Connected on 2014-05-28 12:30:00
from Alameda County, California, United States
- 10:47 am
- Bugscope Teamsetting up for today's Bugscope session, May 28
- Bugscope Teampresently we're waiting for the vacuum to get better so we can turn on the electron beam
- 11:34 am
- 11:39 am
- 11:47 am
- 11:52 am
- Bugscope Teamhi Mrs M!
- 11:59 am
- 12:04 pm
- GuestWe are a grade 2 class in Canada that just came to check it out. Very interesting pictures!
- 12:10 pm
- Bugscope TeamNice to have you!
- Bugscope Teamyou are welcome to work with us in the future if you would like, of course
- Bugscope TeamWhat part of Canada are you in? We'd be happy to have you join us for your own session.
- Bugscope Teamthis is live imaging, using a scanning electron microscope
- GuestNow that we have found your cool website and program we will try to set up our own. We are in Leduc, Alberta, which is near Edmonton.
- Bugscope TeamNice! I've not been to Alberta yet, but would love to visit. And please do sign up.
- Bugscope TeamAt the moment, we are preparing for another session that begins in 15 minutes. You are welcome to continue to observe as their students control the scope.
- 12:15 pm
- Bugscope TeamScott is just crusing around looking for cool things so their students have some places to start.
- Bugscope Teamcruising
- Bugscope TeamWe're looking at some salt crystals now. We occasionally put a few things other than insects on the stage.
- GuestThanks! We will periodically check it out so we can see how another class interacts with the microscope images.
- 12:20 pm
- Bugscope TeamThe school that should be participating in 10 minutes is also 2nd grade.
- Bugscope TeamIf you can continue to check in periodically, that would be great. If for some reason the school in California cannot participate, we will let you know. You may be able to try driving the scope yourself - with Dr. Scott's approval, of course.
- 12:26 pm
- Bugscope Teamwe are ready to roll!
- 12:33 pm
- Bugscope TeamGreetings!
- Bugscope TeamWelcome to Bugscope!
- Bugscope TeamThe scope is ready for you. You can take control at any time.
- TeacherHi, Daniel. We are ready.
- Teacherhow do we operate the scope?
- Bugscope TeamYou can start by clicking on the presets to the left. The blue arrow on the left will show you which ones are available.
- Bugscope Teamyou can click on any of the presets, on the lefthand side of the screen, and the 'scope will drive to that place
- Bugscope TeamBy clicking on one of the preset buttons, you jump to that location.
- Bugscope TeamYou can then use the + or - buttons at the top to zoom in our out. And to move, just click on some place in the image.
- Bugscope Teamyou can also click on the controls just above the screen to change the mag
- Bugscope TeamFor instance, to move down the body of this wasp, click on the bottom of the image to move along.
- Bugscope Teamalso to adjust the contrast/brightness and focus
- Bugscope TeamThe blue arrow on the left will cause all of the presets to slide into view. Then you just click on the one you want to jump to.
- Bugscope Teamplease let us know if you have any questions or problems
- 12:39 pm
- Bugscope TeamAll right!
- Teacherwhat do we do now?
- Bugscope TeamYou can see the eyes here, and the mouth parts are in the middle. The eyes are those two round things that look like golf balls. They're roughly at 1 o'clock and 7 o'clock.
- Bugscope TeamGo exploring! Ask us some questions! Whatever you want to do! :)
- Bugscope TeamYou can zoom out to see more of this beetle. Click on the - sign by the word magnification.
- Bugscope TeamOr you can zoom in to see more of its mouth.
- Bugscope TeamThere you go. You're moving down the beetle body!
- Bugscope Teamyou can click on something you would like to be centered, and you can then magnifiy that area
- Bugscope TeamZoomed in on the mouth a bit too.
- Bugscope Teamnow we are looking at the beetle's mouth
- Bugscope Teamwe can see that it has two mandibles (jaws) that open left and right like a gate
- Bugscope Teamthis is the side of the head, and to the top we can see some of the eye facets, which are called ommatidia
- Bugscope TeamHere's a hint: if you want to move long distances, it is often easier to hit - by the magnification first, then move. Scott just tweaked the picture a bit so you could see the eye better.
