Entomology

Interesting Facts about the Fire Ant 

No matter where you live in the world chances are you have come across ants in your yard or home at one time or another. You would think ants are just ants and are no more than an annoyance. A little spray will take care of the problem. Maybe not so with the Fire Ant. Believe it or not they are one of the most destructive insects on the planet. There are four species of ants in the US but the red Fire Ant is the most common species and is domineering over the other species by interbreeding.

They are located primarily throughout the southern and southeastern United States but they have spread as far north as Maryland and as far west as California. Why are they more than just a pesky pest?

• When they bite a human there is a painful sting.
• They cause substantial crop and livestock losses.
• They are estimated to cost us over $750 million in damages a year.
• They are much more aggressive than a typical ant.

If a person happens to step on a mound in their yard the Fire Ant will viciously attack the target and to some humans the bites instead of just stinging can become infected and even leave scars.

Here is a little trick if you are up to it to distinguish if you are dealing with Fire Ants or some other type. If you find a mound out in the yard or elsewhere, take a stick and put it down the center of the mound then back away. If the ants scatter they are not fire ants because they are trying to protect the queen. But if they climb up the stick it is time to run like hell!

Ofcourse i dont reccomend disturbing an ants nest in any way - they are best left alone!

Is Butterfly Migration Common?

Most of us who have taken the time to “smell the roses” and appreciate nature have been fascinated by the beauty, frailty and mystery of the butterfly. The butterfly has inspired poets and artists and the curiosity of little children.

But what happens to these beautiful creatures during the harsh winter months in many of our northern states? How do they survive or where do they go? Many of the species exist by hiding in their own environment without leaving, while others migrate just as birds do and head south for the winter. Probably the most studied and recognized specie is the Monarch butterfly. It has been known to migrate over a thousand miles during its short life time.

As the weather becomes warmer butterflies from Mexico and the warm southern United States fly north to repopulate their original regions. In the winter months the Monarchs along with a variety of other species the reverse migration heading south is more obvious as sometimes you can see thousands of them at a time. Unfortunately, when this happens many of them end up on the windshield of your car.

Monarchs are the most well-known and probably the most studied butterfly but even today our knowledge is very limited. We do know that the Monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains tend to end up in California while those from the other side of the mountains end up in the mountains of Central Mexico and Florida or the Caribbean.

So to answer our original question do butterflies migrate? Yes, they do, depending on the species.

Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite!

How many of us grew up hearing the saying, “night, night don’t let the bed bugs bit?” Maybe I am showing my age but it seems today we do have a bed bug epidemic and it seems impossible to eradicate those little suckers especially if you don’t realize they are there.

So where do they come from? Everywhere and anywhere and they are located in every country in the world except Antarctica. Here is a brief history or the little critters.

The first fossil was found in Egypt and was estimated to be 3,550 years old. The earliest bed bugs are believed to have evolved from bat bugs living in caves over in the Mediterranean. As man began living in caves bed bugs discovered a new buffet and became the blood sucking little pests they are today.

By 600 AD they had reached China and England by the 1500’s. Eventually they recently arrived in the United States brought over by travelers from these other areas. In the early days bed bugs were just tolerated as a nuisance along with fleas and lice as an everyday part of life. However, with the introduction of insecticides the bed bug population was almost completely eradicated in most first and second world countries. They still remain an everyday pest in many third world countries like Africa and Asia.

So a tip when traveling abroad and staying in inns, hostels or hotels check your sheets and if you wake up scratching the next morning at least you will know why. “Night, night don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

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Dangerous Insects to Avoid

Did you know there are over a million species of insects that live in this world with many of them benefiting the ecosystem while some others pose a threat to both humans and animals? Some of them you may know but others you many not. Often bugs are overlooked as simply annoying but are they? Here are a few to keep your eye on:

