Connected on 2012-10-10 10:30:00
from Champaign, Illinois, United States
- 8:39 am
- Bugscope Teamstarting pumpdown early in case some samples are extra juicy
- Bugscope Teamright now, at 8:45, you can see a CCD camera view of the inside of the vacuum chamber
- Bugscope Teamthe samples are going to take longer to pump down this morning
- 8:57 am
- Bugscope Teamnow we are close (8:57)
- 9:08 am
- TeacherHey Scott, we're here! This is Joe
- TeacherJust testring, the students don't come for quite some time...
- Bugscope Teamhey DaddyO!
- Bugscope TeamThe 'scope is just now ready for me to turn on the electron beam
- TeacherCool, looking forward to seeing some images!
- TeacherScott, is there a "full screen" mode for the image?
- Bugscope Teamno there is not
- Bugscope Teamwe have a lot of modifications we would like to make but it'll be awhile
- 9:15 am
- Teacherno problem, we are setting up here ourselves...
- 9:21 am
- StudentWe are practicing asking questions.
Bugscope Teamcool!
- Bugscope TeamThat is how to do it!
- StudentGood, it seems to be working!
Bugscope Teamyes it is!
- StudentWe are testing again with a different login.
Bugscope Teamhaha this one works too!
- Bugscope Teamyou can see that in the meantime we are looking at the sample and finding cool places to make into presets for your session
- 9:26 am
- StudentTesting with another login...
Bugscope Teamyay!
- TeacherThe presets are on the left, correct?
Bugscope Teamyes they are!
- Bugscope Teamso you should be able to watch them, if you want, as they come in
- TeacherCool scale on the eye - I assume?
Bugscope Teamyes a few scales on the fly's compound eye
- 9:31 am
- Bugscope Teamthis is much like a mosquito stylet -- the part that cuts into your skin
- TeacherOuch!
- Bugscope Teamand this is one of the two milkweed bugs' claws
- Bugscope Teamand its head
- TeacherTwo of the presets don't show pictures on our end, should we "refresh"?
Bugscope Teamyes
- 9:36 am
- Bugscope Teamit takes a while for some of the images to show up here, even
- TeacherGreat, that fixed it!
- TeacherWow, what is that?!
Bugscope Teammosquito
- 9:42 am
- TeacherIs thta holding something???
Bugscope Teamyes it is holding a small fly
- 9:48 am
- 9:54 am
- Bugscope Teamthis is cool -- it's a male moth
- Bugscope Teamwe can see the moth's compound eyes, its coiled tongue, and the bases of its antennae
- StudentAre you ready for us to try using it here, just to make sure it works well?
Bugscope Teamwe are ready!
- Bugscope Teampresently the BTWASHINGTON teacher has control
- 9:59 am
- Bugscope Teamso please let me know who you would like us to give control to
- Bugscope Teamwe are ready to roll anytime now
- Teacherbt teacher
Bugscope Teamyou have control of the microscope\
- Bugscope Teamthis is one of the compound eyes of the moth
- Bugscope Teammoths have lots and lots of scales, all over their bodies, and it makes them very hard to ground
- Bugscope Teamscales do lots of things for moths, and for other insects that have them
- Bugscope Teamsee how there are scales everywhere?
- 10:04 am
- TeacherIt seems like it is workinmg well. This students come here in about 25 inutes...
- Bugscope Teamif you had scales all over yourr body and accidentally flew into a spiderweb, the scales would stick to the web and you could slip out safely
- Bugscope Teamgreat!
- Bugscope TeamSEM is sitting at the microscope, Scot is at the computer next to the microscope, and sj is Scott's office computer
- 10:11 am
- 10:20 am
- Bugscope TeamI will be back in 7 minutes...
- Bugscope Teamk back
- 10:25 am
- Bugscope Teamplease let us know whenever you have questions
- Bugscope Teamthis is a large bristle, or seta, among a bunch of microsetae
- Bugscope Teamthe larger setae that extend through the cuticle are sensory
- TeacherI'm jjst looking around, waiting for ther kids...
