Connected on 2009-11-12 09:00:00 from Ulysses, KS, US
- 7:53am
- Bugscope Team pumping down...
- 8:00am
- Bugscope Team getting ready to start presets
- 8:14am


- 8:22am



- 8:28am




- 8:36am



- 8:41am


- Bugscope Team hello!
- Guest hi
- Bugscope Team where do you live?
- Guest In Ulysses kansas I was just logging on early cause I may not ne able to join the regular session
- Bugscope Team We are setting up for the session now so you can get a peek of what we will be seeing during the session
- Guest sounds great

- 8:46am
- Bugscope Team We are finding a lot of mold spores on a roach
- Guest have a good session!

- Bugscope Team to the lower right you can see presets that the students or teacher can drive to when they have control.
- Bugscope Team hello Mrs. Phelps!
- Bugscope Team Good morning!
- Teacher Hi! We're getting set up....give us a minute or two.
- Bugscope Team Welcome to Bugscope!
- 8:57am
- Bugscope Team We are ready to roll when you are. Controls are unlocked and you may drive when you wish.
- Bugscope Team Please let us know when you have questions. ;)
- Bugscope Team this is a part of the rhinoceros beetle where the setae -- the tiny hairs -- are matted together
- Bugscope Team Good morning!
- Bugscope Team Welcome to Bugscope!
- Student hi
- Student This is cool

- Bugscope Team Hello hello!!
- Bugscope Team this is on the underside -- the ventral side -- of the rhinoceros beetle
- Student what are we looking at?
- Bugscope Team this is a place on the thorax where some of the setae are matted together
- Bugscope Team I was looking for mites this morning but did not find any




- Bugscope Team now I moved you up to the face, and we are looking right into the mouth
- Student whats that
Bugscope Team This is the underside of a beetle mouth...this is like the lower lip
- 9:03am
- Student what is that
- Student what is that insect
Bugscope Team this is a rhinoceros beetle head from the underside
- Student WHAT IS THAT
- Bugscope Team the little pointy things on either side of the mouth are palps, which are used to help manipulate and also taste food
- Student hi
- Bugscope Team Mrs Phelps has control of the microscope and can take you to other places on the stub, or she can move around this area, change the mag, etc.
- Bugscope Team Hi!


- Bugscope Team now we are looking into the mouth, which is kind of creepy
- Bugscope Team it is rare that we get to do this with insects -- usually the mouth is covered
- Bugscope Team would you like to go somewhere else?
- Student What is it
- Student HI
- Student how big is it
- Student whata is it
- Bugscope Team this is the interior of the mouth of the rhino beetle. the beetle itself was about 2 cm long

- Bugscope Team or is about 2 cm long

- Student what is this

- Student what is this
- Student what does it eat
Bugscope Team Rhinocerus beetles eat rotten stuff--rotten wood and fungus
- Student WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS

- Student what are
- Guest hey
- Bugscope Team what we see now is bubbles in the doublestick carbon
- Student what are we looking at
- Student Hi
- Student where does it live?
- 9:08am
- Student hi
- Student how does it eat

- Student what is a doublestick carbon
Bugscope Team it is carbon tape that we use to stick the insects on when we mount them for the microscope

- Student is this the rhinoceros beetle?
- Student what does it eat?
Bugscope Team The big rhinocerus beetles in the tropics eat fruit
- Bugscope Team now we are back on the face of the rhino beetle
- Student what are those hairs?
- Student what is this
- Student WHAT ARE THOSE HAIRS
- Student What is it?
- Student what are the spiky things
- Student Where is there habitat
Bugscope Team They live in the forest
- Student so what colars can they be
- Teacher Did the horn of the beetle survive the mail?
Bugscope Team it is on the other side of the head, and we cannot see it
- Student What's the spikes on it?
- Student What is that stuff in the lower right hand corner?
- Student hi
- Student what are the spikes
- Student what is on the top right
- Student what insect is this
Bugscope Team we are still on the rhinoceros beetle (the beetle with the horn)
- Student what is the thing in the lower right
- Student Hi
- Student where does it live
- Student what bug is it

- Student What are the spiky things on the bug
- Bugscope Team the things that look like spikes are setae -- tiny hair-like bristles that insects use to sense their surroundings

- Student how big is it?
Bugscope Team about 2 cm long
- Student what is that
- Student whats that on the right
- Student What type of beetle is it?
Bugscope Team it is a rhinoceros beetle
- Student this is part of what

- Student what is the spiky things

- Student whats that thing that looks like a leaf
- Student the hair things are weird
- Student Whatn are the lines
- Student is that the horn
- Student How does it eat
- Student where can you usualy find it
Bugscope Team you can find rhinoceros beetles in the woods, amongst rotten vegetation
- Bugscope Team a lot of the spikey things are hair on the beetle
- Student whats that on the left
- Student does it have ears
Bugscope Team Rhinoceros beetles do not have ears that we know of. They detect sound using fine setae all over their bodies. Not many insects have ears, actually.
- Student is that a horn
- Student whats that horn
- Student how does the horn help the beetle
Bugscope Team The males use the horns to compete for access to female beetles
- Student weres theres the habbitat
Bugscope Team they are said to live, around here, in American Tropical Forests