• Black widow Spider – Out of the 30,000 different types of spiders she is probably the most well-known and feared. The females are the ones that are poisonous and to be avoided. They often are black in color with an orange hourglass on the abdomen.
• Scorpions – There are over 2,000 species of scorpion in the world with about 40 of them in the North America. Although they have pincers in the front it is the tail that does the damage and will insert venom into the prey. A person would have to be stung numerous times to die but the venom can make one terribly sick.
• Bees and Wasps – Bees can sting an individual once and cause serious damage to people allergic to their venom. Wasps, however, can sting a person several times which can really create severe pain and discomfort.
• Human Bot Fly – This is a parasite whose eggs are carried by mosquitoes. When the mosquitoes suck your blood they drop the eggs of the bot fly on your skin. Your warm skin will then incubate them until they hatch eight weeks later. They then can live anywhere in your body including your brain where they will cause the most damage.
• Mosquitoes - This should be no surprise as it is well known mosquitoes are agents for carrying the world’s deadliest diseases including malaria, West Nile Virus, Encephalitis, yellow fever and most recently the Zika Virus which affects pregnant women.

Who Thinks of Insects As Heavy?

When one thinks of insects we think large or small, creepy or crawly but rarely, if ever do we think, “I wonder how much that bug weighs”? Well, let’s take a look at a couple.

One bug that certainly tops the list would be the giant Weta found in New Zealand and large enough to dine on carrots. This cricket character can weigh over 2.5 ounces (71 grams) and is over one-half foot long. The female crickets are larger than the male which is about half the size. They are only found in protected areas of New Zealand such as Little Barrier Island.

Pretty much the other heaviest insects are all beetles. The 9-inch Titan beetle from the rain forests of the Amazon, is the largest and heaviest of the beetles. The beetle larvae develop in decaying wood.

Coming in second in weight class would be the Elephant beetles. They range in size between 2.74 inches and 4.75 inches with the male being the heavier of the two. They are located in Mexico, South America and Australia. As the rain forests are in decline so too is the habitat for these giant beetles.

The final two heavy beetles are the adult male Goliath Beetles. They are unusual in that they are soil dwelling unlike many other beetle larvae that use decaying plant life where they begin development. The larvae itself can reach up to 5 inches and weigh up to 100 grams. Goliath beetles are a winged beetle that actually have two sets of wings. One set acts as protection for the underset actually used in flying.

So is insect weight important? Who knows but it sure is interesting.

List of Largest Insects - click here

Large and Heavy Insects Framed - click here

Tiny Insects Do Matter

Sometimes it is the little things that matter most. For instance, insects may be tiny but they rule the world. They can be found in the air, beneath the ground, on your pet and even in your food (Ugh!). There are more than 1.6 billion insects for every man woman and child on earth. They can be found in Antarctica and in the Arctic.

Insects preceded humans by about 400 million years and have survived massive extinction since then yet over 56% of all known species on earth today are insects. Some are so small, however, they are all but invisible. Here are some interesting facts:

• The smallest insect is the fairy wasp only .2 mm long. She flies underwater to lay her eggs
• The smallest cockroach is only 3 mm long and lives in ant’s nests
• The fastest flying insect is the parasitic wasp which measures just over a tenth of a millimeter. The male wasp is blind and wingless but the females can fly.
• The smallest ant in the world is the Thief Ant measuring an incredible 1/32 of an inch
• Even though termites can be considered one of the smaller insect their total biomass per unit area is actually double that of the largest herds of African hoofed grazing animals

One final fact: Fleas can jump 200 times their body length. This would equate to a human being clearing a 70-story building. Now we can see why tiny insects rule the world.

There Is A Reason They Are Called Black Widows

Perhaps the most venomous species of animal in the world is the North American Black Widow spider. Only the female carries the lethal bite and should be avoided at all costs. A single bite has the potential of being fatal. Thus, the reference to the woman being a “Black Widow” in thriller movies.

What to look for? Black widow spiders are typically dark brown or black with an orange hourglass on her abdomen although they also can have no markings at all. Unfortunately, not very helpful in determining who is and who isn’t. The advice would be to avoid all similar spiders if possible even though males cause no real potential harm to humans.

Her lethal blend of neurotoxins can kill smaller prey almost instantly and on humans can be fatal within hours. There will be an increase in blood pressure and breathing as the venom plays havoc with the victim’s nervous system. The venom is so strong it breaks down the skin, muscles and bone into liquid form so the spider can digest the target.

