King Middle School Insect Field Guide

Field Guide to Portland’s Insects By King Middle School
Kineo Sequence A - 2019


An Introduction to the project by Charlie, Sophie, Gervasio, Benvindo, Chrisanne, And Leah.
An Introduction to Pollination by Reyna
We’d like to thank the staff of King Middle School and the staff at the Maine Audubon Society for helping us to make this field guide.


Table of Contents
1. Eastern Black Swallowtail
2. Monarch Butterfly
3. Red Admiral Butterfly
4. Pecks Skipper
5. Luna Moth
6. Milkweed Tussock Moth
7. Northern Bluet
8. Fork-Tailed Bush Katydid
9. Praying Mantis
10. Field Cricket
11. Carolina Grasshopper
12. Black Carpenter Ant
13. Golden Northern Bumblebee
14. Metallic Green Sweat Bee
15. Flower Fly
16. Black Fly
17. Great Golden Digger Wasp


Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Fun Fact: Swallowtail Caterpillars have an orange "forked gland", called the osmeterium.When in danger the osmeterium, which looks like a snake's tongue, ejects and releases a foul smell to repel predators.
1
Kaia W.
Caterpillar


Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Bugs are being used in medicine
● Eating insects gives us protein, nutrients,
fiber, and vitamins
● Insects do not produce greenhouse gasses like
other livestock
Challenges
● Bugs can carry and transmit diseases
● Bugs in food are gross
● You may consume pesticides
KEY FACTS of the ADULT STAGE
Habitat: The Black Swallowtail Butterfly is usually found in open areas like fields, parks, and meadows.
Food: The adult gets nectar from Clover, Milkweed, Thistles, and Phlox.
It feeds on Queen Anne’s Lace, celery, parsley, carrots, dill and parsnip as a larva.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: Wings: As an adult it is mostly black, with bands of yellow spots near the perimeter of the wings , 1 row of blue spots in between the yellow spots, and notice the 2 orange eye spots below blue spots. There are also 2 black tails at the end of each wing. Body: Black with white spots. The butterfly can range from 7 to 9 cm, with a wingspan that can be up to 11.5 cm.
Interaction with plants: Black Swallowtails usually lay their eggs on the tops of the leaves of host plants such as Queen Anne’s Lace, Dill, and Yarrow.
2


Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Caterpillar
Fun Facts
These butterflies are
famous for traveling together in a big group and flying all the way to Mexico.
1
Gabriela H.


Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Can be used to solve crimes
● They produce less greenhouse gas
● Insects require less food to keep alive
● Insects eat waste
Challenges
● Bugs in food are nasty
● We know lots of gross things about bugs
● They spread diseases
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat: The Monarch Butterfly needs a habitat with fields and meadows where milkweed can grow.
Food: The adult eats nectar from flowers like milkweed, red clover, alfalfa, thistle, and wild carrot. The larva eats the leaves of milkweed.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: This well-known butterfly has reddish-orange wings with black vein-like markings. There is a black border around its wings with white spots on it. Its wings look like stained glass windows! When its wings are open it they are about 4 inches wide. It’s body is black.
Interaction with plants: This butterfly lays its eggs on milkweed so that the larva can eat the leaves.
2


Red Admiral Butterfly (Vanessa atalanta)
Fun Facts
Normally a gentle insect, it can spray a bitter and offensive fluid to protect it from predators and curious humans!
1
Nevaeh G.
Caterpillar


Red Admiral Butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Bugs can be used for medicines
● Insects eat wastes so that's less land you have
to use for food
● Raising insects requires less food and water
● Bugs don't produce as much greenhouse gas
Challenges
● Bugs in our food are disgusting
● Bugs come with pesticides
● Insects can spread disease
KEY FACTS of the ADULT STAGE Habitat: Coniferous forests are the preferred habitat of Western conifer seed bugs.
Food: Nymphs feed first on needles and then developing seeds. Adults use their proboscis to suck plant sap, especially from cones.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: Body; 1 1⁄2 to 2 cm long and mostly brown, head: triangular with bulging reddish brown compound eyes and long, segmented antennae, thorax: note the distinctive wing casing with a geometric pattern in shades of tan and black, also note the larger hind legs with wide leaf shaped tibias, abdomen: look for the light and dark stripes along the edge
Interaction with plants: Eggs are laid on the needles of the White pine tree. In addition to providing food, the pine also provides shelter to the adults that overwinter under its bark.
2