- Student is that a hand
Bugscope Team yes! that is one of the hands of the mole cricket
- Student what is this?
Bugscope Team we are looking at the end of the leg of a mole cricket
- Student is that the face
- Student how long is it
- Teacher The student who caught the mole cricket is in this class.
- Student is that a leg
- Student what that
- Student is that a hand
- Student is it the horn
- Student whats the thing that looks like a foot
- Student why is it spiky
- Student WHAT ARE THOSE SPIKES ON THAT?
- Student whatare the spikes for?
Bugscope Team that is how it digs in the dirt
- Student what is the thing that looks like a hand with claws?
- Student how big was the insect?
- 9:13am
- Student are those horns
- Student what is that
- Student what are the two extra fingers for
Bugscope Team it is likely that they are touch sensors
- Student How big are these crickets on average?
- Student cool that is my jerusulum cricket. why do you call it that
- Student What does it eat
- Student what are the things in the backround
Bugscope Team the background is the aluminum stub Cate put the samples on, with carbon doublestick tape on it
- Student Where do you find the crickets
Bugscope Team Mole crickets live in the soil, usually around the edge of streams and ponds
- Student is it the end of the leg
- Student ill that is nasty
- Bugscope Team the mole cricket looks very much like a mole
- Student what is its habbitat
- Student WHERE IS ITS HABITAT
- Student hi
- Student How big is it
- Student what does it eat

- Student why do you call it a jurusulum cricket
- Student et
- Student Is that the leg
- Student what do they eat
Bugscope Team They eat roots of plants and decaying vegetation. They are decomposers/omnivores
- Student how do they sence things?
Bugscope Team That is a very good question. Because they live underground, they probably don't have very developed sense of sight. I believe they sense vibrations (sounds) and they probably can detect other crickets by smelling them
- Teacher Can you give the control to Cori and Katelynn?
- Student how cool
- Student what are those dots for?
Bugscope Team the dots are little bubbles in the tape
- Student where did you get it
- Student were can you find the cricket
- Student What do they eat?
- Student is that hair
- Student Are the dots sperecals
Bugscope Team the dots in the carbon tape are just a feature. As far as I know, they aren't anything special
- Student do they have compound eyes or regulur
Bugscope Team they have compound eyes but they are very smooth
- Student what are the little bumps
- Bugscope Team Cori and Katelynn are now the supreme rulers
- Student were can you usualy find this cricket?
Bugscope Team You can find them in burrows near streams and ponds
- Student how much feet and hands do they have
Bugscope Team it should have 6 legs, some may be missing though because limbs tend to fall off easily once they are dead

- Student are those hairs on there leg
- Student are those the legs

- Student Whats that???

- Student is that a leg
- Bugscope Team this is a roach
- Student what part are we looking at now
- Student can they live in water
Bugscope Team Nope, they cannot, as far as I know
- Student What is that
- Student Are those the legs in the lower left?
- Student What do the criickets eat?
- Student what is this
- Student are those hairs
- Student is that the hair
- Student do they have pinchers

- Student What are the hairs for?
- Bugscope Team when you click to drive you also need to click to stop. and you just click once
- Student what are the hairs for
- Student what are those dots for?

- Student what are the hair for
- Student is that water
- Student WHAT DO THE HAIRS DO
- Bugscope Team you may also click on one of the presets, and the microscope will drive to that place on the stub
- Student what is the part of the roach]
- Student what are those dots

- Student what does it eat
- Student do they have pinchers
Bugscope Team most insects have claws at the end of their legs which they use to grab on their food or other things
- Student What part is that from the bug?
- Student can they bite you?
Bugscope Team They could try, but they would but unsuccessful. Their mouths are not designed to bite things that are people sized.
- Student do thay have teeth
- Student can they see in color or in black and white

- Student can you find them in houses

- 9:18am
- Student is that a atenae

- Student is that the face
- Student is that the tounge
- Student is this the head
- Student Is that the face?
- Student are those eyes
- Student ao they have pinchers
- Student what do they eat with
Bugscope Team They use that pointy proboscis to eat...they have an entirely liquid diet--like drinking out of a straw all the time
- Student IS THAT THE HEAD
- Student what are the two bumps on its eye
- Student do they have a tonge
- Bugscope Team would BE unsuccessful..sorry for the typos
- Student are those the eyes on the side
- Student Are those the jaws
- Student are those the eyes in the sides?
- Student Are they posinous?
Bugscope Team This is not a poisonous or venomous insect
- Student what is this
- Student what is the ball thing near the mouth
- Teacher What are the tube objects?
Bugscope Team there is a central tube that provides suction. and the smaller tubes, like on the left, are broken-off antenna bases
- Student where are there eyes
- Student how many eyes does it have
- Student Are they helpful to the enviorment
Bugscope Team Some stinkbugs are helpful and some are considered pests. They can eat other insects (so that is helpful). Other species feed on seeds and fruits, and those are considered pests.
- Student do they have a nose
- Student Do these insects have compound eyes?
- Student can they dig underground
Bugscope Team Stinkbugs can dig underground, but don't make it a habit.
- Student what are the things on the lide of the head?
- Student what is that line across the head
- Student will it bite you
- Student how many are there in the USA
- Student can they hurt you
Bugscope Team they can bite and it would hurt since they aren't just chomping down on you, they are poking their proboscis in you
- Student is that it's nose
- Student how do they smell
Bugscope Team They smell using hairs that detect different odors
- Student in the middle
- Student how many eyes does it have
Bugscope Team it has two compound eyes, and there are probably a few hundred facets (ommatidia) on each one
- Student what are the things on the side of the head?
- Student Do they live out of the US to??
- Student what other species is there of them
- Student What does it eat?
- Student what do they eat
- Student whats that tube for?
Bugscope Team that is called a proboscis, and that is its mouthpart it uses to poke into either plants or other insects to drink the liquid inside
- Student does it survive in cold or hot
Bugscope Team Most insects have some way of surviving through the cold. Most hibernate--like a bear. Some hibernate as adults, and some over winter as eggs or larvae


