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Insect Project in Deering Oaks Park, Portland, Maine.

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Published by macler, 2019-12-11 10:21:39

King Middle School Insect Field Guide Seq C

Insect Project in Deering Oaks Park, Portland, Maine.

Field Guide to Portland’s Insects By King Middle School
Kineo Sequence C - 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. Luna Moth
5. Milkweed Tussock Moth
6. Northern Bluet
7. Fork-Tailed Bush Katydid
8. Praying Mantis
9. Field Cricket
10. Carolina Grasshopper
11. Black Carpenter Ant
12. Golden Northern Bumblebee
13. Metallic Green Sweat Bee
14. Flower Fly
15. Black Fly
16. Common Green Bottle Fly
17. Great Golden Digger Wasp
18. Great Black Wasp
19. Eastern Yellow Jacket
20. Soldier Beetle


Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Caterpillar
Fun Facts
Butterflies use their feet to “taste a plant to see if it is a good place to lay their eggs.”
1
Ruman S.


Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● The lac from the lac bug is used to coat pills and candy’s to make it easier to swallow.
● Makes furniture waterproof.
● Insect don’t cause climate change because
they don’t produce greenhouse gas emissions.
● Produces natural red coloring.
Challenges
● It is gross.
● Insects in food is non vegan
● Fleas caused Black Death
● Lice caused the Potato Famine.
Key Facts about the Adult Stage Habitat: The Eastern Black Swallowtail lives in fields and meadows.
Food: Larvae feed on leaves of dill and parsnip while the adult feeds nectar from the flowers. Other grassland plants are milkweed and thistles.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: The adult has beautiful yellow and blue spots on the lower end of its black wings. The body id black with yellow spots on the thorax and white spots on the abdomen. Six long thin black legs for walking. Look for a small black round head with two long black antennae.
Interaction with plants: Lives on dill until it becomes a full adult and then it takes nectar from the flowers. Eggs are laid mostly on the top side of dill or parsley leaves.
2


Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Caterpillar
Fun Facts
Monarch Butterflies have been seen flying at heights of up to 11,000 feet!
1
Henry W.


Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Insects are used in medicine
● They contain lots of vitamins and minerals
● Insects don’t need as much water to survive
● They have a lot of protein with little bad fats
Challenges
● Insects are gross
● If used in food it is not vegetarian/vegan
● Insects can transmit diseases
Key Facts about the Adult Stage Habitat: Milkweed in open fields is the preferred habitat for Monarch Butterflies.
Food: In the nymph stage they will eat milkweed leaves and in the adult stage Monarch Butterflies feed through their proboscis on nectar from various flowers.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: Wingspan of 7-10 cm black vein-like markings on reddish orange wings, you will find a black outline on the outside of the wings with white dots. The orange colors serve as a warning to predators as it is a sign they are poisonous. Black head, thorax, and abdomen. Some white markings on head/thorax. Has furry hairs on back. Bulging compound eyes come out from triangular head, long proboscis extends from head. Skinny black legs that stick out from its body. You can tell a male from a female by looking at the back of their wings, if you see 2 black dots bulging from the veins of black it is a male, if not, it is a female.
Interaction with plants: Eggs are laid on the undersides of milkweed, they heavily rely on milkweed for food and shelter their whole life.
2


Red Admiral Butterfly (Vanessa atlanta)
Larva
Fun Facts
Red Admirals also feed on tree sap, dung, and rotting fruit. The Red Admiral lives in all three countries of North America so that people can enjoy their beauty.
1
Neo U.


Red Admiral Butterfly (Vanessa atlanta) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● They help pollinate our food
● They help get rid of waste
● They help by getting rid of other non helpful
bugs
Challenges
● They spread and cause disease
● They sometimes can be evaluated unfairly by
their bad side
● Can be sometimes a pain in the butt when
they are in your house
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat: Red Admiral Butterflies live in North America in open fields and woodland edges.
Food: Red Admiral Butterfly adults can eat anything they can dissolve in water but they mostly feed on nectar from flowers like summer lilac, purple coneflower, sunflower, lilac, snapdragons, and zinnia.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: The Red Admiral Butterfly is black and has dark wings with reddish-orange bars on both sides. It also has white paint spots on the top of its wings and an orange edge at the bottom. The antennae are long with white and black stripes and a yellow tip.
Interaction with plants: They lay their eggs on a leaf of a host plant. Caterpillars form a nest with a leaf and their silk.
2


Luna Moth (Actias luna)
Caterpillar
Fun Facts
The caterpillars are active at night, eating leaves. They are eaten by owls, bats, and beetles. One way the caterpillar protects itself is to spit disgusting fluid so the predator doesn’t eat it.
1
Amran N.


