summer.

No. of eggs: 3-6 per burrow.

Larval development: 9 months.

RELATED SPECIES

Other dor beetles of the genus

Geotrupes are found throughout

North America, Eurasia, and Africa.

The family Geotrupidae is closely

related to the scarab beetles of the

family Scarabaeidae.

Range of the dor beetle.

DISTRIBUTION

The dor beetle is found in northern and central Europe, east

into central Asia.

CONSERVATION

The insecticides injected into cattle to kill parasites can make

cattle droppings poisonous to dor and dung beetles. In gen­

eral, however, the beetles are flourishing wherever grazing ani­

mals are numerous.

FEATURES OF THE DOR BEETLE

Mouthparts: Biting .

Front legs: Rakelike. Used for digging and burying dung.

©MCMXCVI IMP BV/IMP INC. WILDLIFE FACT FILETM

Antennae: Each ends in a club made up of several flaps that can be opened like a fan to increase the sensitive area.

HOW THE DOR BEETLE

The dor beetle rolls a ball of dung over the ground by walking back­

ward on its forelegs and push­ing the ball with its hind legs, like a tiny living wheelbarrow.

Coloration: Glossy black edged with irides­cent blue and green at the edges. Metallic

blue or green underneath.

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Page 10: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

Dor and other dung beetles have developed the ability to

exploit the waste products of a variety of animals. As a

result these beetles have an abundant food supply that

is always available. This makes them some of the most

successful and widespread insects in the world.

~ HABITS The dor beetle is a common but rarely seen inhabitant of grasslands and open wood­lands. It lives wherever there are enough grazing animals such as cattle and deer to gen­erate a good supply of dung, its favorite food.

The dor beetle is one of sev­eral species of dung beetle. Each species concentrates on the dung of a particular type of grazing animal. Rabbits, sheep, cattle, and horses all have their

attendant dung beetle to bury and reprocess their dung as fast as it accumulates.

The beetles tend to collect and bury far more dung than they use. In doing so, they per­form a valuable service, return­ing nitrates and various other nutrients to the soil, where they can then be absorbed by the roots of plants.

Right: A dung beetle uses its hind legs in order to push a ball of dung over the ground.

~ ENEMIES Slow and shiny, dor beetles are easily caught by insect-eating birds and mammals. The bee­tles are preyed upon by crows, hedgehogs, moles, and foxes.

A more insidious enemy of the

~ LlFECYClE The lifecycle of the dor beetle involves four stages: egg, larva

(or grub), pupa (the transitional stage between larva and adult), and adult.

The female digs a burrow un­der a heap of dung. The burrow is up to two feet deep and has three or four chambers for eggs. The male drags pieces of dung to his mate, which she rolls into balls. She places one ball in each

Left: Dor beetles can be identified by their glossy shells and their me­tallic sheen.

DID YOU KNOW? • Australian dung beetles can only deal with the dung of native mammals. African dung beetles were imported to clear the dung of intro­duced African cattle.

dung beetle is a tiny mite. It slips its needlelike mouthparts between the plates of the bee­tle's armor and sucks its blood. One beetle may be infested by several mites.

chamber, then lays an egg on top of the ball and covers it with dung, leaving an air hole.

The larva hatches in summer and feeds on the dung until it hibernates. In spring it wakes up and eats the dung until it be­comes a pupa. In early summer it emerges from the burrow as a beetle. When winter arrives it hibernates again, this time as an adult beetle.

Right: Although the larvae have three pairs of well-developed legs, they move as little as possible.

• The European dor beetle is related to the sacred scarab beetle depicted in the jewelry of ancient Egypt. The scarab beetle is found throughout the Mediterranean region.

[--21 NATUREWATCH Although species of dor and dung beetles vary, most are black on top and metallic green or blue underneath.

A dor beetle can be found

~ FOOD & FEEDING Decomposing carcasses and rotting fungi are all food for the dor beetle. But this insect feeds primarily on the dung of graz­ing mammals.

Since dung is basically mate­rial that has been rejected by another animal's digestive sys­tem, it might seem to be a poor source of nutrition. But a grass­eating animal makes poor use of its food, and large amounts of what it eats passes through its body almost undigested. In

Left: Dung bee­tles cut chunks of fresh dung with their ser­rated front legs. Then they roll the dung into small balls.

by using a stick to break open cow dung in a pasture. Since dor beetles prefer well-aged dung, they are rarely found in fresh droppings.

the process, the food is ground up and mixed with digestive juices, plus large quantities of bacteria that live in the animal's intestine and help break down tough plant matter. As a result, dung is actually rich in nutrients that have been partially pro­cessed. It is an easy source of food for any creature that does not mind the taste. The dor beetle is attracted to the smell of dung and other rotting sub­stances that make up its diet.