- Student are the things on the side of the head are they eyes?
- Student does it have rough skin
Bugscope Team it has a kind of rough exoskeleton. insects don'
- Student what is sthat
- Student what are those holes
- Student are those the legs
- Student What are those
- Student is this rare
- Student are those the feet
- Student what is that
- Student are those claws
- Student what is this?
- Student what are those four tubes for?
Bugscope Team those are where legs fell off. Once an insect dies, it gets dry and makes it easy for legs to fall off
- Student where is it normale fond
- Student what is that
- Teacher Can you give the control to Miriam and Clarissa?
- Student what are the holes
- Student what is that in the middle
Bugscope Team in the middle of the body is the proboscis, which is a piercing mouthpart
- Student do they have claws
Bugscope Team yes they have claws at the end of their legs
- Student are these legs?
- Student what are those tubes for?
- Bugscope Team the four things we see in the square are the bases of the legs
- Student what is there habitate
- Student The tube is a mouth?/?/
Bugscope Team yes that's right
- Student did the legs brake of?
Bugscope Team yes unfortunately the legs fell off sometime after it died
- Student whats that thing in the middle
- Student Why do they have stipes?
- 9:23am
- Student how big is their eyes
- Student what is that
- Student .does the it have antinas
Bugscope Team they do have antennae, although we do not always see them
- Student Is that hair
Bugscope Team yes there is a lot of hair that kind of looks weird because it has some gunk stuck in it
- Student is that the mouth
- Student what is this?
- Student AAre
- Student are they fast
Bugscope Team they are pretty slow, getting around

- Student how big is the bug
- Bugscope Team claw!
- Student are they dangerous two other insects
- Student how big is it
- Student is this still the cricket?
- Student What part of the bug is this?
Bugscope Team this is the whirligig beetle, which lives in the water
- Student why does it have horns
- Student how big is the claw?
- Student are thoses penchers
- Student is that the claws
Bugscope Team yes this is a claw
- Student is that the foot.
- Student is that a claw
Bugscope Team yes it is!
- Student are they dangerous
- Student can they hurt people
Bugscope Team the claws are pretty small, I dont think they would hurt you- you might not even really feel them
- Student Are they indangered?
Bugscope Team There are some species of whirlygig beetles that are considered threatened...but not endangered. I think the correct term is "species of special concern"
- Student what are those spikes for
- Student what dose it use the claw for?
Bugscope Team claws are used to grasp things, much like we use our hands
- Student do they have teeth?
- Student are they rare
- Student What bug is it again I forgot
Bugscope Team we are on the whirligig beetle. This beetle is found on the surface of water
- Student What are those big spikes
- Student is still the cricket?

- Student can they hurt people
- Student can it go underground
Bugscope Team whirligig beetles can dive underwater, and they take a bubble of air with them to help them breathe
- Student what are those ridges

- Student Is this a beetle?
Bugscope Team yes it is a kind of beetle
- Student whats that
- Student do they pinch hard
- Student is this still the cricket?

- Student what is that

- Student is that the skin
- Student can this type of beetle fly
- Student are those spikes
- Student whats that crack
- Student what kind of beetle is this?
Bugscope Team This is a whirlygig beetle...these are the kinds of beetles that swim and jiggle around on the surface of ponds.
- Student what is that line on the right top coner

- Student Do they go under water if they do how do they breathe?
Bugscope Team I think they can go underwater, but they are not adapted to stay underwater for a long time. They hold their breath, just like we do.
- Student How did the beetle get it's name?
Bugscope Team the whirligig beetle got its name from its habit of spinning rapidly when disturbed
- Student what are those things that kinda look like holes
- Student is that the skin
- Student where do they live?
- Student can they hold their breath
Bugscope Team they keep a little air bubble underneath their abdomen so they can go under the water for a while
- Student whats that line
- Student can they dig
Bugscope Team As far as I know, whirlygig beetles don't dig. They are actually really uncoordinated on land.
- Student this is fun :)
Bugscope Team totally!
- Student is that dry skin
Bugscope Team they don't really have skin -- they have their skeleton on the outside, like a shell or like a coat of armor
- Student is it ripped
- Student What is there main food chain
Bugscope Team whirligig beetles eat insects that land on the water usually
- 9:28am
- Student what is the thing in the lower right hand corner?
- Student do you guys have of fun

- Student where do they live and how long is it
- Student Do you guys love your job
Bugscope Team yes this is so much fun! we are lucky to be able to work with cool microscopes
- Student is that the mouth
- Student how much do you get paid
- Student what is this
- Student is that the mouth
- Student Is that food in the middle?
- Student what are those things that look like spikes

- Student why is there spikey things
Bugscope Team the curved things are the jaws. these beetles eat insects that fall into the water, among other things
- Student Can they servive in cold weather?
Bugscope Team You know, they can survive in pretty cold weather...they can't swim on ice though.

- Student is that the mouth
- Student where those the teeth?
- Student Are those the jaws?
Bugscope Team yes, quite sharp
- Student ia that hairs or spikes
- Student what are those little hairs for at the top?
- Student do you guys have alot of fun doing the bugscope
Bugscope Team yes it is our favorite thing to do
- Teacher We're going to switch classes in a minute. This group will log off and another group will be loggin in.
- Student are those spikes
- Student is they that the upper lip?
- Bugscope Team it has a bunch of hair in front of its mouth like it has a mustache
- Student what is that kind of insect
- Student is that hair on the top
Bugscope Team kind of - much like hair
- Student what are those lines in the moulth
- Student How huge is the bug and the microscope
Bugscope Team The microscope is about the size of a large desk, and it is tall as well, about 6 feet tall
- Student bye this was cool!
- Student do you like working with the microscope

