Bugscope archived session

Transcript

Bugscope TeamI was getting some help identifying it right now
Teacherlooks like a wing
Bugscope TeamThis is a hanging fly :)
Bugscope TeamThis is the wing of a bittacidae (hanging fly)
Bugscope TeamT.J. says it is a hanging fly, which is not an actual fly. It has too many wings
9:09 am
Bugscope TeamThey're not really flies.
Bugscope TeamThis is because flies have a reduced pair of wings called halteres

Bugscope TeamI clicked on the preset for the head of this hanging fly
Teacherewww...(what students are saying!)
Bugscope TeamHanging flies look very similar to Crane Flies (which are actual flies), but hanging flies have two full sets of wings
Bugscope TeamThey feed on other small insects, particularly flies ( i think?).
Bugscope TeamYes :) and males usually bring small insects to females as gifts
TeacherHanging flies eat flies!
Bugscope TeamThey are called hangingflies because they capture these other insects by hanging from their forelegs and capturing prey with their hind legs.
Bugscope Teamif you want to try to go to another preset, you can click on the left blue and white arrow button and select a different place to go

Teacherlook like pliers
Bugscope Teamhere are some earwig pinchers. There is actually a little mite on the upper left of them. it looks like a round mound
Bugscope Teammale earwigs have curved pinchers/pincers. Females have straight ones

9:15 am
TeacherThat's what we thought it was!
Bugscope Teamits proboscis unfurls like on of those party favors
Bugscope Teamyou can also see its antenna - its right above the proboscis
TeacherDoes the moth have a compound eye like flies?
Bugscope Teamyes they are compound, meaning they have many facets, called ommatidia, within them
Bugscope TeamThis is a moth's head. you can see its large eye and its curled proboscis (mouth).
Bugscope Teamthis proboscis unfurls and the moth sucks up nectar from flowers like a straw

Bugscope Teamthere are moths that feeds on other unconventional liquids like blood and tears

Bugscope TeamThey feed on tears because they are rich with salt, which is needed in their diet

Bugscope Teamthe compound eye on this fruitfly is a little deflated
TeacherLots of hair on the fruitfly
Bugscope TeamFun Fact: what we call fruit flies are actually a vinegar fly! Fruit flies are completely different
9:20 am

Bugscope TeamThey got their nickname because they're commonly found on rotting fruit
Bugscope Teambut they aren't there to eat the fruit, they're there for the vinegar that rotting fruit creates
Teacheraren't they attracted to the vinegar?
Bugscope Teaminteresting. why are they vinegar flies? That's how I usually kill them- with vinegar and a drop of dishsoap
Bugscope Teamthat works because they're attracted to the vinegar smell, and the drop of detergent preaks the water tension and so they drown
Teacherwhat's that?
Bugscope TeamThese flies have a sponging mouth part.
Bugscope Teamyou can kind of make it out there between the eyes and its foreleg

Bugscope Teamthey use it exactly the way you would think, like a sponge, soaking up fermenting fruit juices

9:25 am
Teacherlooks like armour plates
Bugscope Teamthat's what an insect exoskeleton is like. So they can't feel much through their plates, which is why they have setae, or hairs, sticking out of it. the setae help them feel
Bugscope TeamThis is a grasshopper - or an Orthopteran (that is the Order they are in, along with crickets and katydids)
Bugscope Teamsome species of grasshoppers are capable of becoming locusts

Bugscope Teamlocust is the name for these grasshoppers when they are in a swarming phase

Bugscope Teamthese species reproduce really quickly and when there are enough of them become migratory

Teacherlooks like a rug
9:30 am
Bugscope Teamthey can also shed some scales to help get out of a 'sticky' situation, like a spider's web
Bugscope Teamthese are moth scales, which is the same stuff that comes off on your fingers if you rub their wings
Bugscope Teamin addition to colour granules, some of the colours you see on butterfly/moth wings are produced by the way the light reflects/refracts off the grooves you see on each scale

Bugscope TeamThese scales are easily detachable and can help the insect escape things like spider webs and other predators

Bugscope TeamOn some moths and butterflies, if you look in super closely (closer than we can on here) you can see the nanostuctures on their scales, they reflect/refract light and are the reason why some moths or butterflies appear to have one color but if you move a little bit they have a completely different color

Teacherleft...
Teacherwhat is the popcorn like thing on the right side?
Bugscope TeamI was curious, and looked at it. It looks like a clump of dirt or frass or something. Not much of anything I could identify
Bugscope Teamthe strings are bits of web strands
Bugscope Teamthe praying mantis grabs their food with these forelegs.
Bugscope TeamSome praying mantis will eat small vertebrates, lizards, rodents, birds, etc...

Bugscope Teamyou saw the fruitfly had lots of setae sticking out between the ommatidia, or facets of the compound eye
Bugscope Teammites love earwigs, so it isn't hard to find them
Teacherare mites insects?
Bugscope Teamno they are more closely related to spiders - mites also have 4pairs of legs while insects have only 3pairs
Bugscope Teamthey might be a slight bother if they got on their eyes or antennae, but aren't usually a hindrance
9:42 am

Teacherare the mites good for the earwigs? what do they do?
Bugscope Teamsome of them are phoretic, which means they are just hitching a ride

Teacherwe are going to have to close out now....we have to take a spelling test!
TeacherThanks so much for doing this for us! We had a blast!
Bugscope Teamthanks for joining us today for bugscope. I hope you all had fun, and maybe got a bit grossed out
Bugscope TeamThanks for joining us, bye!
Bugscope TeamI'm glad you all had fun!
9:49 am
Bugscope Teamyou can access all chat and images from today by going to you session page at https://bugscope.beckman.illinois.edu/members/2014-069.

Title	Incredible Insects
Description	This will be the culminating project in our insect unit. Students will collect specimens to send in for placement under the electron microscope.