Page 11: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

LARGE WHITE BUTTERFL V

CLASS Insecta

ORDER Lepidoptera

GROUP 5: INSECTS &: SPIDERS FAMILY Pieridae

GENUS & SPECIES Pieris brassicae

The large white butterfly is one of Europe ~ most common butterflies. This species is considered a pest by farmers because

the caterpillars feed on the leaves of cabbage plants.

KEY FACTS

SIZES

Adult wingspan: 2-2%; in .

Larva: Up to 2 in. long.

BREEDING

Mating: Usually 2 generations pro­

duced each year. More in southern

parts of range.

Eggs: 50-100.

Hatching time: 1 0-1 5 days.

Larva to pupa: About 20 days.

Pupa to butterfly: About 20 days

or over winter.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Day-active; often migratory.

Diet: Larva eats leaves of the cab­

bage and nasturtium families. Adult

feeds on nectar.

Adult lifespan: Usually 2-3 months.

RELATED SPECIES

The closest relative is the small white

butterfly, Pieris rapae, which is native

to Europe, Asia, and North Africa.

LlFECYCLE O F THE LARGE

Adult butterfly: The female has dark wing­tips and spots. The male is slightly small -er and does not have spots. Butterflies from the second brood of the year have darker markings.

Range of the large white butterfly.

DISTRIBUTION

Found in Great Britain and southern Scandinavia, across Europe

to North Africa and Asia, as far as the southern Himalayas.

CONSERVATION

The large white butterfly is very common. Considered a pest to

crops, its population has declined during the past 50 years due

to increasing use of insecticides.

Egg: Yel low and bullet-shaped . Laid in clusters of 50 to 100 on the under­sides of leaves of the cabbage or nas­turtium families . The eggs become darker yellow as they f!1ature .

SMALL WHITE BUTTERFLY Female's forewings have black

tips. Males have one black spot, while females have two.

, I . . ,., ., ' J' : ; :

Larva: Pale yellowish green, mottled with black. Found on leaves of

the cabbage and nasturtium families, where it feeds until it

is ready to pupate.

Bright green larva conceals itself in the center leaves of

plants. Lacks the unpleasant smell of the large white

butterfly's larva.

..,.1, . ' .. ' .. ", ..

" . ~ t t'

<tv MCMXCII IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A.

Chrysalis: Pale green or brown silk cas­ing with black markings. Usually attached by a fine silken thread in a sheltered posi­tion on a twig or fence or in a dry shed.

0160200661 PACKET 66

Page 12: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

The female large white butterfly poses a serious problem for

farmers because she lays her eggs on plants of the cabbage

and nasturtium families. When the caterpillar hatches from

the egg, it chews the leaves of these plants for about 20

days. At that point it is ready to change into a pupa and

begin its transformation into an adult butterfly. By then,

however, the damage to the plants has already been done.

~ lIFECYCLE The larva, or caterpillar, of the large white butterfly hatches from its egg by eating the shell. It then feeds on the leaves of plants in the cabbage and nas­turtium families . After about 20 days, when the caterpillar is fully grown, it crawls onto a twig or fence post and changes into a pupa. The pupa is yellowish green with dark blotches--col­oration that provides camou-

NATUREWATCH The large white butterfly has black markings on its white wings. It is most often found in cabbage fields, where the

flage. Encased in a silken cover­ing, or chrysalis, it is attached to its support by a fine thread. In­side the pupa, the tissues of the body break down and reform as an adult butterfly.

The adult emerges from the chrysalis in about 20 days and lives for two to three months.

Right: The female large white but­terfly lays her eggs on the under­side of a cabbage leaf.

females lay their eggs. The caterpillars can be found on the outer leaves of cabbages and related plants.

~ FOOD &: FEEDING The caterpillar of the large white butterfly feeds on the leaves of plants in the cabbage and nas­turtium families . From the mo­ment it hatches until it becomes a pupa, it eats constantly. Usu­ally a group of caterpillars feed together, stripping leaves down to the stalk with their strong jaws. The caterpillar's unpleas­ant smell and bold pattern tend

Left: The large white drums on a flower with its legs, "tasting" with its receptors before feeding.