- 12:44 pm
- Bugscope Teaminsects do not have knives and forks, but they have little feelers called palps that help them taste and also manipulate their food into their mouths
- Bugscope TeamGood work. Right on the eye. The eye is made up of "ommatidia", little lenses that focus light so it can see.
- Bugscope Teamthe little hills we see are the eye facets, and here we also see a single seta, which is what the hairlike things are called
- Bugscope Teaminsects often have dome-like eyes like this; it helps them see all around themselves without turning their heads
- Bugscope Teamdo you want to see what a ladybug looks like before it turns into a ladybug?
- TeacherWe have a question: Can we look inside the lens of the eye?
- Bugscope TeamNot right now. We can only see the outside of the insects here.
- Bugscope Teamwe cannot see through the surface of the eye with electrons
- 12:49 pm
- Bugscope TeamIf we used a different type of microscope, we could do that. It would be tricky, but it could be done.
- TeacherLets see the ladybug before it turns into a ladybug!
- Bugscope Teamso pretty!
- Bugscope Teamthis is a ladybug larva
- Bugscope TeamScott just clicked on the preset for you. It is called Ladybug Larva Head.
- Bugscope Teamthey have big spines on their bodies to discourage other insects and also animals from trying to eat them
- Bugscope TeamYou can zoom out some if you want to see more of the little larva. (A larva is like a caterpillar, except here instead of becoming a butterfly, it will become a ladybug.)
- Bugscope TeamI'm Scott, but I'm using the scanning electron microscope (SEM) computer
- Bugscope TeamIts body is really neat looking. It is all covered with the little spine-like structures.
- Bugscope TeamScott is driving over to show the base of the antenna and the little round things are the eyes of the larva.
- Bugscope TeamNice. Keep zooming out!
- Bugscope TeamNow if you move down a bit.
- Bugscope TeamYou'll see the rest of the body.
- Bugscope TeamThere's another one to the upper left.
- Bugscope Teamyou can see its friend, to the left
- 12:55 pm
- Bugscope TeamScott drove over a bit so you could see the body of the other one.
- Bugscope TeamThere's some more of the legs.
- Bugscope TeamThere "are" some more of the legs, along with a nasty looking head.
- Bugscope Teamladybugs eat aphids, among other insects, but they particularly like aphids
- TeacherWe have another question: How does an animal react when it eats the ladybug larva?
- Bugscope TeamI know how I react: blech! :)
- Bugscope Teamladybugs have two defenses, and one is that they taste bad
- Bugscope Teamso the animal may spit them out right away
- Bugscope Teamyuck!
- Bugscope TeamThe Asian Ladybugs that are invasive have a really foul smell. I've accidentally inhaled an adult and it tastes awful. It won't hurt you, but it is gross.
- Bugscope Teambut the larva also have those spines, because they are not brightly colored like the adults
- TeacherCan we go really close to the ladybug larva mouth?
- Bugscope Teamthe red color is a warning that they are bad tasting
- Bugscope TeamYes. Zoom out first to the lowest magnification. Scott is showing the remnants of an aphid it ate.
- 1:00 pm
- Bugscope TeamHere is its mouth with the remnants of its last meal in the mandibles. Mandibles are similar to jaws. They are used to crush the food so the larva can slurp it up.
- Bugscope Teammessy eaters
- Bugscope Team(Scott just jumped there for you.)
- Bugscope TeamWe don't know what it last ate.
- Bugscope TeamSomething small. What is left is dried up bug pieces that have become little crystals.
- Bugscope Teamwe can see that the food was a liquid, and when it dried it formed crystals
- TeacherDid the ladybug larva spines hurt when people touch them?
- Bugscope TeamThe liquid that was part of its meal became crystals, just like when you have salt water dry down to make salt crystals.
- Bugscope TeamNope. These ones are very safe.
- Bugscope TeamOoops. I should have replied directly to that question.