Bugscope Teamno problem!
- Bugscope Teamthe assassin bugs you brought are leaf mimics
- StudentWhat are those spikes?
Bugscope Teamthe smaller spikes are setae that help the insect sense its environment
- StudentGreat! That was a practice question.
- StudentWhat's this?
- Bugscope Teamthis is the part of the claw that helps the assassin bug hold onto surfaces
- 10:30 am
- StudentWhat are the donut looking things?
Bugscope Teamthose are called pedicels, and they are the bases of the antennae
- Bugscope Teamthe antenna is broken off on this side
- StudentAre the "graps" the eye facets?
Bugscope Teamyes they are
- Bugscope Teamthey are individual ommatidia
- Bugscope Teamyou can see that there are a few loose scales there as well
- StudentAre those sclaes part of the mosquito
Bugscope Teamthey are but they are loose
- Studentommatidia?
Bugscope Teamthe individual facets of the compound eye are called ommatidia
- Bugscope Teamvery few other insects have scales
- Bugscope Teamsingular of ommatidia is ommatidium
- TeacherThe kids are here, we'll start in a minute
Bugscope TeamSweet
- TeacherThis is a high powered mictroscope. Why is is black and white? (for a 2nd grader)
- 10:36 am
- Bugscope Teamwe are using electrons rather than light to collect our images. electrons are so very small -- they are smaller than the wavelengths of visible light, so the images we see do not have color
- StudentWe will ask lots of questions!
Bugscope Teamawesome
- StudentWhat does the scale do?
Bugscope Teamscales provide the colors we see on moth and butterfly wings, but more importantly, because they are relatively loose, they protect insects that have them from being caught in spider webs!
- StudentWhat is the hook?
Bugscope Teamthe hook is one of the claws
- Bugscope Teaminsects have six legs, and usually they have two claws that open and close at the end of each leg
- StudentWhat is the thing comin goff the hook?
Bugscope Teamwe can see a tiny sensory seta, like a hair, that lets the milkweed bug know when it is touching something
- Bugscope Teamthe curved thing is what helps the milkweed bug stick to surfaces so it does not fall off
- Bugscope Teamthis is the head of a male moth
- 10:41 am
- Bugscope Teamwe know it is a male because it has very ornate antennae
- Bugscope Teamfemale moths have sort of uninteresting anteanne
- Bugscope Teamoops 'antennae'
- Bugscope Teamthis is one of the moth's compound eyes
- StudentDo all bugs have six legs?
Bugscope Teamall insects, as adults, have six legs, a head, a thorax, an abdomen, and two antennae
- Bugscope Teamthis is the moth's tongue, also called a proboscis
- Bugscope Teamthe tongue is coiled up when the moth flies
- Bugscope Teamyou can see here that the mosquito has lost one of its antennae
- Studenthow many tiny eyes are in a compound eye?
Bugscope Teamthere can be 10 or 12 to as many as 17,000 on some wasps
- Studentdo insects smell a bad snell when in danger?
Bugscope Teamthey are very sensitive to smell, and if there is danger they will often communicate that through chemical means -- creating a smell that other insects will understand
- StudentWhat is the donut?
Bugscope Teamthat is called a pedicel, and it is the base of the antenna
- Bugscope Teamnow we see some palps, close to the head
- 10:46 am
- Studentwhat are the bumps?
Bugscope Teamin the background? those are pits and craters in the carbon tape we use to stick the insects to the stub
- Studentis this the stinger?
Bugscope Teamyes it is, but it is really a mouthpart
- Bugscope Teamthe sharp parts are inside where we cannot see them now
- StudentDoes the stinkbug have the strongest smell?
Bugscope TeamI am not sure. They do not like their own smell, but I am not sure which insect would make the strongest most offensive smell
- Studentare there eyes all over the head?