I DID YOU KNOW? • Migrating large white but­terflies have been seen in the Himalayas as high as 12,000 feet above sea level. • When it is threatened by a predator, the caterpillar of the large white butterfly may drop to the ground and then curl the ends of its body inward in order to protect itself.

to keep predators away, so it often feeds on exposed leaves, where it is easily seen.

The adult butterfly feeds on the nectar of flowers, using re­ceptors on its feet to locate a suitable flower. The insect un­coils its long, tubelike mouth­part, or proboscis, and inserts it into the flower's center, using it like a straw to suck up nectar.

Right: The adult large white but­terfly feeds on nectar from a wide variety of flowers.

• One of the main enemies of the caterpillar is a parasitic wasp that pierces the caterpil­lar's body and lays its eggs inside. Tiny grubs hatch from these eggs and feed on the caterpillar's body until they are fully grown. Then they gnaw their way out, leaving the dead caterpillar behind.

~ BREEDI NG The large white butterfly is so numerous that the male does not have to travel far to find a mate. He can usually just spot a female, but she also secretes a scent called a pheromone that he can sense over 300 feet away.

After her eggs are fertilized, the female searches for a leaf of the cabbage or nasturtium families on which to lay her eggs. To de­termine if a leaf is suitable, she

~MIGRATION In midsummer, swarms of large white butterflies fly south from the Baltic over Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Some turn west to summer in Great Britain; oth­ers fly to Malta. In September,

Left: After hatch­ing, the larvae of the large white feed on cabbage leaves. The very strong flavor of the leaves gives the larvae an unpleasant odor, which helps them

stay together and also deters predators.

drums on it with her forelegs to bring out its smell . The plants that the female seeks are rich in mustard oil, which attracts the large white but repels many oth­er insects. The leaves' green col­or also attracts the butterfly.

The female then lays a cluster of 50 to 100 tiny yellow, bullet­shaped eggs on the underside of her chosen leaf. The eggs hatch in 10 to 15 days.

some swarms reach Israel, where they breed for a few generations. In India, large whites leave the Ganges Valley in hot weather and fly into the Himalayas, re­turning south when it is cooler.

Page 13: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

LEAFHOPPER

CLASS Insecta

ORDER Heteroptera

GROUP 5: INSECTS & SPIDERS

SUBORDER Homoptera

FAMILY Cicadellidae

Leafhoppers are small, often brightly colored insects. They damage plants by drinking the sap and laying their eggs in the shoots.

They also carry diseases from one plant to another.

KEY FACTS ~----------------------------------------------------~

CHARACTERISTICS

Length: Usually under ~ in., but

some up to % in.

Wings: 2 pairs.

Eyes: Compound, small.

Color: Often green to provide

camouflage on leaves. Some

species are brightly colored.

BREEDING

Breeding season: Late summer.

Eggs: Inserted into plant tissues

in small batches.

Hatching time: Varies depending

on temperature; in some cases

over winter.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Lives in large groups.

Diet: Sap of various plants.

Lifespan: Less than 1 year.

RELATED SPECIES

The family Cicadellidae contains

more than 15,000 species of leaf­

hopper. At least 2,500 species are

found in North America.

FEATURES OF LEAFHOPPERS

The illustration shows the species Graphocepha/a coccinea, found in the eastern United States.

Wings: 2 pairs . Forewings are mem­branous at the tips and thickened at the base. Hind wings are very thin.

Range of leafhoppers.

DISTRIBUTION

Leafhoppers are found throughout the world in both tropical

and temperate regions, wherever there is enough vegetation

on which to feed.

CONSERVATION

In the tropics, many species are considered agricultural pests

because they weaken plants and spread disease. Despite con­

trol measures, all species remain common.

Coloring: Varies greatly between different species and between the sexes of each species.

Mouthparts: 2 pairs of thin threads, or sty/ets. Outer sty­

lets are tipped with sharp teeth for pierc­

ing plants. Inner stylets form food

and salivary ducts.

© MCMXCII IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILET" PRINTED IN U.S.A. 0160200721 PACKET 72

Page 14: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

With over 15, 000 species, leafhoppers are among the

most numerous and successful insects in the world. They

are found in temperate and tropical regions throughout

the world, gathering in large numbers wherever there are

suitable plants for them to feed on. Some leafhoppers in

the tropics badly damage agricultural crops. But in other

areas these insects tend to feed mainly on wild plants.