The question asked is if she is so lethal why are there not more deaths reported in the United States? Apparently she is afraid of humans and like many other dangerous animals, she tries to flee when provoked rather than attack which she does as a last resort. And in most cases it is reported she only injects a small amount of venom into her human victim before trying to escape. This is why the fatality rate from Black Widow bites only consist of about 1 per cent fatalities in the US.

More about the black widow here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrodectus_mactans

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What is Metamorphosis?

If you have been living for any amount of time the chances are you have heard the term “Metamorphosis” mentioned in one way or another. A simple definition is that the term means a major change in the appearance of something or someone. But the biological definition is usually applicable to insects or animals. And that is that there is a major change in form and structure as the animal changes from a juvenile to an adult.

Perhaps the best know example is when the creepy, crawly caterpillar turns into the beautiful butterfly. There is no question about the drastic change in form and structure when this happens. Or what about the little tadpole that becomes a frog?

For the butterfly metamorphosis has four stages.

• The first stage - The egg stage. The egg develops into a caterpillar which becomes a sluggish eating machine
• Second Stage – It continues growing and shedding its skin four or five times
• Third Stage – Once the caterpillar reaches full growth he forms a Chrysalis (called a cocoon in moths)
• Fourth stage – Once the last stage is complete out flies a beautiful butterfly

Of course this is an example of Metamorphosis in its most simple form but it is still a good example of how it works and what it means. So the next time you see that caterpillar in your garden or that colorful butterfly darting from flower to flower don’t forget that they are related and there would not be one without the other.

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Evolution of Insects There are certain things we all take for granted. Probably on the bottom of the list for most of us is where did insects come from? But if you are a curious bug person the evolution of insects will be of interest to you. Because evolution for everything began millions of years ago the same goes for insects. It is estimated that the class of insects originated about 480 million years ago. The truth is none of us was around then to confirm this. For those of you who do not know the definition of insect, in simple terms, it is that they are an invertebrate with an outside shell or exoskeleton (like cockroaches, flies, praying mantids, beetles etc), three-part body, three pair of jointed legs, compound eyes and antennae. There are over one million species and they tend to exist in every type of environment including the ocean. There have been changes every 200 to 300 million years and insects were the first class to develop wings around 400 million years ago. As global climate has changed several times during history so has the diversity of insects. Many early groups of insects became extinct roughly 250 million years ago to the current insect orders. A family tree that dates back over 400 million years ago was accomplished by a group of ambitious scientists. The timeline established during their research indicates that insects probably started colonizing the planet about the same time as plants. So the next time you slap that bug or crush it with your foot remember you are stepping on over 400 million years of evolution. Learn more about insects and read our blog - www.bugsdirect.com

How To Start An Insect Collection

Are you interested in starting your own butterfly or insect collection? Pinning butterflies and other insects is a great hobby no matter your age.

Whether you are simply wanting a few unique pieces of art to add to your home or you want to create a large collection of the diverse insect habitat in your area, getting started is not extremely difficult.

There are a few things that you need to keep in mind before you begin. If you are going to start pinning or collecting insects, here is a basic overview of how the process works:

Capturing Insects

Before you can start pinning, you will need to capture the insects that you want to pin or preserve. There are a variety of ways to capture insects and the methods will depend on the type of bug you are trying to find. Butterflies, for example, can be captured with a nylon net. Other bugs may need to be attracted by using a light box. Beetles and other ground insects are typically captured by setting up small pitfall traps.

Using A Killing Jar

Once you have captured an insect, it will have to be killed before it can be preserved. The most effective way to do this is with a killing jar. To create a killing jar, take a jar that has a lid and place small strips of paper or pieces of cotton inside. You can also add Plaster of Paris to the bottom of the jar and allow it to dry for 2 days.

Once you have your absorbent material in the bottom of the jar, add approximately one tablespoon full of nail polish remover (ethyl acetate) over the paper, plaster, or cotton. Immediately close the jar so none of the fumes can escape.