- Bugscope Teamcrystals
- Bugscope TeamThe spines are used to scare away predators, but in this case they don't hurt. Some insects *do* have spines that sting or produce chemicals that will burn your skin, but not the ladybug larva.
- GuestMy grade 2 class is wondering how long before a ladybug larva turns into an adult?
- Bugscope TeamI think about 6 weeks but Daniel is checking...
- 1:06 pm
- TeacherWhy does it look so webbed, or web-like?
- Bugscope TeamIt depends upon the type of ladybug. The native ones along the west coast can take just a few weeks - about 30 days to go from egg to adult. I'd assume the ones in the midwest of North America are going to be similar.
- Bugscope TeamIt is kind of webbed because some of it is fungus that has grown on the larva after it died.
- Bugscope TeamSome if it is also "setae" - the "hairs" on the larva. If it is attached directly to the insect, it is a setae (pronounced "see tea"). The stuff laying on the surface is a fungus.
- Bugscope TeamScott is driving over to show you some of the side of the larva.
- Bugscope TeamMrs. M: did you see my answer to your question?
- Bugscope Teamthis is a super cool looking wasp
- Bugscope Teamwe can see that in addition to its compound eyes, it has other eyes on top of its head
- 1:11 pm
- TeacherWhat is all that crumply body part on the abdomen?
- Bugscope TeamScott will cruise down there for you...
- Bugscope TeamHere we go. Those dimples are part of the wasp's "exoskeleton".
- TeacherIs that the wing?
- Bugscope TeamYes!
- Bugscope TeamHe's moving over there so you can see one of the four wings.
- Bugscope TeamWasps and bees, and sometimes ants, have four wings - two on each side of the body.
- Bugscope Teamants that have wings are either males or the queen
- Bugscope Teambut when they do have wings, there are four
- Bugscope TeamThe wings are neat because they actually hook together in flight. We couldn't find the hooks called hamuli on this wasp, but it looks like a spiral-bound notebook.
- Bugscope Teamflies have only two wings
- Bugscope TeamIf you zoom in, sometimes you can see that the wings have "setae" on them too.
- TeacherAre there any females beside the queen that have wings?
Bugscope TeamTypically only the queen and the males have wings. And often the queen loses the wings once she starts laying eggs.
- Bugscope TeamYou can see some of the setae on the left, and many of those bright dots are probably the base of setae as well, though I can't tell at this magnification.
- 1:18 pm
- TeacherCan we look at the stinger?
Bugscope TeamWe tried finding a stinger, but couldn't. We'll drive down to that area, but it has either broken off or it is internal to the wasp right now.
Bugscope TeamHere is where it is supposed to be. We think that it got broken off as the wasp dried out.
Bugscope TeamWe'll go to the other wasp to see if we can find it there.
- TeacherWhat is that?
- TeacherHow does the wasp look when it is born?
Bugscope TeamWasps look like little white grubs.
Bugscope TeamScott is looking for the stinger of the other wasp.
Bugscope TeamAfter the eggs are laid, the eggs hatch to form little white grubs. Depending upon the wasp, these can be very tiny living inside a hive, or can actually be feeding off another insect.
- Bugscope TeamThe larva eventually "pupate" to become the adult. When the adult comes out, it looks just like all the others.
- Bugscope TeamThis is the area where the stinger should be. But it is missing.
- Bugscope TeamScott's moving over to the bee right now. We couldn't find a stinger on it either!
- Bugscope TeamAs you can see, the bee has setae that are feathery. This helps the bee hold pollen since it needs pollen in order to survive.
- 1:24 pm
- Bugscope TeamThose little bumps in the center are the ocelli - (oh-sell-eye) - which help them to sense the area around them and to keep their orientation to the sun. They are like eyes, but aren't as complex as the big eyes you saw earlier.
- Bugscope Teambees are said to be the only insects that have branched setae like this
- Bugscope TeamYou can see lots of dust trapped in the setae here. We were hoping to see some pollen but haven't found anything that we can say is definitely flower pollen.