~ LlFECYClE Leafhoppers are closely related

to cicadas, insects known for

their loud "song." About 50

years ago experts realized that

leafhoppers also "sing." But the

sound is too low and soft to

travel through the air. Instead,

it travels through the tissues of

the plants on which leafhoppers

feed. Like the cicada's song, its

function is to attract a mate.

In some species, the female

attracts a male by generating a

series of pulses. The male replies

in a more elaborate fashion, and

if all goes well, they mate. The

fertilized female then lays her

eggs inside a food plant, inject­

ing them into the tissues with

her ovipositor-a bladelike ap­

pendage on her abdomen. The

eggs are left to develop during

the winter.

A leafhopper has a simple life­

cycle. It hatches as a wingless

miniature form of its parents

and almost immediately begins

feeding. There is no larval stage.

A leafhopper simply gets bigger

as it feeds. It sheds its hard out­

er cuticle several times before

reaching winged maturity and

mating. A leafhopper lives less

than a year. The adults die off

with the onset of winter, leav­

ing the dormant eggs, which

will produce a new generation

the following spring.

~ CHARACTERISTICS With well over 15,000 species

found throughout the world,

leafhoppers form one of the

largest families of insects.

These agile insects are able to

run sideways and to leap great

distances. They also fly well, on

long wings that are usually held

arched over the body. Many

species are small, slender, and

brightly colored. The rhododen­

dron leafhopper, for example,

Left: This multicolored species of leafhopper is found in certain parts of Australia.

DID YOU KNOW? • The leafhoppers that carry

potato viruses are less com­

mon in northern locations.

For this reason, most "seed"

potatoes for planting come

from areas like Scotland.

• Leafhoppers are attracted

to light. In India large swarms

of green rice leafhoppers die

under street lamps, are swept

is a mixture of turquoise-green

and bright orange-red.

Leafhoppers do not look like

their relatives, the aphids. But

they share the aphids' habit of

gathering in huge numbers to

drink the juices of plants.

Each leafhopper species has a

favorite food plant. As a result,

each species can be identified

with the particular plant around

which it is almost always found.

Right: Ants tend young leafhop­pers and feed on the honeydew that they produce.

up, and sold as bird food.

• The mating call of leafhop­

pers is a series of clicks gener­

ated by special muscles that

buckle the insect's hard out­

er skeleton.

• Some North American leaf­

hopper species migrate hun­

dreds of miles in order to find

food during summer. ----.-J

I ",J NATUREWATCH Leafhoppers are most numer­

ous in summer, and they infest

most plant species. Brushing

the foliage may dislodge the

insects, and they fall to the

ground, fly off, or leap away.

Plant sap is rich in sugar but

poor in other vital nutrients, so

~ FOOD & FEEDING Leafhoppers feed exclusively on

the sap of plants, such as apple

trees, rosebushes, sugar beets,

and potato plants.

The mouthparts of a leafhop­

per consist of four stylets that fit

together to form a hollow nee­

dle with two internal channels.

The insect slips the sharp point

into the plant and injects a little

saliva into one of the channels.

The fluid pressure within the

plant forces sap to rise up the

other channel and into the in­

sect's stomach.

The saliva keeps the sap fluid

Left: Because sap oozes naturally from a pierced plant a leafhopper does not need to suck actively.

a leafhopper may have to in­

gest large quantities of sap in

order to get enough protein

and vitamins. The insect then

excretes the surplus sugar and

water, or "honeydew." This is

the sticky substance that is of­

ten on plant leaves and stems.

and initiates the digestive pro­

cess. The saliva can also harbor

disease organisms. Several leaf­

hopper species carry plant vi­

ruses, which they take in with

the sap and then transfer to oth­

er plants. One species, the Asian

green rice leafhopper, can dev­

astate entire paddy fields with

a rice virus.

Even when there is no disease

involved, a flourishing popula­

tion of leafhoppers can destroy

crops by draining sap from the

foliage. The leaves become cov­

ered with speckles. In addition,

pale blotches mark each feed­

ing site. A badly infested plant

will wither and eventually die.

Page 15: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

"'CARD 48

PURPLE EMPEROR

,,---------------------------------------------~ CLASS Insecta

ORDER Lepidoptera Nympha/idae Apatura iris

The purple emperor is an elusive forest butterfly that is extremely difficult to spot. It flits high among the tops of oak trees,

swooping down occasionally to drink at ground level.