- Bugscope Team Whirlygig beetles are predators, they filter little invertebrates from the surface of the water
- Student Is that hair on the top
- Student does it bit
- Student thanks alot!!! bye
- Student Thanks for answering all our questions
- Student good by
- Student does it have pinchers
Bugscope Team no pinchers on this beetle
- Student How can you tell it's a beetle?
Bugscope Team if you saw it you would think, from the shape, that it might be a beetle. there are a huge number of species of beetles
- Student bye this was
- Student bye
- Bugscope Team thank you for all your great questions
- Student good bye!!!
- Student
- Bugscope Team They have long legs that they use to sweep water into their mouths
- Bugscope Team long front legs
Bugscope Team yes we could see the long front legs, and the rear legs are kind of stubby, more like fins
- 9:34am
- Bugscope Team Bye!
- Bugscope Team Hi Bob!
- Bugscope Team And Hello Mrs Mitchell!
- Student hi
- Student hi
- Student heelllllloooo
- Student do u like a you job?
Bugscope Team this is super fun for us
- Student so hows ur job doing
- Bugscope Team Hi Zach and Braydon, and Reilly and Araceli!
- Student how do you guys like your job
Bugscope Team we get to see pretty cool stuff almost every day
- Student Hi this is Reile and Sami
Bugscope Team Hi Reile and Sami!
- Student are you a student?
Bugscope Team not any more! We have graduated into the world of work.
- Student how do u know wat to do
- Student what kind of bug is this on the screen
- Student hi this is bianca & mariah...=3


- Student zach says is it fun :)
- Bugscope Team I did that...
- Student do u like touching bugs
Bugscope Team not that much
- Student hold on a second
Bugscope Team okay
- Student do you only work with bugs or other things
Bugscope Team we work with other things, like self-healing plastics, bacteria, acid mine waste samples, flexible silicon...
- Student what is this picture your showing us
Bugscope Team This is a grain of pollen on the surface of an insect
- Student hi my name is mariah
- Student do u like this job?
Bugscope Team I like my job very much....I am an entomologist and I get to work outside, discover new things, and learn about insects, which I love!
- Student how long have u been there
Bugscope Team Bugscope has been running for 10 years. I have only been part of it for 4 years
- Student do you like your job
- Student do you like your job
- Student what kind of bug is this
- 9:39am
- Student what are we lookin at???
Bugscope Team this is a pollen grain on the exoskeleton of a stinkbug
- Student how is your job
- Student how big is your microscope
Bugscope Team It is about the size of a tall desk
- Student What is that?
- Student what kind of pollen?
- Student What kind of bug is this?
- Teacher Who has control of the microscope?
Bugscope Team Oops, You Do Now!
- Student how do you like your job?
- Student wow
- Student Is the micorscoop that your using exspencive?
Bugscope Team about $600,000
- Student scot do u like to look at bugs
- Student How do you like this job?
Bugscope Team I like my job a lot. I never get bored because there is always something new to look at under the microscope
Bugscope Team it is great
- Student what are we looking at right now2
- Student what is this
- Student are u the boss or a student
Bugscope Team we are more like the bosses
- Student What are we looking at
- Student annie do you like your job
Bugscope Team I do like my job...I am an entomologist and I study insects. It is very interesting
- Student how long have you worked
- Student what kind of bug is this???
Bugscope Team this is on the surface of the shell of a stinkbug

- Student what are the spikey things?


- Student Whats your favorite bug?
Bugscope Team My favorite are longhorned beetles--they are large beetles with long antennae
- Student are u a student scot
Bugscope Team not anymore, but I am always learning...
- Student whats your name??? =3
- Student is your job hard
Bugscope Team sometimes it is hard when machines break
- Student is your jab a lot of work/
Bugscope Team Yes, but I like what I do, so it doesn't feel like work (usually)
- Student what do you like best about your job
- Student hoo are we talking to
Bugscope Team Annie the entomologist, Cate the electron microscopist, and Scott, also an electron microscopist
- Student cool
- Student How do it work?
- Student opps i mean job
- Student scot do you lik

- Student what is this?
- Student do you work with microscopes all day?
Bugscope Team yes I help run the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the transmission electron microscope (TEM). We also have many light microscope (like fluorescence and confocal) and an Atomic force Microscope (AFM)

- Student what is your name
- Student did you make this web sight

- Student is this a fly
Bugscope Team that was a moth
- Student r u a girl or boy

- Student do you guys like insects
Bugscope Team yes they pretty cool, and they are different life forms -- it is cool to see how they do things compared to how we do things
- Student Does your job take a lot of work

- Student DO U HAVE A CLASS TO TEACH IN SHCOOL THERE
Bugscope Team None of us teach classes
- Student cool.

- Student what is this picture your showing us
Bugscope Team this is the head of the moth. it is a live image, not really a picture
- Student what is the main thing you work with
- Student how big do you think the biggest bug is
Bugscope Team The largest insect is called the titan beetle, it is a type of longhorned beetle that lives in the Amazon--it is up to 14 cm long. The heaviest insect is a goliath beetle, and the longest insect is a type of stick insect that lives in the rainforests of east Asia
- Student what is this
- Student scot what is your favorite bug?
- Student Are you a student or a professer
- Bugscope Team among others
- Student cate how long does it takes to look up.
- Student What is this?
- Student is that a fly
Bugscope Team this is the head of a moth
- Student do you guys all live there
Bugscope Team no. Scott and I are down the hall from eachother and Annie is in California
- 9:44am
- Student do you know how many eyes moths have
Bugscope Team probably a couple thousand per side
- Student do you guys like studying bee's
Bugscope Team There are lots of entomologists studying bees....I would rather learn about other insects.
- Student what bug is this

- Student what is this? Scot
Bugscope Team this is a place where we found the fruiting bodies of the mold spores on this roach
- Student how fast can a moth fly
Bugscope Team Moths are generally not very fast fliers...
- Student how many eyes dose a fly have?
- Student Wat is this !?
- Student what is it now
- Student is this dna
- Student What is the name of the moth
- Student Who are we taling to
- Student They live in this?
- Student what are we lookin at???
Bugscope Team those are mold spores