Luna Moth (Actias luna) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Cochineal bug-provides natural coloring.
● Lac bugs are used to make shellac that covers.
candy, pills, and furniture.
● Bugs can be used as medicine.
● Bugs can be used to determine time of death.
Challenges
● Bugs in our food is disgusting.
● Bugs that we eat may have pesticides in them.
● They can spread diseases.
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat: The Luna Moth prefers a forest habitat with White Oak, Paper Birch, and Black Walnut.
Food: The adult Luna Moth does not eat. The caterpillars eat leaves of trees like white oak, black walnut, sumac and hickory.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics:
Body; 6 to 8 cm long, It has light green wings. It also has long tails on the bottom wings. Two big yellow and brown eyes marks on its wings fool predators. Head: it has a little head with white hairs on it.
Interaction with plants: The adult lays eggs on tree bark and the larva gets food from the leaves.
2


Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle)
Larva
Fun Facts
This moth uses its pale grey wings to blend in with the bark of trees during the daytime.
1
Blendi A.


Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Insects provide silk and honey
● Insects have a lot of protein
● Insects don't cause climate change
Challenges
● Insects in our food make it non vegetarian
● Insects as food is gross
● Insects transmit diseases, for instance fleas
brought the Black Death
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat: The Milkweed Tussock Moth usual habitat is field and meadows.
Food: The adult does not eat. The caterpillar eats tender stems and leaves of milkweed.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: 2 long pale grey wings cover the bright orange thorax and abdomen. Black compound eyes. Body; 22 to 43mm long. Its dark brown antennae are long and flexible and the head has long grey hairs.
Interaction with plants: Eggs are laid on the bottom of leaves of milkweed.
2


Northern Bluet (Enallagma cyathigerum)
Nymph
Fun Facts
Did you know that Damselflies are one of the most ancient of flying insects?
1
Kate W.


Northern Bluet (Enallagma cyathigerum) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Bugs can be used as medicine
● Insects contain a lot of nutrients, protein, low
fat, and vitamins.
● Insects don’t use up a lot of space.
Challenges
● Bugs in our food is disgusting
● Bugs can carry diseases
● Bugs can carry pesticides
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat:
The Northern Bluet prefers marshlands or small ponds with lots of strong-stemmed plants
Food:
Bluet nymphs feed on larvae of other insects. When the Northern Bluet becomes an adult, they tend to switch their diet to flying insects such as small moths, mayflies, flies, and mosquitos.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics:
It has a small bean-like head that is black and metallic blue. Its thorax has six twig-like black legs and the thorax, like the head, is metallic blue and black. Two delicate-looking wings are attached to the thorax as well and are clear with faint black lines. The abdomen is a long striped metallic blue and black stick-like body part.
Interaction with plants:
Bluets use Cattails and Queen Anne’s Lace plants to stage themselves to catch their prey.
2


Fork-Tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia furcata)
Fun Facts
The males rub the “shoulders” of their front wings together to make a mating call.
1
Anneke V.
Nymph


Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia furcata) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Insects take up less space
● Insects lower animal suffering
● Lac bug coating makes it easier to swallow
pills
Challenges
● A problem for vegans
● Fleas caused the Black Death or The Plague
● Insects in food are gross
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat: The Fork Tailed Bush Katydid is typically found in meadows, open fields and in brushy, weedy areas
near woodlands.
Food: Both the adults and the nymphs feed off of weedy vegetation and citrus foods.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: Body: 3.6 to 5.0 cm in size and an almost neon green color Head: small arrow like shape pointing in the downward position. Legs: The hind legs are set apart from the front legs because they are significantly longer.
Interaction with plants: They eat the leaves of plants like aster and sunflower, and lay their eggs between layers of leaves in the woodlands.
2


Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa)
Fun Facts
Praying Mantids have five eyes!
Sophie K.
1
Nymph


Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Cochineal bug provides natural red coloring
● Lac bug provides shellac that covers furniture
● Bugs can be used as medicine
● Bugs can determine time of death
● Insects have a lot of nutrients
● Insects eat waste
● Raising insects costs less than livestock
● Bugs don't produce greenhouse gasses
Challenges
● Bugs are disgusting.
● Bugs come with pesticides.
● Insects can spead disease (Bubonic Plauge,
Yellow Fever, Potato Famine).
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat: The Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa) likes to live in plants such as Goldenrod and Aster, found in
open fields and wood edges.
Food: The adults are carnivorous, eating moths, crickets, grasshoppers, flies, and occasionally hummingbirds, and the nymphs eat small flies and aphids (and each other).
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: The Praying Mantis is normally bright green all over its body (but can be brown), and is about 7-8 cm long. It has large front claws folded in a praying position (giving it its nickname), with small black and white dots on the inside of its arms. Its’ wings are folded over its’ long abdomen.
Interaction with plants:
They are partial to plants in the rose and raspberry families, as well as tall grasses and shrubbery that will offer them shelter and places to hunt.
2


Field Cricket (Gryllus pennsylvanicus)
Nymph
Fun Facts
Crickets chirp faster depending on the temperature. Warmer air makes them go faster.
1
Tamagne D.