KEY FACTS

CHARACTERISTICS

Wings: 2 pairs.

Wingspan: About 2 in.

Mouthparts: Caterpillar has a pair

of chewing jaws. Adult has a long,

coiled, sucking proboscis.

BREEDING

Eggs: Laid singly, usually on sal­

low leaves.

Hatching to pupation: 8 months

(including winter dormancy).

Pupa to adult: 2-3 weeks.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Flies by day, usually high up

in the tree canopy.

Diet: Caterpillar eats sallow, wil­

low, or aspen foliage. Adult drinks

nectar or rotting matter.

Lifespan: Adult, 2-3 months.

RELATED SPECIES

This species' closest relatives are

the lesser purple emperor, Apatura

ilia, and Freyer's purple emperor,

A. metis.

Range of the purple emperor.

DISTRIBUTION

The purple emperor is found in southern Great Britain, central

Europe, and throughout much of temperate Asia as far east as

China and Korea.

CONSERVATION

Destruction of its broad-leaved forest habitat has made the

purple emperor rare in many parts of its range. However, it

is not considered an endangered species.

FEATURES OF THE PURPLE EMPEROR

Wings: 2 pairs, covered in scales. Held tightly together and vertically to the body when at rest.

©MCMXCIV IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILpM

Antennae: Tipped with highly sensitive

nerve receptors that are used to "smell" the air.

Body: A dense cov­ering of tiny, bristle­, like hairs gives the

butterfly a velvety appearance, and

this makes it less attractive to po­

tential predators.

Coloration: The blue-violet iridescent sheen of the male does not come from pigments. It is created by the scattering of light from finely ridged scales on the wings. This iridescence is visible only from certain angles and appears to flash on and off. It is used to attract females and repel rival males. Beneath this iridescence is a blackish brown pig­ment. The female's wings lack the purple sheen, so she is much less conspicuous than the male.

PRINTED IN U.S.A. US P 6001 12068 PACKET 68

Page 16: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

The male purple emperor is one of the most beautiful

butterflies in the world. As a result, it has been hunted

extensively by collectors. Unlike many brightly colored

butterflies, this species is not toxic and is eaten by birds.

Moreover., its forest habitat is rapidly dwindling. All of

these factors have made the purple emperor butterfly

increasingly rare throughout much of its range.

~ HABITS The purple emperor butterfly is

an elusive and uncommon crea­

ture. It spends almost all of its

time high above the ground,

among the upper branches of

large forest oak trees.

The male is highly territorial.

He stakes a claim on an oak

branch and tries to defend up

to 1,000 square feet of air space

against neighboring rival males.

The females are attracted to the

most successful of these rivals,

so they also spend a great deal

of their time in the treetops.

To maintain such an active

lifestyle, the butterfly requires

energy-rich food. The adult re­

lies on liquid foods such as nec­

tar, which it gets by descending

into woodland meadows in the

morning to raid the flowers. By

midday it is back up in the tree

canopy. But occasionally an in­

dividual is seen swooping across

a clearing during the day, alter­

nating long glides with rapid

flapping to regain height.

Right: The caterpillar's green color­ing camouflages it on a leaf.

~ FOOD &: FEEDING When feeding, the purple em­

peror caterpillar uses its power­

ful jaws to chew through the

foliage of sallow and willow

trees. By contrast, the adult but­

terfly uncoils its proboscis (long,

coiled tongue) and uses it like a

drinking straw to suck up liquid .

The butterfly needs energy­

rich food as "fuel" for its treetop

flights. It gets this high-energy

food in the form of flower nec­

tar, which is basically a solution

of sugars and fragrant oils in

water. But the butterfly also

obtains food from other places.

Left: Scales on the wings of the male purple emperor produce a scent that excites the female.

DID YOU KNOW? • Some early collectors tried to catch purple emperors in

trees by using nets on poles

up to 30 feet long. Others

tried to lure the butterflies

down with rotting corpses.

• The smell of gasoline may

attract the purple emperor, as

may the smell of tar, manure,

and human sweat.

Rotting fruit, a decomposing

carcass, or even a pile of excre­

ment provides the purple em­

peror with rich nutrients that

may not all be available from

flower nectar.