- Student Annie- is the micorscoop that your using excpencive?
- Student Lines.?
- Student hoo are we talking to
Bugscope Team Scott and I work in the lab at the University of Illinois with the SEM and Annie is in California and is an entymologist
- Student is your job hard
- Student wat is the bigest bug u have look at
Bugscope Team The biggest insect that I have collected was this giant moth in Costa Rica--it was giant--I bet its wings were 10 inches across.
- Student so what is your favorite bug to look at?
Bugscope Team one of my favorites is earwigs
- Student do you like your job
- Student the roach was my teachers she has a lot of them
Bugscope Team uh oh
- Student have you guys ever found a steel blue cricket hunter
- Student what is the horn lookine thing 2 da right

- Student whats the fastest insect
Bugscope Team The fastest running insect is probably a roach.
- Student yah they are huge!
- Student do you guys look at all kinds of bugs
Bugscope Team we've seen many different kinds of insects among other things like bone material, clam sections, clay samples, etc. We dont just look at bugs all day (maybe Annie does)
- Student are you a student
- Student What is this?
- Student earwigs? what are earwigs???? =3
Bugscope Team earwigs are those insects that you see sometimes around plants, but sometimes in the house, and they have pincer tails

- Student do you have to ware lab coats?
Bugscope Team Nope, thankfully.

- Student =] This Looks Weird.
- Student are you a student
- Student what is the biggest bugs you have ever experimented with?
- Student Intreestiong
- Student what is this now
- Student what is this? it looks like a head!
- Student Interesting8
- Student what is this
- Student have you guys ever found a steel blue cricket hunter
Bugscope Team no do you have them there?
Bugscope Team I have seen those around quite a bit...they are a type of sphecid wasp.

- Student What is the smallest bug in the world?
Bugscope Team The smallest insects is a fairyfly, which is actually a tiny wasp
- Student wat is the best bug u have look at
- Student What is this?
Bugscope Team this is the proboscis of the stinkbug, which is a true bug (Hemiptera)
- Student scot what is the smallest bug you've goten
- Student yes
- Student how big is your lab
- Student that bug looks mean
Bugscope Team it can be mean and bite
- Student are we talking to Cate.
Bugscope Team yes I am one of the people. You can see who is logged in by looking to the upper left under "Who's Online?"
- 9:49am
- Student ya i have one
Bugscope Team awesome. are they big?
- Student i dont know
- Student what is the smelliest bug?
Bugscope Team Ugh, that is a good question...dung beetles and carrion beetles are pretty stinky. But there are lots of these beetles called darkling beetles that will squirt a smelly juice at you if you bother them, and those are really smelly...and cockroaches are really really smelly--when there are a lot of them it smells like dead fish,
- Student so who are you
- Student whats this???? ^ ^
Bugscope Team this is the center of the piercing mouthparts of the stinkbug
- Student annie do you like bugsc
- Student how can you tell if a bug is a girl or a boy?
Bugscope Team sometimes it is easy, and sometimes you can't tell from the outside
- Teacher Give the controls to reile and sami
Bugscope Team ok they have conrtol
- Student hi
- Student what is the coolest bug you have ever seen?
Bugscope Team we had a really cool looking weevil with a super long snout. actually kind of cute
- Student This Looks Cool(:
- Student gross but in a cool way. ^ ^
- Bugscope Team control even
- Student stink bugs how big is the biggest you ever have seen
- Student what dose the tube lookink thing do
Bugscope Team it is jabbed into either plants or insects where the bug drinks up the liquid inside. The tube is called a proboscis and acts like a straw (like when you use a straw to stab into a caprisun juice)
- Student what is the most unwanted bug in the world?
Bugscope Team bed bug
- Student what is that
- Student how can you tell from the outside? =/
- Student have you guys ever found a centipede
Bugscope Team yes we have, and people have sent them to us. one had lots of mites on it
- Student What bug is this
- Student were are you people
Bugscope Team Cate and Scott are at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois. I am in California.
- Student how much do u get payed

- Student do bugs have an organ system
Bugscope Team they are not quite like us, but they do have organs
- Student what is the real name for a bed bug?
Bugscope Team They are in the family Cimicidae. The scientific name is Cimex lectularius
- Student have you guys ever found a centipede
Bugscope Team yes!
- Student i dont know wat the tube is
- Student what is your favorite bug cate
Bugscope Team I'm not sure..my favorite always seems to change. I like insects that have cool specialized parts.
- Student what do you think is the coolest bug that you have seen

- Student were did you find this
Bugscope Team one of your fellow students found this and your teacher sent it
- Student it looks like a hand
- Student wat is the smalllest bug u hav look at
- Student this is a good picture
- Student what is your job?
Bugscope Team I help people figure out how to make their samples work in the microscopes
- Student what is that spikey thing :]
- Student this a cool website a like how we can ask questions
- Student What is the cooleast bug you have ever seen?
Bugscope Team weevil
- Student how big is this animal
Bugscope Team this is a few cm long
- Student o
- Student What does it look like?
- 9:54am
- Student wat is the bigest and best bug u have ever ever ever look at
- Student what is the longest centipede you looked at
Bugscope Team i don't know about centipedes, but we once got a big millipede that looks like a small snake. When we put it in the microscope we found mites all over it
- Student is it ugly
- Student wat is it cauld
- Student it looks big
- Student is this the arm of the bug or what??? =3
Bugscope Team that was the tip of one of the arms, or legs
- Student Cool :)
- Student what is this

- Student wat is the biggest beetle you have seen
Bugscope Team a Goliath beetle someone had collected
- Student were are you from
- Student Mrs. Phelps, we are enjoying your bugscope pictures. Thanks, Mrs. Stuart's class
- Student wat is the uglyest bug u have seen
Bugscope Team They are all cute in their own way....the ugliest ones are the ones that are rotten and missing large pieces
- Student cool
- Student r thoas hairs
- Student What is this part of the bug
- Student what bug do you like.
- Student what does this bug eat?
Bugscope Team This is a mole cricket and it eats plant roots and decomposing vegetation
- Student what is your favorite pissition when you are working with bugs? =3
- Student what is this picture your showing us
- Student it is hairy
- Student these bug are sooo cool :)
- Student have you ever got stung by a steel blue cricket hunter
Bugscope Team no we don't seem to have any around here and are jealous
- Bugscope Team we get house centipedes sometimes - those kind that look like a running mustache
- Student how big was the beetle
Bugscope Team it would cover the palm of your hand
- Student has youknow have the h1n1
Bugscope Team a few students here have had it