Field Cricket (Gryllus pennsylvanicus) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Bugs can be used as medicine.
● Bugs can be used to determine time of death.
● Insects have lots of nutrients, protein, low fat,
and vitamins.
● Bugs don't produce greenhouse gases.
Challenges
● Bugs in our food is disgusting.
● Some bugs come with pesticides.
● Insects can spread disease.
Key Facts about the Adult Stage Habitat: Grassy fields are a preferred habitat by the field cricket.
Food: The nymph feeds on plants, decaying food, seeds, other insects including its own kind. The adult feeds on organic materials, fresh plant matter, small fruit, seeds, ragweed, crabgrass, and chicory.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: Body: between 15 to 31 mm long. Prominent cerci at the end of their abdomen, two wings (some don’t have any). It can be black or brown. The hind legs have a large femur for a rapid and powerful jump.
Interaction with plants: A native plant it feeds on is chicory. It also controls invasive plants by eating them.
2


Carolina Grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina)
Nymph
Fun Facts
You’re most likely to see the Carolina Grasshopper when it’s flying because when it’s sitting it’s camouflaged. When in flight it looks like a strange butterfly because of it’s large brownish-black and yellowish-white wings. However, you probably won’t get a good look at them because they are so fast!
1
Mayim F.


Carolina Grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Insects are used in medicine
● Insects take up less space for farming
● Insects lower animal suffering, because they
like dark crowded places
● Provide silk and honey
Challenges
● Most people think Insects in food is gross
● Insects in food makes it non vegetarian/vegan
● Insects transmit diseases
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat:
The Carolina Grasshopper’s habitat is naturally open fields and meadows.
Food:
Nymphs feed on a limited amount of what the adult eats. The adult Carolina Grasshopper eats leaves, stems, petals, and seeds of the plants in its habitat.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics:
Body: When sitting the adult is 33-58 mm long and can be yellow, orange or sandy grey; the wingspan can be 75-110 mm wide; when the wings are open notice the whitish-yellow bands across the edge of the black wing. Head: the head is usually the same color as the body, with downward-facing mouthparts and eyes the same color as the rest of the body. Thorax: look for the pronotum, a plate-like structure that covers the thorax. Abdomen: look for the abdomen to have a striped pattern of black mixed with the body-color.
Interaction with plants:
Carolina Grasshoppers eat many kinds of plants, but one example would be little bluestem. They use this plant for mostly shelter, food, and they will lay their eggs in soil around the roots.
2


Black Carpenter Ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus)
Larva
Fun Facts
There are a lot of people who raise these ants as pets.
Muraya O.
1


Black Carpenter Ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● The Lac Bug is used for coating things
● Insects provide silk and honey
● Some insects are used for a natural red
coating
● Bugs are used for medication
Challenges
● Insects transmit diseases (Fleas=black death)
● Some insects are gross because they spit fluids
● Insects in food is non-vegan
Key Facts about the Adult Stage Habitat: Black Carpenter Ants live in forests in fallen trees.
Food: Adults eat honeydew from aphids, they also feed other insects to their larvae which then spit up liquid for the adults.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: The body is 6 to 18 mm long and black and brown. It has some hair on its big, oval abdomen and it has six legs. It has two black antennae and it has strong jaws to chew wood.
Interaction with plants: The Black Carpenter Ant builds nests from cedarwood. Fun Fact: There are a lot of people who raise these ants as pets.
2


Golden Northern Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus)
Larva
Fun Facts
Male bumblebees don't have a stinger. The females do have stingers but they don't die when they sting, unlike honeybees.
1
Sofie A.