The natural processes of de­

cay reduce such organic matter

to a nourishing liquid that the

butterfly can suck up. A highly

decomposed corpse may attract

several purple emperors, caus­

ing them to descend from the

treetops. This fact was known to

early collectors, who waited to

capture the butterflies.

Right: When not in use, the pro­boscis is coiled and tucked under the purple emperor's head.

• Like all butterflies in its fami­

ly, the purple emperor walks

on only four of its six legs. The

front, unused pair is held tight

under its body.

• The caterpillar hibernates on

bark, where it changes from

green to brown. It changes

back to green when it returns

to the leaves to feed.

I NATUREWATCH The destruction of large areas appear as just a purple flash in

of woodland is one reason why the flowers in a clearing.

the purple emperor is so rare. The purple emperor can oc-

In some parts of its range, this casionally be seen drinking at

butterfly is found only in small muddy puddles. Or it may be

patches of forest and may be found feeding on animal drop-

spotted only in early mornings pings beside prominent land-

during July and August. It may marks, such as tree stumps.

~ LlFECYCLE The female purple emperor lays

her eggs in late summer. She

attaches each one to a sallow,

willow, or aspen leaf. The newly

hatched caterpillars are green

with round black heads. But in a

few days each caterpillar sheds

its skin and emerges with two

"horns" on its head. It spends

the winter clinging to a silken

pad spun on the fork of a twig

and hibernates until spring.

It then starts to feed again,

molting twice more before turn­

ing into a pupa-the stage be­

tween caterpillar and butterfly.

The transformation takes two to

three weeks, and the buttertly

emerges in early summer. By

mid-September it has laid its

eggs and died.

Left: Eggs are laid singly on food plant leaves, usually in September.

Page 17: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

GREAT GREEN BUSH CRICKET

CLASS Insecta

ORDER Orthoptera

CARD 49

GROUP 5: INSECTS & SPIDERS

FAMILY Tettigoniidae

GENUS & SPECIES Tettigonia viridissimo

The great green bush cricket lives up to its name by being quite large and bright green. It is unpopular with farmers because it

gathers in large numbers and causes extensive damage to crops.

KEY FACTS

CHARACTERISTICS

Body length: 1 ~-2 in . Male slight­

ly larger than female.

Wing length: About 1 ~ in.

Coloration: Bright green.

BREEDING

Breeding season: From July to

September.

No. of eggs: About 100, laid indi­

vidually in the ground. ~ in. long;

dark gray.

Lifecycle: Nymphs hatch in early

spring. Adults mate in summer and

die in November.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Active by day and night.

Diet: Grasses, buds, leaves, fruit,

and insects.

Lifespan: About 6 months.

RELATED SPECIES

Close relatives include the upland

green bush cricket, Tettigonia can­tons, and the eastern green bush

cricket, T. candata.

Range of the great green bush cricket.

DISTRIBUTION

Found throughout the southern part of Great Britain, most of

Europe, and North Africa.

CONSERVATION

Although the great green bush cricket has suffered from the

loss of its wild habitats, its numbers are still stable in most of its

range. It has adapted well and can frequently be found living

in heavily farmed areas.

FEATURES OF THE GREAT GREEN BUSH CRICKET

Structure: Body is divided into 3 main segments: head, thorax, and abdomen. The cricket has no backbone. It relies in­stead on a hard external skeleton. The large forewings form a protective case for the delicate hind wings when the in­sect is not flying.

Ovipositor: Present only on the female. This hard abdominal organ enables her to deposit the fer­tilized eggs deep in the ground.

along the ab­domen are for breathing.

©MCMXCVI IMP BV/IMP INC. WILDLIFE FACT FILETM

Male: Has a tiny pair of cerci (claspers) that are used to grip the female when mating.

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

Antennae: Principal sensory organs, which may be longer than the

body. The greater length helps to distinguish this and other crickets from

true grasshoppers.

US P 6001 12 075 PACKET 75

Page 18: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

The great green bush cricket is also known as the great

green grasshopper-even though it is not a grasshopper

at all. Unlike many of its smaller relatives, this cricket does

not jump or hop. Instead, it runs or flies from one plant to

another when it is searching for food. During the summer

months, the undergrowth comes alive with the male's loud

and distinctive song, which he uses to attract a mate.

~ HABITAT Because the great green bush cricket is easily disturbed, it gen­erally lives in areas of untouched vegetation. Such habitats usual­ly contain coarse plants like this­tles. The ground cover provides the cricket with food and pro­tects it from birds of prey.