Peck’s Skipper (Polites peckius)
Fun Fact:
The Skipper looks like a butterfly and looks like a moth. He is himself.
1
Francine J.
Larva


Peck’s Skipper (Polites peckius) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Some insects are food for people.
● Folks who raise insects can help feed hungry
people.
Challenges
● Some insects bite people.
● Some insects are dangerous for people
because they give us malaria.
● Lots of people think insects are gross.
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat: Grassland Skippers prefer open areas with nectar. This means meadows and grasslands are the best
habitat.
Food: The adult eats nectar from plants like milkweed and ragged-robin. The caterpillar eats grasses like little bluestem.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: The head is round and brown. The thorax is hairy and is brown. The abdomen has segments and is brown. The wings are brown with yellow spots. The edge of the wing is gray.
Interaction with plants: Milkweed gives nectar to the butterfly. The skipper lays its eggs on grasses the caterpillar eats.
2


Peck’s Skipper (Polites peckius)
Fun Facts
This butterfly has different wings that help it to move fast when it is scared.
1
Miguel B.
Larva


Peck’s Skipper (Polites peckius) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Butterflies are fun to watch.
● Insects can help tourism.
Challenges
● Skippers move fast. It’s hard to get a good photo.
● People are not used to eating bugs for dinner.
Key Facts about the Adult Stage Habitat: Peck’s Skipper likes open grassy habitats including meadows and fields.
Food: The adult eats nectar from flowers including red clover, purple vetch, and thistles. The larvae eat grass leaves.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: Its wing is light brown with yellow spots. Its eyes are black. The body is brown, orange, and yellow.
Interaction with plants: It eats red clover nectar.
2


Luna Moth (Actias luna)
Fun Facts
The Luna moth is in the silkworm family. Moths of the silkworm family are the biggest moths in North America.
Zabel K.
Caterpillar


Luna moth (Actias luna) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Insects are a good source of protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc..
● They require less food, water, and space.
● Insects can be used to help solve time of
death.
● When you eat an insect, you use the entire
body.
Challenges
● Bugs in food are nasty.
● We know gross things about them.
● Possible pesticides.
● Bugs can spread disease.
Key Facts about the Adult Stage Habitat: Deciduous hardwood forests are a healthy habitat for the Luna moth.
Food: Larvae eat leaves of white birch, hickory, sumac, sweetgum, and more. The adults do not eat or drink, therefore they have no mouthparts.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: Body: Wings are a light, pale green with a circle with a line extending from the top of the wing. The rim of the wing has a deep purple color all around it. Notice, on the lower two wings, a curled tail connected from the end of the two bottom wings. Head: Also notice the antennae, they look like light brown leaves connected to the head. The wingspan is 75-100 mm.
Interaction with plants: Luna moths lay their eggs on the bark of different plant species. Particularly on trees with leaves that the larvae can eat.
2


Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle)
Caterpillar
Fun Facts
The bright colors of the larva keep predators away by letting them know these caterpillars are poisonous. The Milkweed plant sap that the larva feeds on contains a toxic chemical called cardenolide.
1
Graecen J.


Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Bugs are a good source of protein
● Bugs require less food
● Insects eat waste
● Insects can be used as medicine
Challenges
● Bugs in food is nasty
● Possible pesticides
● Bugs can spread diseases
KEY FACTS of the ADULT STAGE
Habitat: The Milkweed Tussock Moth lives mostly near milkweed plants in open fields and forest edges.
Food: The adult does not eat and the larva eats the leaves of milkweed plants.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: This moth has long, thin and gray antennae. It has gray legs, grayish brown wings, and a furry gray thorax. There are pale orange and black dots along the back and side of the abdomen.
Interaction with plants: They lay their eggs on or near milkweed plants or plants that are in the genus Asclepias.
2


Northern Bluet (Enallagma cyathigerum)
Fun Facts
The Northern Bluet and its family have been around for almost 300 million years. They can’t walk on their 6 legs but that doesn’t stop them from being efficient hunters.
1
Reyna E.
Nymph