Your jar is now ready to be used as a killing jar. Gently place the insect inside the jar and the fumes from the ethyl acetate will kill the insects without causing damage to them. For butterflies, you may need to pinch their thorax for 20 seconds to stun them so they do not damage their wings inside the jar.

Pinning and Preservation

Once the insect his been killed it will be time for pinning. Pinning insects require special pins that are considerably longer than ordinary pins and typically much thinner. Depending on the type of insect you are pinning, the placement of the pin will differ. Some insects, such as wasps, will need the pin inserted to the right of center. Butterflies and moths can be pinned directly in the center of the thorax.

When pinning butterflies, getting the wing spread correctly is also important. The best way to do this is by using a spreading board. A spread board allows you to pin the butterfly onto cork that is surrounded by tilted wood on either side. The wings can be placed flat on the wood and held in place by pinned paper. Allowing butterflies to dry on a spreading board will stiffen their wings in the proper way so they are displayed correctly.

How To Start Pinning Butterflies and Insects

If you plan on starting any type of insect collection, pinning your bugs is the most effective way of preservation for most types of insects with exoskeletons. At first glance you may think that pinning insects is as simple as taking your dried insect, poking it to a board and being finished. While that basic principle may be true, the exact details to ensure your displays look beautiful and natural are much more advanced. Here’s a basic overview of pinning butterflies and other insects:

Using The Right Pins

When you are pinning butterflies or any other type of insect, you need to use the proper pins. Insect preservation pins are different than a standard pin because they are much longer and thinner. By being thinner it ensures the pin is not visible so it does not detract from the overall appearance of your collection. Long pins also allow you to add depth to your displays and even hold insect labels if you choose.

Different Types Of Pinning Techniques

Depending on the type of insect that you will be pinning, the actual way that you pin them to your board will differ. No matter which type of order you are pinning, you want to make sure that the insect being pinned is perfectly perpendicular to the pin itself so it is parallel on the display.

The proper pinning technique for beetles is to pass the pin directly through the outer right wing, through the thorax. For flies and wasps, the pin should go between the bases of each forewing. Other insects, such as butterflies need special requirements to ensure the wings will appear correctly but the pin eventually is placed directly in the center of the thorax.

For extremely delicate insects or ones that are very small, you may not pass the pin through the body at all. Instead, the insect may be glued onto the tip of the pin or to a small card with identification data.

Spreading Board Use For Pinning Butterflies

If you are pinning butterflies, moths, or other insects you must take extra care to ensure the wings are displayed properly. To do this, a process that uses a spreading board is necessary. With a spreading board, you will be able to position the wings of the butterfly into their desired position and hold them against include wood.

This allows the wings to dry spread out so they stiff in a natural and appealing way. If you do not use a spreading board to pin your butterflies, their wings may droop or eventually become damaged and ruin your specimen.

How To Display Framed Butterflies and Moths At Home

There’s no better way to get close to nature while adding unique charm to your home than with a framed butterfly or moth display. With so many varieties of butterflies, unique displays, and multiple frame sizes you can find framed butterflies and moths to accent any room. Here are a few things you should keep in mind if you plan on purchasing framed butterfly displays in your space:

Why Display Framed Butterflies?

If you are looking for unique home décor, framed butterflies are the perfect option. Because there are so many types of butterflies and moths in the world, you will be able to find a display that perfectly suits your space. Whether you are looking for something bold such as a banded blue morpho or you want to find artistically crafted displays that add a unique sense of style, you will be able to find something suitable.

Not only do framed butterflies make visually impactful home décor, they allow you to get closer to nature by bringing it inside your home. Framed butterflies and moths are also excellent conversation starters for guests and make perfect gifts.

Best Places To Display Your Butterflies And Moths

There are a lot of options when displaying your framed butterflies and moths. Ultimately they should be treated like you would art, placing them in areas that you want to create visual appeal and used to tie a room together. For small displays, consider hanging them in a pattern along the wall.

If you want to truly create a unique accent piece, you may want to hang a large butterfly display. Instead of a single butterfly or small collection, there are many framing options that have huge collections of butterflies and moths that are perfect for large walls.

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