The cricket is also found on

unused land around cities, rail­way embankments, and river valleys, as well as on the warm slopes of chalk and limestone hills . It prefers a warm, temper­ate climate, but it can cope with rough weather conditions in the wilder parts of its habitat, such as coastal cliff tops.

[ ~ SPECIAL ADAPTATIONS The male great green bush cricket produces his loud song by rubbing his forewings over each other.

There is a tooth-bearing rib on the underside of the left forewing and a small depres-

sion, called the mirror, on the inside edge of the right fore­wing. The mirror is covered with a membrane (thin skin). By rubbing the membrane and rib together, the cricket amplifies the sound.

~ FOOD &: FEEDING The great green bush cricket is most active in the late afternoon and evening, when it searches for food. Its diet is broad and varies according to what is avail­able. It feeds on buds, grasses,

. fruit, shrubs, and leaves, as well as many small insects.

Using sensory organs on its long antennae, the cricket iden­tifies edible material. Then, with

Left: A male great green bush crick­et has claspers at the tip of his ab­domen, which are used in mating.

its simple two-piece mouth­parts, it tears the food into di­gestible pieces before swallow­ing it.

Because of its huge, adaptable appetite, the great green bush cricket is considered a pest by farmers. This creature tends to gather in large swarms, which can destroy grain crops in short periods of time.

Right: Some crickets feed only on other insects, but this species also eats many plants.

Left: During the summer, the female great green bush cricket lays her eggs. Inserting her ovipositor deep in the ground. she deposits the eggs in a crev­ice. The eggs remain buried all winter.

DID YOU KNOW? • When a great green bush cricket is caught by a preda­tor, it may shed the limb that the attacker is holding. This practice is very similar to the tail-shedding escape tactics employed by lizards. • According to Italian legend, if a mother catches a great

~ LlFECYClE The great green bush cricket mates between July and Sep­tember. The male engages in frenzied activity as he sings to attract a mate. When he finds a partner, the pair then moves in­to position for mating. The male grips the female tightly with his legs as he transfers a tiny pack­age of sperm directly into her genital opening.

After a few days, the female begins to lay her fertilized eggs. They are transferred from her abdomen by way of the oviposi­tor-a sword-shaped organ that she inserts deep into a crevice in

Left: The juvenile great green bush cricket looks like a small version of its parents.

green bush cricket in the bed­room of her child and ties the cricket by a thread to the bed, it will bring fame and wealth to the child in the future. • Each time it molts (sheds its hard outer layer), the nymph cricket devours its own dis­carded casing.

the ground. She then lays the eggs one at a time.

The eggs spend the winter buried, well protected from the elements and predators. After they have hatched, the devel­oping nymphs (young) live off nutrients in the egg until they emerge in Mayor June.

The nymph is a perfect minia­ture of the adult. But before it becomes fully grown, it passes through several stages known as instars. It molts (sheds its hard outer layer) at each stage, emerg­ing slightly larger and more de­veloped each time. By the time the nymph reaches maturity, it may have molted seven or even eight times.

Page 19: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

APOLLO BUTTERFL V

CLASS Insecta

ORDER Lepidoptera

GROUP 5: INSECTS &: SPIDERS FAMILY Papilionidae

GENUS & SPECIES Parnassius apollo

With its shimmering wings, the Apollo butterfly appears as a flash of bold color as it flits from flower to flower across mountain slopes, hills, and fields in much of Europe and parts of Asia.

CHARACTERISTICS Coloration: Creamy wings with black and red or yellow patches. Furry gray thorax and abdomen. Wings: 2 overlapping pairs. Wingspan: 2-4 in. Male smaller than female.

BREEDING Breeding season: July to August. Eggs: White. Several hundred, laid singly or in groups. Egg to pupa: 1 month. Pupa to adult: 2 months.

LIFESTYLE Diet: Caterpillar eats leaves of her­baceous plants. Butterfly sucks dew and wildflower nectar. Lifespan: A few weeks as an adult butterfly.

RELATED SPECIES There are 30 species in the genus Parnassius in the family Papilionidae, which also contains the vividly colored swallowtails.

Range of the Apollo butterfly.

DISTRIBUTION Found 1,500 to 6,500 feet above sea level in Europe and parts of Asia, from Spain in the west across to Mongolia in the east.