Bugscope Teamyes pretty much! it helps the insect see all around it without moving its head
- StudentDo all animals attack you if you dont mess with them?
Bugscope Teamno. most animals are not aggrssive and will not bother you. but that is the problem with African and Africanized honeybees -- they are aggressive and will attack you without being provoked.
- Bugscope Teamso pretty!
- Bugscope Teambecause I am sitting at the microscope, called the SEM (scanning electron microscope), I can tweak the focus for us sometimes.
- Studentwhat is that
Bugscope Teamwe are up very close to the mosquito's ommatidia -- the individual facets of the eye
- 10:52 am
- Bugscope Teamnow we see part of the head, with tiny microsetae on it -- tiny hairs
- Bugscope Teamyou can see one of the mosquito's scales at the top, and those holes we see used to hold scales as well
- Bugscope Teamthis is cool -- you are doing a good job driving today
- TeacherWe are changing class, back in a minute...
- Bugscope Teamcool
- Bugscope Teammosquito!
- Bugscope Teamthe way you tell the males from the females is actually kind of like the moth -- the males have frilly, fancy antennae
- Bugscope Teamand -- the males do not bite!
- 10:57 am
- StudentWhat the sticks?
Bugscope Teamwe are looking at the mosquito's legs, and also its proboscis, which holds the biting parts
- Bugscope Teamnow it's in the middle
- Bugscope Teamthe proboscis is like a sheath, like a scabbard for a sword
- Studentwhat are those circles?
Bugscope Teamthe circles are bubbles in the double-stick tape we use to mount the insects for today's session
- Bugscope Teamsee all of the holes? those used to have scales sticking out of them
- Studentwhat is this?
Bugscope Teamthis is the tip of the mosquito's proboscis, kind of like a tongue, and inside are the biting and cutting parts
- Bugscope Teamthis is cool -- this is one of the assassin bug's legs, and you can see that it is flattened, like a leaf
- Studentwhat is this?
Bugscope Teamit is part of one of the legs of an assassin bug that you brought us
- Bugscope Teamthe assassin bug attacks other insects and sucks the juice out of them. it disguises itself as a leaf and moves very slowly until it gets close enough to attack
- 11:02 am
- StudentWhat are those hairs?
Bugscope Teamoften, with insects, the hairs we see, which are usually called 'setae,' are sensory -- they help the insect feel its environment
- Bugscope Teamthis is so very small...
- Bugscope Teamthis is one of the milkweed bugs from your school
- Bugscope Teamthe tiny setae help insects smell, and tell if something is hot or cold, and also sense touch or wind
- StudentHow big can a milkweed bug get?
Bugscope Teamsome get 10 to 12 millimeters long, so a bit more than a centimeter
- StudentWhy does it have a long probscis hanging down?
Bugscope Teamits proboscis is as long as its body! it uses it to pierce the plant's surface so it can drink the sap
- Studentwhat kind of fly is it?
Bugscope TeamI think it is a fly, but it may be a parasitic wasp, it is so small and its wings are gone
- Studenthow old is it?
- Studentdoes bettles eat flies?
Bugscope Teamthere are always scavengers, and some beetles are scavengers like this
- Studentis it going to eat it?
Bugscope TeamI think so.
- 11:07 am
- Studentwhy is a fly not considered a mammal
Bugscope Teamit is an invertebrate, meaning that it does not have a backbone. but it does not have any bones at all!
- Studentwhy do flied have hair
Bugscope Teamthe very small hairs probably help it keep its body temperature stable as well as providing more surface area for flying
- Studentwhy does it have these thorns
Bugscope Teamthe things like thorns help it sense its environment -- it has a shell, kind of like a shrimp, so it does not have skin
- Studentwhy do the beetles put flies by their heads
Bugscope TeamI think it may have wanted to bite that fly
- Bugscope Teamsometimes the bristles are used by the insect to sense if its arms or legs are overextended
- Bugscope Teamthe pad at the lower right is called a pulvillus, and it has lots of what are called tenent setae on it -- those tiny hairs help it climb vertical surfaces and even walk upside down, like on the ceiling
- TeacherWe are switching class again...