Northern Bluet (Enallagma cyathigerum) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Bugs can be used as medicine.
● Insects have a lot of nutrients, protein, fiber,
and vitamins.
● Insects eat waste
Challenges
● Bugs can carry diseases.
● Bugs might carry pesticides.
● Bugs in our foods is disgusting.
KEY FACTS of the ADULT STAGE
Habitat: Freshwater bodies and sometimes acidic fens near woodlands and fields are a healthy
environment for the Northern Bluet.
Food: The adults usually eat flying insects, mosquitos, flies, mayflies, and small moths. The nymphs eat small aquatic insects.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: The Enallagma cyathigerum adult is 32mm long and it has a bluish thorax with some black stripes. The head is shaped like a small oval. The blue compound eyes take up most of the space. The thorax is half the size of the abdomen and has two pairs of wings which are crystal clear except for a few black lines. It has 3 pairs of legs which are black and are very skinny and delicate. The light blue abdomen is long and thin with about 10 segments.
Interaction with plants: It lays its eggs underwater at the bottom of cattail plants. It perches on Queen Anne’s Lace while waiting for its prey.
2


Fork-Tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia furcata)
Fun Facts
They get their name from the sound they make on hot summer nights from the tops of trees. They call for mates and it sounds like they’re saying “katy did-katy didn’t”.
1
Grace D.
Nymph


Fork-Tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia furcata) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Bugs can be used to solve crimes
● They produce less greenhouse gas emissions
● Good source of protein
Challenges
● Bugs in food is nasty
● You can get sick from eating pesticides
● They spread many diseases
Key Facts about the Adult Stage Habitat: Katydids live in grasslands and shrublands.
Food: The adult eats leaves, dead bugs, flowers and slow moving insects. The nymph does the same but smaller amounts.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: Bush katydids can get to be around 2 - 2.5 inches long. The green wings look like a leaf. they have 6 legs that are usually the same green color. Notice that their back legs are super long with a wide femur to help them jump. Their oblong heads are usually pointed downward and they have super long antennae.
Interaction with plants: They eat the leaves of aster and sunflower and also lay eggs on these plants.
2


Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa)
Nymph
Fun Facts
Did you know the word mantis comes from Greek and means “prophet”? It is spelled like this, “mantikos”.
1
Ruweyda M.


Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Insects eat our waste
● Insects have a lot of nutrients, protein,
vitamins and are lowfat
● Bugs don’t produce greenhouse gases
Challenges
● Bugs in our food is disgusting
● Bugs can carry pesticides
● Insects can spread disease
KEY FACTS of the ADULT STAGE Habitat: Praying mantids like or prefer grasslands and shrublands.
Food: The adult mantis likes to eat grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, monarch butterflies, beetles, and other praying mantises. The nymph likes to eat smaller insects, such as red fruit flies.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: Large, 4-10cm with elongated thorax and abdomen. Brown or green color with very large eyes and distinctive, enlarged, grasping forelegs. On the front two legs they have little spikes to protect themselves and also to grab their food.
Interaction with plants: It waits on a goldenrod to eat the insects that come to eat nectar. Lays eggs on the stems of woody plants that can last all winter.
2


Field Cricket (Gryllus pennsylvanicus)
Fun Facts
Unlike other insects, crickets do not actively defend themselves. Crickets have long hairs at the end of the abdomen to detect movement so they can quickly hop away from predators. Male crickets sing several different songs including mating songs and “stay away from my girl” songs.
1
Wilfredo D.
Nymph


Field Cricket (Gryllus pennsylvanicus) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Insects take up less space than livestock
● Insects have more nutrients
● Insects are more digestible
● Insects need less water than livestock
Challenges
● Insects can spread diseases
● They are gross
● They might taste bad
● The insects might have pesticides
KEY FACTS of the ADULT STAGE
Habitat:
The adult field cricket lives in fields and forest edges. It also inhabits mature forests and caves.
Food:
Both adults and nymphs eat dried organic material, fresh plant matter, seeds and dead insects.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics:
Gryllus pennsylvanicus has a mostly black body with a very shiny exoskeleton. It has 4 wings on its thorax. The ovipositor is black and looks like a sharp needle. The hind legs look very spiky and have large femurs to help it jump.
Interaction with plants:
This cricket uses the chicory plant for food and lives in the root structures at its base.
2