CONSERVATION Many butterflies are threatened by destruction of their habi­tats by humans. This is particularly true of the Apollo butterfly, which is now protected by conservation laws in many Euro­pean countries.

FEATURES OF THE APOLLO BUTIERFLY

Wings: Creamy white and patterned with black or gray flecks . Conspicuous red eye­spots sometimes have yellow centers. Transparent areas at edges.

Legs: 3 pairs . Relatively short and extremely thin . Attached to thorax.

Abdo'men: Covered with thick hair. Divided into 11 segments that contain digestive and reproductive organs.

Eggs: Smooth, round , white . Several hundred are laid on leaves, either

singly or in groups.

© MCMXCII IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A.

Head: Small , with 2 large compound eyes. The 2 long antennae have

swollen tips and are used for smelling and touching.

Thorax: Middle section of the

b0dy, to which wings and legs

are attached . Covered with laser of thick

gray or cream­colored hair.

0160200581 PACKET 58

Page 20: Wildlife Fact File - Insects & Spiders - Pgs. 41-50

The dramatic coloring of the Apollo butterfly

makes it one of the best-loved butterflies in Europe.

But this beautiful creature is becoming increasingly

rare throughout its range because changes in

land use are destroying its habitat. The Apollo

butterfly is now classified as endangered and

is protected by law in many countries.

~HABITAT The adult Apollo butterfly can be seen during July and August on sunny hills and mountains 1,500 to 6,500 feet above sea level. Its range stretches from Spain in the west, through much of central Europe and southern Scandinavia, into Asia. It is found as far east as Mongolia's Atlai Mountains.

The Apollo butterfly likes undisturbed, chalky slopes, where the plants on which it feeds grow. But there are

Right: The color on the wings of the Apollo butterfly can vary considerably.

fewer and fewer quiet areas of appropriate habitat, so con­centrations of Apollo butter­flies now tend to be widely scattered within its range.

Right: Adult Apollo butterflies mate during July or August and die soon afterward.

~ FOOD & FEEDING Because the Apollo caterpillar feeds on the leaves of herba­ceous Sedum plants known as stonecrops, the adult female butterfly lays her eggs on these plants. After eating its way out of its shell, the caterpillar de­vours the plant leaves using its powerful jaws. The caterpillar must consume many leaves to get the nutrition it needs to grow rapidly in its larval stages and to sustain it during the pu­pal stage, while it changes into

Left: The Apollo's wings are covered in thousands of tiny, colored scales, giving them a shimmering quality.

an adult. It stops eating when it is ready to pupate and does not eat again until it emerges as an adult.

The adult Apollo butterfly has a long, thin sucking tube called a proboscis, which functions as a drinking straw. The butterfly uses this mouthpart to probe delicately into flowers and suck the energy-rich nectar from the base of the petals. It shows a strong preference for the flow­ers of thistles.

Right: The long antennae on the Apollo's head are used for smelling and touching. '

Left: During feeding, the Apollo butter­fly extends its tubular tongue, or proboscis, forward to act as a flexible drinking straw. When at rest, it rolls its pro­boscis under­neath its head.

DID YOU KNOW? • There are many varieties of Apollo butterfly, including an unusual dark form that is found in the Alps. • The swallowtails are close relatives of the Apollo. These mostly tropical butterflies are among the most beautiful in the world. • The bright red and yellow

~ lIFECYClE The female butterfly lays several hundred tiny, smooth, round white eggs, either singly or in groups. They usually hatch in August or September, and a caterpillar emerges.

The caterpillar has a tough skin, or exoskeleton, which can expand only to a certain size. To continue to grow, the caterpillar must molt-discarding its old skin for a new, soft skin, which hardens in the sun. The caterpil­lar eats until it fills this skin, then molts again. It may molt five times before it is fully grown. It then crawls down the plant

eyes pots on the wings help protect the Apollo from at­tack, especially by birds. By making the wing look like the big head of some other animal, the eyespots may scare the bird away. In any case they direct attacks away from the Apollo's vulnerable and easily damaged body.

and buries itself in the ground, where its body becomes short and squat. A final molt leaves it with a waxy skin inside a loose, silken cocoon, or pupal case.

In the pupal stage, the body completely dissolves and is re­built as a butterfly. After two months, the chrysalis bursts open and the adult emerges. It climbs up the nearest vegeta­tion and expands its wings by pumping blood through the veins. When the wings have expanded and its skin is hard, the adult flies off to find its first meal and a mate.