- Student haha arunning mustache.
- Student that a head
- Student have you ever seen a queen bee
- Student what bug is this it likes cool
- Student thats big
- Student !
- Student is that a face
Bugscope Team Nope, this is a spiracle. It is like an insect nostril
- Student do you like this job
- Student What is this?
- Student scot what do you think the coolest bug you've seen
- Student what does a centipede eat?
Bugscope Team Centipedes are all predators, they eat anything smaller than them
- Student wat is this
- Student whats this a hole??? =3
- Student does a bug eats a hole day???
Bugscope Team some of them seem to feed all day
- Student how big is a bed bug
Bugscope Team maybe the size of your pinkie fingernail, or a little smaller
- Student what is the hole looking thing on this bug
Bugscope Team that is a spiracle, which is what insects breathe through
- Student cool. =3
- Student kool:)
- Student can it have
- Student what is the smallest bug

- Student have you ever been poisined by a bug scot
Bugscope Team I used to get spider bites when I went fishing on the canal in Washington DC
- Student can it have baby
- 9:59am
- Student is this a cool and fun job:)
- Teacher give the contntrols to alex and chris
- Student what is the scientiffic name for a bed bug
- Student OMG! That is so cool
- Student what was the most biggest bug you ever got to see? =3

- Student whats the biggest bug you seen?
Bugscope Team a lobster
- Student have you guys ever seen a queen bee
Bugscope Team yes, I have seen them in observation bee hives
- Student i know right it is cool :)
- Student have you ever been poison by a bug scot
Bugscope Team not badly
- Student but do all bugs eat all day???
Bugscope Team No not all insects. They only feed when they are active. So, mosquitos feed at night, because they are not active during the day. Bed bugs feed at night because they are not active during the day. Bees feed during the day because they "sleep" at night. And some adult insects don't feed at all!
- Student thats cool
- Student what is the biggist bug
Bugscope Team lobster!

- Student what does this bug eat
- Student did you ever seen a queen ant
Bugscope Team Yes, they are very common at some times of the year. If you have ever seen a flying ant, you have probably seen a queen ant
- Student whats this picture your showing us?
- Student the bigest bug is.
- Student this is a wierd question but do bugs have a tounges?
Bugscope Team some of them have glossae, which are much like tongues, and think about moths and butterflies -- they have extensible mouthparts that work like tongues

- Student chaos is your job fun to work
- Student what is the best bug or you favorite bug we sent?
- Student a lobster is not a bug write
Bugscope Team sure!
- Student is it gay
- Student have you ever seen a queen ant
- Student What Do Bugs Do For A Living?
- Student have you ever seen a honey pot ant:}
Bugscope Team I have never seen one in person--but I have seen them in photos
- Bugscope Team SCOT!
- Student ;what are thesse???
- Student what is the longest bug you seen ???
Bugscope Team I have seen some specimens of some walking sticks from Asia--they can be almost a foot long
Bugscope Team walking sticks
- Student by
- Student bye
- Bugscope Team you can think of a lobster as being a close relative to an insect
- Student bye i got to go
Bugscope Team No!
- Bugscope Team we should clarify that I was joking about lobsters, which are crustaceans, not insects
- 10:05am
- Bugscope Team yay Mrs Phelps is still here!
- Bugscope Team here is where you can see the text and images from this session: http://bugscope.beckman.illinois.edu/members/2009-110/
- Student is this fugi?
Bugscope Team that was fungi, yes, before I clicked away, sorry