- TeacherHow old do wasps and bees live before they get old and die?
Bugscope TeamMany of them only live for a few weeks. However, some bee queens will actually overwinter to help found the next colony in the spring.
Bugscope TeamThe "yellow jacket" wasps that are a nuisance in the fall - at least here in Illinois; don't know if you have these in California - are out hunting for sugar because the queen isn't caring for the hive. They'll soon starve before winter hits.
- Bugscope TeamThis is part of the antenna on the bee.
- Bugscope TeamNow on to the eye.
- 1:29 pm
- Bugscope TeamScott is looking for pollen so you can see what it looks like.
- TeacherWhat are those things on the eye?
Bugscope TeamThe chunky stuff is dirt. The bumps are the ommatidia (om-muh-tid-ee-uh) are the facets of the eye.
- TeacherThat is pollen?
Bugscope TeamYes. This is lily pollen on the wing of a wasp.
Bugscope TeamLooks like a little football.
Bugscope TeamEach species of plant produces unique pollen. You can tell what plant the bee visited just by looking at the pollen.
- Bugscope TeamPollen actually sprouts like a seed when it finds a female flower. This causes a little tube to form in the flower that helps get the seeds started.
- TeacherWhat are those little spikes?
Bugscope TeamThese are more setae on the wing of the wasp.
Bugscope TeamThey are small, and are thought to help the wing fly properly.
- Bugscope Teamone really cool thing we found out about recently is that microsetae can inhibit bacterial colonization
- Bugscope Teamthe microsetae may actually impale bacteria
- TeacherAre they sharp?
Bugscope TeamYes, but they're flexible. They won't hurt you. They're also very tiny, so you probably wouldn't even feel them if you rubbed your finger over the wing.
Bugscope TeamAs Scott said, they can hurt bacteria, but they won't hurt you.
- Bugscope Teamso they can be very sharp on a very small scale
- 1:35 pm
- Bugscope TeamThis is the tarsus (tar-suss) of a beetle claw.
- Bugscope TeamThese setae near the claw help stick to things.
- TeacherCan we see a pollen basket on a bee's leg?
Bugscope TeamClick on the bee head preset and let's drive down there.
Bugscope TeamOk, see if you can drive down to the bottom.
Bugscope TeamJust keep clicking at the bottom of the image. It will take us to the base of the bee.
- Bugscope TeamWe're not sure if the pollen basket is there.
- Bugscope TeamOr do you want us to cruise down there?
- 1:40 pm
- Bugscope TeamScott just dove down there but we don't think we can see a pollen basket. This isn't a honey bee, so it may not have a big basket at all.
- Bugscope Teamsee you next year!
- Bugscope TeamThanks for trying it out!
- Bugscope TeamThank you!
- Bugscope TeamMrs. M: you still online?
- GuestI am but we are just heading off for lunch too. It was fantastic, I think I enjoyed it more than my grade twos!
- Bugscope TeamWe hope you'll consider submitting an application when school resumes.
- GuestI will for sure, I'm glad I found you and will mention to other teachers in my school.
- Bugscope Teamwe were sorry not to be able to find stingers or pollen baskets, but it is often like that -- we do not always get to see what we want
- Bugscope TeamActually, you can submit an application at any time, so if you want to set up something for the fall, you can get your name in this week.
- Bugscope Teamstill we find cool stuff, to us at least
- Bugscope TeamIf you have problems with the application form, you can contact us directly. Just a second...
- Bugscope Teambugscope@beckman.illinois.edu - or look on the web page for a link.
- GuestThanks!
- 1:45 pm
- Bugscope TeamThe reason I mention it is that we've discovered that Windows 7 & 8 tend to fill out information in the proposal form that causes problems on our end. So if you submit one online and it doesn't send you an email back saying your application was submitted, please email us.
- Guestokay, I will keep that in mind.
- Bugscope TeamWe're logging off now, so if you have any questions, just contact us!
- Bugscope TeamThanks for watching and asking questions! Also, you can submit your own insects to us to look at.
- Bugscope TeamBye!