Golden Northern Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Cochineal bug - a natural red dye.
● Lac bug - used to make shellac that covers
candy, pills furniture, water proofing.
● Bugs can be used as medicine.
● Bugs can be used to determine the the time of
death
● Insects contain a lot of nutrients, protein, low
fat, and vitamins.
Challenges
● Bugs in our food is gross.
● Bugs can pose as a health risk because of
pesticides.
● Insects can spread diseases.
● Fleas carried the bubonic plague/black death.
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat: Golden Northern Bumble Bees live in their nests which are usually in grasslands, fields, or
meadows.
Food: The adults drink flower nectar. The larvae eat pollen stored for them by the adults.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: They have a black band on the thorax, and the abdomen is all yellow except a black tip at the end. The head is all black and the wings are dark colored but clear. Body lengths - queen: 19-21 mm, male: 11-20 mm, worker: 10.5-11 mm.
Interaction with plants:
They pollinate thistle, common milkweed, and New England aster.
2


Metallic Green Sweat Bee (Agapostemon splendens)
Fun Fact:
The Agapostemon splendens are attracted to human sweat because they use the salt for nutrition.
1
Silas W.
Larva


Metallic Green Sweat Bee (Agapostemon splendens) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Provides silk/honey.
● Bugs are in medicine.
● Bugs can be used to determine time of death.
● Insects have a lot of protein.
● Insects do not cause climate change.
Challenges
● Insects transmit diseases.
● Insects in food make it not vegan.
● Insects are gross because they have a lot of
legs.
KEY FACTS of the ADULT STAGE Habitat: Fields, shrublands and meadows
Food: Adults eat nectar from goldenrod and other plants. The larva eats pollen.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: The male bee has a green thorax and brown striped abdomen. The female has a green body. Both have clear wings, large green eyes with grey dots, short yellow hairs on the thorax, yellow hairs on the four front legs and two long legs in the back.
Interaction with plants: Agapostemon splendens interacts with plants by feeding and pollinating on flowers like goldenrod and burdock.


Flower Fly (Syrphus ribesii)
Larva
Fun Facts
They look like bees but they don’t sting, so you don’t need to be afraid. Flower flies are good for gardens because they eat aphids and other unwelcome insects.
1
Mauricio P.


Flower Fly (Syrphus ribesii) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Bugs can be used to make medicine like pain relievers.
● Bugs have a lot of nutrition.
● Insects eat human waste.
● They are pollinators.
● They help grow flowers.
Challenges
● They can have pesticides.
● Insects can spread diseases.
● Some people bealive that bugs are not for
food.
Key Facts about the Adult Stage Habitat: Flower Flies’ habitat is grassland and meadows have a lot of flower.
Food: Adults like to eat nectar from flowers like goldenrod, burdock, and asters. The larvae eat pollen brought to them by the adults and then when they get bigger they eat insects like aphids.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: exoskeleton; black and yellow, eye; black eyes made to see the environment, legs; used to clean the wings and used to walk, color of the legs is yellow, abdomen; yellow and black patterns in the abdomen, wings; transparent color and used to hover over flowers.
Interaction with plants: Adults take the nectar from burdock and lay their eggs in the ground protected by leaves and stems of plants.
2


Black Fly (Simulium venustum)
Larva
Fun Facts
This insect will fly up to 10 miles for blood. When the female bites you it chews your skin.
1
Isaac M.


Black Fly (Simulium venustum) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Bugs can be used in medicine
● Insects eat waste
● Raising insects is less work than raising cows
for food
Challenges
● They can carry pesticides
● Bugs in our food are disgusting
● Bugs can carry diseases
Key Facts about the Adult Stage Habitat: The habitat of the Black Fly is clean water like in rivers and ponds.
Food: Black Fly larvae are filter feeders and they eat nutrients from the water. Only the adult female likes to eat human blood and animal blood.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: Their head is dark brown and round. On its thorax, it has like a backpack, and it has a segmented abdomen. The body is less than a centimeter long and looks black with clear wings.
Interaction with plants: You will find the black fly near cattails. They can be pollinators because the males eat nectar.
2


Common Green Bottle Fly (Lucilia sericata)
Martelo C.
Fun Facts
They throw up juices that dissolve nutrients for them to eat.
1
Larva


Common Green Bottle Fly (Lucilia sericata) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● You can eat them.
● They have protein.
● They help determine the time of death.
● They decompose things.
Challenges
● I think it’s nasty that they eat rotting animals.
● They eat and or live in poop and I think it’s
nasty.
● They can spread diseases.
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat: The habitat for the Common Green Bottle Fly is grasslands that have flowers like Black-eyed
Susans.
Food: Male adults eat nectar and females suck up the juices from meat but both genders as larvae eat dead flesh.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: Look for the adult fly by identifying its metallic green body. Note that it has red eyes and a pair of clear wings as large as its body.
Interaction with plants: While eating nectar, adults take pollen from the black-eyed Susan flower and move it to another plant.
2


Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus)
Larva
Fun Facts
The wasp’s mother stings the prey to paralyze it and puts it in a hole in the soil so when the egg hatches it immediately eats this paralyzed prey. Imagine being eaten alive paralyzed!
1
Abdalah A.


Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Insects have a lot of nutrients, vitamins, proteins, and low fat.
● Insects eat waste.
● Raising insects requires less water and food
● Bugs don’t produce greenhouse gases
Challenges
● Insects have diseases
● Bugs come with pesticides
● Fleas started the Bubonic Plague
● Insects are disgusting in our food
Key Facts about the Adult Stage Habitat: Golden Digger Wasps live in fields and shrub lands and clay, sandy soil.
Food: The larvae eat insects including long-horned grasshopper species, katydids, and crickets. Nectar from flowers similar to hydrangea is what they eat as adults.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: The tip of the abdomen is black and the rest of the abdomen is orangish-red. Golden hairs cover the black thorax. Notice the gold hairs on the orange legs. The compound eye is black with a blue shine. The wing makes buzzing sounds because of the way it flies. The wings are brownish-gold and almost big enough to cover the entire body.
Interaction with plants:
It sucks nectar from flowers like hydrangea and sedum. While feeding it pollinates the flower.
2


Great Black Wasp (Sphex pensylvanicus)
Fun Facts
The adult female has her babies and after digs a hole in the ground and brings the larva down there and paralyzes a grasshopper for the larva to feed on.
Justin R.
1
Sphex Larva


Great Black Wasp (Sphex pensylvanicus)
Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Cochineal bug-provides natural red dye
● Lac Bug used to make shellac they use to cover
candy and medication
● Bugs can be used for medicine
● They are high in protein
Challenges
● It’s nasty that we are eating bugs
● Insects spread diseases such as Yellow Fever,
Zika and the Bubonic Plague
● Insects eat and destroy our agricultural crops
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat: Great Black Wasps are found all across North America, but especially in meadows and fields near
woodlands.
Food: The larvae eat the living insects that the mother paralyzes. The adult eats the nectar from milkweed and other flowering plants.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: I would describe a Sphex pensylvanicus as having an oval head with large eyes and a wide body. The middle half of the body has a blue tint on it’s back and lower area. You would think that since it’s a wasp it would be different colors but not this one. It is black. The wings are transparent gold and dark brown. From the thorax to the abdomen, there is a thin section that looks like an hourglass. There are spikes on the legs. The body size is 20-35 mm long.
Interaction with plants: They drink nectar from milkweed and hydrangea and help to pollinate these plants.
2


Eastern Yellow Jacket (Vespula maculifrons)
Vespula Larval Stages
Fun Facts
Many insects can mimic the Eastern Yellow Jacket in order to get protection.
1
Neema B.


Eastern Yellow Jacket (Vespula maculifrons)
Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Insects used as coating for pills and candy.
● Provide silk and honey.
● Provides natural food coloring.
Challenges
● The insect makes food non-vegan.
● Insects transmit disease.
● The insect has some anti-nutrients that could
make eating the insects unhealthy.
Key Facts about the Adult Stage Habitat: Eastern Yellow Jacket habitat is woodlands.
Food: Adults eat other insects, fallen fruit from trees, and nectar. Larvae eat other insects that have been pre-chewed.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: Body: 1.25 cm long with abdominal markings that consist of thick black bands with a sliver of yellow.
Interaction with plants: Woody plant material from goldenrod and apple trees that they chew to make their nest. They’re also eating nectar from these plants.
2


Soldier Beetle (Chantaris rufa)
Larva
Fun Facts
Soldier beetles are nicknamed leather wings because of their soft, clothlike wing covers, which when brightly colored look like uniforms.
1
Chris N.


Soldier Beetle (Chantaris rufa) Interactions between Insects and Humans
Benefits
● Insects provide silk and honey
● Insects do not cause climate change
● Bugs are used in medicine
Challenges
● Insects in food is gross
● Insects transmit deseases
● Insects in food make them non-vegetarian
Key Facts about the Adult Stage
Habitat: You can find Soldier Beetles in well-vegetated places like flower meadows and fields.
Food: Adults feed on aphids and other soft-bodied insects, but mainly on flower nectar and pollen. Soldier beetle larvae eat eggs and larva of other invertebrates.
How to identify the bug/physical characteristics: Head: is a reddish-brown triangle shape with black compound eyes Body: 1.5 cm long, mostly brownish with soft red elytra (protection for wings)
Interaction with plants: These beetles eat the nectar of goldenrod, marigold, and globe thistle. At the same time, they help pollinate the plant.
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.


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