- Student is this some kind of mold
- Student what is the biggest bug you have ever seen
Bugscope Team um a king crab?
- Student what is this
- Student what is that
- Student cool!
- Student yes
- Student how been a scientist?
- Bugscope Team Crab are not insects
Bugscope Team I think they are.
- Student big bug
- Student what is it like being a scientest
- Student crock roch
- Student How much Fungi do you see in a day
- Student it looks really hairy! why?
Bugscope Team the things that look like hair are called, often, setae (see-tee), and they are in many cases sensory
- Student is this a bug
- Student that is so cool
- Guest do you like this
Bugscope Team yes we love doing this
- Bugscope Team They do not have six legs, two antennae...or wings
Bugscope Team they have at least six legs, though, and they have an exoskeleton
- Bugscope Team Insects don't live in the oceans
- 10:11am
- Guest Can you tell us what we are seeing in this picture of the fly's head?
- Bugscope Team Insects HAVE to have ONLY six legs...no more! And ONLY two antennae...no more!
- Student why is it hary?
Bugscope Team insects have an exoskeleton, which is like wearing a suit of armor -- they don't have skin like we do, with nerve endings in it. So insects have tiny hairs, or setae, that stick through that armor and let them sense their surroundings, for example through touch, and smell, and hot/cold
- Student how big are they
Bugscope Team You can see according to the scale bar, that the head of this fly is about 1 mm wide
- Student is this a animal
Bugscope Team Yes this is a type of fly
- Student he just answered that
- Student why do flies have hair?
- Student this is so cool
- Student why is it so hairy
- Student what was the hairest bug you ever seen
- Student what is the most interesting thing that you have seen/
- Student what part is the head of the fly
- Student thats not a question
- Student What type of fly head is this?
- Student yes this is a typ of fly
- Student why does it look so big
Bugscope Team when looking at things under the electron microscope, things looks a lot bigger than under a light microscope because it can magnify things a lot higher
- Student Do u like your job
- Student a fly!
- Student Is this algi
- Student i dont knoe
- Student what is that thing on the top of the hairy thing?
- Student is that the inside of the head to
- Student how
- Student what is your favorite bug
Bugscope Team I like weevils, especially, today
- Student how big are they
- Student \
- Student how much zoom is it on and how big ?s it realyy
- Student What type of fly is this?
- Student is this a flys head?
Bugscope Team yes this is the head of a fly
- Student were do most flies live
- Student what is your favorite bug
Bugscope Team My favorite insect is a longhorned beetle
- Guest how many legs does it have
Bugscope Team Six. All insects have six legs--no more, no less.
- Student is this a fly?
- Student what are we looking at
- Student how long do bug grew
- Student do you think your job is hard
Bugscope Team sometimes it is hard, but this part is fun
- Bugscope Team oops not now
- Student is the whole picture the head of a fly
Bugscope Team not any more -- the microscope is movin' to another area
- Student what is this?
- Student is it like a house fly?
- Student eww how hevey is it pretty lite i bet!!
- Student what does a weevle look like
Bugscope Team they have a big "snout" that has its mouth at the end. They are kind of look like an anteater
- Student what exactly is a weevel? I've heard of it but i'm not sure if I know what it is.
- Student how much does the fly weight
- Student what is this?
- Student what kind of insect are we seeing
- Student what is the bag type thing
- Student what kind of bug is thisd
- Student not that much i guess
- Student what is that
- Guest wht is this
- Student What type of fly are we looking at?
- Student what is going on
- Student what is that
- Student what is that
- Student how many legs does it have
Bugscope Team if it is an adult insect it will have six legs
- Student what do stinkbugs eat
- Student how do you do this?
- Student how do they smell
- 10:16am
- Student what's the biggest bug you 've ever seen
Bugscope Team The largest insect that I have ever collected is a big "witch" moth in Costa Rica. It had a giant wingspan...like 10 cm. I have seen lots of giant dead insects though--goliath beetles, titan beetles, etc.
- Student What is this
- Student how big is it
- Student do stinkbugs carry H1N1
Bugscope Team no and I dont think mosquitos do either (which carry some pretty nasty diseases)
- Student was is the littles you had
- Student is it a house fly???????
- Student what is this
- Guest what is this
- Student what is that
- Student how many legs does it have if it is not fully grown?
- Student who is doing this?
- Student can a fly smell
Bugscope Team yes, they use their antennae to smell
- Student What was the biggesst ghrasshopper you have ever seen
Bugscope Team I have seen lubber grasshoppers that are 3-4 inches long
- Student Do you know what type of fly this is?
- Student do bugs get sick?
Bugscope Team yes. Honeybees are a good example of that since a lot of are dying off from a virus
- Student is this a fly?
- Student how do they look
- Student is that a fly!!!!!!!!!!!!

- Student why does it have wrinkly lines across his back
- Student how big can they grow???
- Student is that a bellybotten
- Student is this a tic
- Student What is that?
- Student what is it
Bugscope Team the pole going down the middle is a proboscis, which is like a drinking straw for this bug. and the holes around it are where legs fell off
- Student i love that one what is it
- Guest is this a eye
- Student what is this
- Student Do they have antennas
Bugscope Team All insects have one pair of antennae
- Student is that some type of skeleton for something that is dead?
- Bugscope Team sorry -- someone had clicked to drive and then did not click to stop
- Student Is it a stink bug?
Bugscope Team Yup, it is
- Student there is a thing calles a bot Fly that come from Africa and it is very nasty
Bugscope Team Ha HAH! We have bot flies in the US!!!!!
- Student what part is this?

- Student what is that
- Student what part of the body is this
Bugscope Team This is the head of a stinkbug

- Student do you like bugs
- Student is oh we do!!!
- Student is that the head
- Student What is that? It looks like a caterpillar.
- Teacher Can you give controls to Perla and Frida?
Bugscope Team got it
- Guest good-buy
Bugscope Team bye gg!
- Student is this the hissing cockroch?
Bugscope Team no, is that what you sent us? Baby hissing cockroaches? I know adults are very large so we wouldn't be able to fit them
- Student Can it harm people?
Bugscope Team No, other than making a sort of stinky smell, it can not harm people
- Bugscope Team Oooh..Perla is a very nice entomological name!
- Student stink-bug/
- Student how many lenses are there in a compound eye
Bugscope Team it depends on the insect. from several to thousands
- Student but the misquito gives us the bot flies babes not the bot fly right?
Bugscope Team Yes! The larvae of the human bot fly are vectored by a mosquito...the female bot fly catches a female mosquito and lays eggs on the mosquitos underside. When the mosquito lands on a human, the bot fly eggs sense the heat, hatch, and burrow into your skin!!! GGwwwa ha ha!!!
- Student stink bug?
- Student what part is this
- 10:21am


- Student is this some kind of butterfly
- Student what is this
- Student how many legs do they hav
- Student Is this mold?
- Student how many diffrent bugs are there in the world
- Student does it feel weird to toach a bug
Bugscope Team no

- Student is that the legs?
- Student do bugs have brains
Bugscope Team yes. they are fairly simple compared to those of other animals
- Student is that the legs of a bug
- Student do these bugs eat other bugs

- Student i think so
- Student is that the legs of a cricket or a grasshopper?
- Student how big is a praymantis
Bugscope Team they can get to be very large in the Tropics, with wingspans of 6 or 7 inches
- Student is this a spider
Bugscope Team this is a roach
- Student what is you're favorite bug?
- Student are the hairs on a bug called spiracles
Bugscope Team the hairs are called setae, or bristles, or microtrichae, or spines. or microsetae, or trichae
- Student how many bugs you see in a day? What kind of bugs do you see?
- Student how big are they scot
- Bugscope Team "Perla" is the name of a genus in the stonefly family Perlidae http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perlidae
- Student how many years have you been a scientist
Bugscope Team I started college in 1999 and I guess that is when I started to be a scientist. So, 10 years