Bugscope Teamcool!
- 11:13 am
- Bugscope Teamthis is kind of gross
- Bugscope Teamthere is a lot of goo on the beetle's face
- Bugscope Teamsometimes insects get fluid on them that dries like that, and we cannot see all of the details of the head
- Bugscope Teamthis is really cool
- Bugscope Teama mosquito -- a female mosquito -- will have four of these super sharp cutting blades
- Bugscope Teamthat is a single stylet that helps the milkweed bug cut into the milkweed pod
- Studentwhat is that?
Bugscope Teamit is like a tiny knife
- Bugscope Teamto most insects, the juice from a milkweed is poisonous
- 11:18 am
- Studentwhat is he standing on
Bugscope Teamthat is doublestick carbon tape
- Studentwhy does the antenna have hairs?
Bugscope Teamthe hairs are mostly chemoreceptors that help the bug smell the air
- Studentwhat is that garbage?
Bugscope TeamI think that is just what that is, garbage
- Bugscope Teamthis is a large sensort seta, probably used like cat or rat whiskers to let the bug sense when something is touching it
- Bugscope Teamoops 'sensory'
- 11:23 am
- Bugscope Teambecause insects have an exoskeleton, which is kind of like a shell -- or kind of like wearing a suit of armor -- they cannot feel with the surface of the shell when something is touching them. the setae stick through the shell -- through the exoskeleton -- and connect to nerves underneath
- Studenthow do the milkweed bugs walk?
Bugscope Teamthey have six tiny legs, and the legs have claws at the tips as well as what are called 'tenent setae' that help them climg to sufaces
- Bugscope Teamthis is a female mosquito -- only the females suck blood
- Bugscope Teammale mosquitoes look almost like females but have fancier antennae
- Bugscope Teammale mosquitoes live on nectar from flowers, or in some cases they just do not eat
- Bugscope Teamyou can see the compound eye now, with all of its facets, called ommatidia
- Studentwhy do bugs have body parts?
Bugscope Teamtheir bodies are segmented, similar to the way a knight, in the middle ages, has armor with segments so he can move his arms and legs
- Bugscope Teamthis is way up close to one of the ommatidia
- Bugscope Teamnow we are on the nano scale
- 11:28 am
- Bugscope Teamthose features are about 100 nanometers in diameter -- some viruses are almost that size
- Studentwhat are those bumps?
Bugscope Teamwe think they are kind of like the rods and cones in a human eye -- they help collect the light
- Bugscope Teamthis is such high magnification that the electron beam is distorting the surface of the eye
- StudentWhat is the big one?
Bugscope Teamthat is a brochosome, which actually looks like a soccer ball. this one is hard to see
- Bugscope Teambrochosomes are nanoparticles that are produced only by leafhoppers.
- Bugscope Teamleafhoppers coat their cuticle -- the outside of their bodies -- with brochosomes
- Bugscope Teamthese are moth scales, from the moth's wing
- Bugscope Teamscales are kind of like feathers
- TeacherThe kids are gone, thanks so mucjh!
Bugscope Teamoh...
- Bugscope Teamis that it for today?
- Bugscope Teamthat was fun, and I hope the kids had a good time
- TeacherYes, there was a lot of excitment in the room!
- TeacherThey all really enjoyed controlling the microscope and asking questions!
- Bugscope Teamgreat!
- Bugscope Teamhttps://bugscope.beckman.illinois.edu/members/2012-085
- 11:33 am
- Bugscope Teamthat is the link to your member page
- Bugscope Teamthank you for connecting with us today, and thank you for bringing insects and making sure everything worked
- Bugscope TeamI'm going to shut down, but please email me if you need anything else
- Bugscope TeamThank You!
- Bugscope TeamBye!