Field Cricket (Gryllus pennsylvanicus)
Fun Facts
Field crickets are a popular snack in China.
Males chirp up to 30 times a minute to attract females.
Stanley S.
1
Nymph


Field cricket (Gryllus pennsylvanicus)) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● The field cricket eats small insects that live in your house
● They eat things that are considered pests that are in your garden
● They are a good source of protein
Challenges
● They can spread disease
● They can lay eggs in your house
● They are disgusting to eat for some people
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat: The field cricket lives in places such as forests, lawns, caves, damp basements, and fields.
Food: The adult eats fresh plants, fruit, seeds, and dead or alive insects. The nymph eats just fresh plants, fruit, and seeds.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: The cricket is about 15 cm long. It is black and brown and some have a bit of orange on the thorax. The antenna are long and black. Some of the cricket’s legs there are multiple spikes on their legs. Their hind legs are bigger for hopping.
Interaction with plants: They make their home in tall grasses and also feed on plants.
2


Carolina Grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina)
Fun Facts
This grasshopper eats all sorts of plants but it can also be a pest sometimes because it eats food that humans are trying to grow. This grasshopper comes in many colors because it matches its environment. So, if its born on red sand it will grow up to be red which will protect it from predators.
1
Julie N.
Nymph


Carolina Grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Bug need less water.
● Bugs eat leftovers.
● Silk bug provides us with a soft strong article
of clothing.
● They are super good for us to eat.
Challenges
● They are gross because you can see the whole bug when you eat them.
● Some bugs cause disease.
● Bugs can give us pesticides when we eat them.
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat: The Carolina Grasshopper lives in long grass fields.
Food: Adults eat the leaves of grasses, thistle, horsetails, and other flowering grassland plants.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: The wings are black and brown and yellow and shaped like a moth’s wing. Their body is 32-58mm in length. They are bigger than most grasshoppers in North America. When they are not flying they are tan and when they are flying they look like butterflies.
Interaction with plants: In addition to eating plants the Carolina Grasshopper hides its eggs under plants and the leaves that fall will protect the nymphs.
2


Black Carpenter Ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus)
Larva
Fun Facts
Camponotus pennsylvanicus can bite or spray you with formic acid.
1
Daniel F.


Black Carpenter Ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Insects have a lot of nutrients, protein, lowfat, and vitamins
● Natural food coloring
● Bugs can be used to determine time of death
Challenges
● Bugs in our food is nasty
● Bugs carry diseases
● Bugs come with pesticides
KEY FACTS of the ADULT STAGE Habitat: Carpenter Ants prefer dead trees in a forest or woodland.
Food: Larvae feed on regurgitated food from the adults. Adults eat dead insects, plant juices, honey-dew from aphids, and some human foods.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: The body is about 0.5 to 1.5 cm long and mostly black with reddish-brown areas on legs and body. They have short hairs forming rings around their abdomen and have clusters of hairs on their head. They have huge jaws adapted for chewing timber, eating other insects, and chewing plant stems and leaves.
Interaction with plants: These ants like to live in the forest in dead trees. They also use aster plants for food.
2


Golden Northern Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus)
Fun Facts
Watch out! Bumblebee stingers are unbarbed unlike honeybees, so they can sting multiple times and survive, like wasps.
1
Isaac H.
Larva


Golden Northern Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Bugs offer a better option for food
● Bugs take up very little space
● Can offer many materials, like silk and shellac
● Can be used for, and be studied for medicine
Challenges
● Bugs can spread disease
● Can carry pesticides, and other not fun
substances
● Bugs in food and in general is “Gross”
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat: The preferred habitat of the Golden Northern Bumble bee is the ground (holes and on top) in
wide and open grassy areas in northern New England.
Food: Bumblebees feed on nectar from plants such as, but not limited to; New England Aster, Thistle, Red Clover, common milkweed, honeysuckle, goldenrod, and blueberry. The larvae feed on honey created by the adults.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: The whole bumblebee is 14-20 mm long with yellow fur/fuzz on the thorax and the abdomen. You will find a large black stripe on the thorax and more on the top of the abdomen. You will also notice black translucent wings covering most of the back. To distinguish it from an average bee you will notice the thorax is much larger.
Interaction with plants: It uses the nectar from most angiosperms, like goldenrod, for food and in turn unknowingly pollinates them, and also sometimes uses grasses to naturally shelter the nest.
2