- Student how much legs does it have
Bugscope Team All insects have six legs
- Bugscope Team But on the opposite spectrum, they can get quite small to the size of a small cricket- praying mantis
- Student what is this
- Student what is the bigest bug in the world
- Student when do they shed their skin
- Student what is that Annie
Bugscope Team This is fungus
- Student how long can a stick bug can grow
Bugscope Team Some can be nearly a foot long
- Student bys bot flies comn
- Bugscope Team spiracles are breathing pores in the exoskeleton
- Student What are mold spores?
Bugscope Team they are like little seeds that more mold can grow from
- Student do you think that we are giving you to many questions?Should we stop?
Bugscope Team no we like questions but just cannot answer all of them
- Student is this bacteria
Bugscope Team These are mold spores
- 10:26am
- Student are those veins Cate
- Student how big can a fly grow
Bugscope Team maybe as big as your thumb. crane flies, though, can be bigger still
- Student ar e those cells
- Student what are the fuzzy balls
- Student what are the puffy balls
Bugscope Team mold spores
- Student what are mold spores
- Student Is mold an extension of a cockroach's life
Bugscope Team No, the mold is decomposing the cockroach...it is the end of a cockroach's life
- Student do you like your job?
Bugscope Team yes this is fun
- Student Where are mold spores located on a roach?
Bugscope Team they most likely got on there after it died and was left anywhere remotely moist
- Student do you like studying entomology, Annie?
Bugscope Team I do. It is fun to discover new things and work in the field
- Student how long can a moskito live
- Student are those bacteria
- Student do you like your job?
Bugscope Team we get to see lots of cool stuff when we help people run the various microscopes
- Student what are those puffy balls
Bugscope Team those are mold spores; if there were bacteria we could see them as well
- Student is it true that you can't crush a cockroach
Bugscope Team No, that is not true. I have crushed many cockroaches...come back the next day and the dead cockroach was still there
- Student what is the uglyest bug you seen?
- Student are those eggs
- Student what are mold spores
- Student how do they eat
- Student we need to let one person at a time so the Scientists can answer our questions lets try that
- Student do pray mantis have cells
Bugscope Team yes everything that lives except for viruses has cells
- Student how do they eat
- Student what are those strings
- Student how long do junebugs live with it's head cut off?
Bugscope Team I am not sure if anyone has conducted that experiment. Probably not very long...junebugs don't live very long as adults anyway.
- Student all animals have cells idwin and jerry
- Student no
- Student hey scot how long have you been doing job?
Bugscope Team I have been a fulltime microscopist for 26+ years

- Student how many lenses are in a compound eye
Bugscope Team it varies from several to thousands, really thousands in some insects
- Student that is so crazy
- Student what is your faviriot bug to handle
- Student is that a hand???
- Student what is that
- Student do they have spikey horns
- Student what are those spikes
- Student is this a hand
Bugscope Team it is sort of like a hand
- Student that scared me its so scary!!
- 10:32am
- Student how big is the foot
- Student what is that
- Student is this a cricket foot?????!!!!
Bugscope Team yes! It is made to look like the foot of a mole. Hence its name: mole cricket
- Student how long have you been a sciencest
- Student how much people are the lab?
Bugscope Team I think we have five fulltime down here
- Student IS this a hand
- Student yes its a crickeet foot
- Student Scot who many bugs do you see in one day?
Bugscope Team it depends; we don't always do this
- Student can the mole cricket carry diseases
- Student when did you got this
- Student what is the most poisonious insect
Bugscope Team The insect with the most painful sting is a kind of ant called a bullet ant. There are many other ants that also have painful stings. There are wasps called tarantula hawks that are also supposed to have very painful stings as well
- Student why do the cicket's have long claw's
- Student i didn't know crickets had 8 toes!! lol
- Student is your job fun?
- Student scot why don't you?
- Student what are those hairs
Bugscope Team the little spikes attached to it that you see near the top of the screen are actually hairs called setae
- Student what are those two little toes in the middle of the foot
- Student it looks creepy
- Teacher Can you give the control to Alexys and Danielle
- Student Weres there habitat
- Student Cate does a mole cricket dig
Bugscope Team they burrow into the dirt
- Student Thats cool Annie!
- Student if they brake a finger will that grow back?
- Student Luis and zach : can mold crickets carry dieases
Bugscope Team Well, not really. I guess if you ate one, and it had been crawling through dirt with a bunch of bacterial, you could get sick....but that seems pretty unlikely

- Student do mosquitos carry malaria
Bugscope Team yes, you can only get malaria from mosquitos. There is no other way, in the whole world, to get malaria

- Student Hey Scot why don't you see bugs every day
Bugscope Team sorry it is that we do not always work with them
- Student How do they comunikate
Bugscope Team I believe they communicate by sound--and probably by smell.
- Student bye
- Student Whydo cicket's have extra toe's on the top
- 10:37am
- Student it looks like hole
- Teacher We are getting ready to leave. THank you
- Student bye scott. we have to go
- Student this was fun bye!
- Bugscope Team The mole cricket can also fly
- Bugscope Team Bye!
- Student bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
- Bugscope Team Thank you all for the questions
- Student bye bye bye bye bye
- Bugscope Team The common American mole cricket eats insect larvae and earthworms, and also damages the roots of grass, potatoes, turnips, and peanuts.
- Student your welcome
- Student see ya
- Bugscope Team Thank You!
- Bugscope Team http://bugscope.beckman.illinois.edu/members/2009-110/
- 10:42am
- Bugscope Team Mrs Mitchell!
- Bugscope Team we are going to shut down and let someone else use the microscope
- Bugscope Team Thank You.