Metallic Green Sweat Bee (Agapostemon splendens)
Fun Facts
Females share an underground nest, and they each take turns guarding the entrance by blocking it with their body.
1
Luc B.
Larva


Metallic Green Sweat Bee (Agapostemon splendens) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Insects will never run out. So, they’re a good food source
● Insects can be used as medicine
● Insects can be used as a source of protein,
vitamins, mineral, fiber, etc
Challenges
● Bugs in food are nasty!
● We know a lot of gross things about bugs
● Bugs can spread disease
KEY FACTS of the ADULT STAGE Habitat: Meadows and fields provide a good habitat for this green sweat bee.
Food: The adults eat nectar and the larvae eat pollen.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: Usually the sweat bee body is 7 to 15 mm long with a green head and dark brown antennae Thorax: metallic green Abdomen: males have yellow and black stripes and females have shiny green stripes.
Interaction with plants: The sweat bee helps to pollinate flowers and gets nectar for food.
2


Flower Fly (Syrphus ribesii)
Fun Fact:
Hoverflies get their name from the ability to hover over a flower before they land to sip nectar.
1
Devlin R.
Larva


Flower Fly (Syrphus ribesii) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Insects don’t suffer in small enclosed spaces like livestock does.
● The lac bug is used to create shellac chard, a shiny outer surface
● Bugs are being used as medicine
Challenges
● Bugs can carry diseases (Flea= Black Death)
● Bugs in food will probably be gross
● Pesticides on the insects
Key Facts about the Adult Stage Habitat: The habitat for the Flower Fly is grasslands and meadows.
Food: The adult eats nectar from flowers. The larvae feed on aphids.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: It looks like a wasp but the yellow stripes have a weird pattern. The thorax is dark brown and the abdomen is the same but with yellow stripes. It has large reddish-brown eyes.
Interaction with plants: They lay eggs at the base of plants like goldenrod so that the larvae can find aphids to feed on. They also drink nectar from this plant.
2


Black Fly (Simulium venustum)
Fun Facts
Black flies as larvae stay underwater by latching on to rocks to eat algae floating by.
1
Ari B.
Larva


Black Fly (Simulium venustum) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Bugs can be used for medicine
● Bugs have lots of vitamins, nutrients, and
protein
● Insects require less food and water than farm
animals
Challenges
● Bugs in food is gross
● You could get pesticides
● Insects can spread diseas
KEY FACTS of the ADULT STAGE
Habitat: Woodlands near rivers and streams is a good place for the Black Fly.
Food: Black Fly females eat blood to develop eggs and nectar. Males drink nectar from flowers.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: The Black Fly is 1-5 mm long. 6 legs, 2 antennae, 2 wings, with a humped thorax, and a black body.
Interaction with plants: Black Flies lay their eggs underwater on plants.
2


Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus)
Fun Facts
Adult Great Golden Digger Wasp stings an insect and puts it in a state of paralysis so their larvae can eat the insects.
1
Dillon L.
Sphex Larva


Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Lac bug creates shellac-waterproofing and hard coating (candie pills etc)
● Insects are very nutritious to eat.
● Easier to humanely kill
● ● ●
Challenges
Bugs in food is nasty
Causes people to use pesticides
Insects can cause diseases
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitats: Grasslands and sandy areas are great for Great Golden Digger Wasps. Food: The Great Golden Digger Wasp eats pollen.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: As an adult it has a slim orangey reddish and yellow body and the head and thorax are yellow and fuzzy. The insect is 1.5 inches long usually. Their wings are greyish black.
Interaction with plants: Great Golden Digger Wasps suck the pollen out of flowers.
2


Bibliography
Animal Diversity Web Animalsake
Backyard Nature
Bee Informed
Bug Guide
Inaturalist
Insect Identification
Joyful Butterfly
Liang Insects
Life Cycle of a Grasshopper
Life Of A Carpenter Ant
National Geographic
Nature Spot
Northern Woodlands
Songs of Insects
University of Florida
University of Kentucky - College of Agriculture, Food and Environment University of Maryland Extension
University Of Minnesota Extension
Urban Ecology Center
Interested in Learning more about insects? These links will take you to a few of the sites we found useful in our research.
If you would like to check out our full list of credits, use this link.