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European Hornet, Morpho Butterfly, Leafcutter Bee, Tsetse Fly, Dor Beetle, Large White Butterfly, Leafhopper, Purple Emperor, Great Green Bush Cricket, Apollo Butterfly
Citation preview
EUROPEAN HORNET
CLASS Insecta
ORDER Hymenoptera
"'" CARD 41
Vespidae Vespa crabro
The hornet is the largest European social wasp. Each spring a queen builds a nest and lays the first eggs. She tends the larvae
until workers hatch to share her parental duties.
CHARACTERISTICS Length: Female, 1-1 ~ in. Workers
and males smaller.
Coloration: Brown thorax. Yellow
facial marks and abdominal bands.
BREEDING
Breeding season: May to October.
No. of eggs: 4-400, depending on
time of year.
Hatching time: 5 days.
Egg to flying insect: 4 weeks.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Sociable and predatory. In
spring the queen starts colony,
which increases through the year.
Diet: Adult eats tree sap, nectar,
and fruit. Larva is fed insects.
lifespan: Workers and males die be
fore winter. Females hibernate and
start colonies the next year.
RELATED SPECIES
The hornet is a member of the wasp
family Vespidae, which includes
yellow jackets.
Original range of the European hornet.
DISTRIBUTION
Found in Europe, the U.S.S.R., and as far east as western Mon
golia. Introduced in North America and elsewhere.
CONSERVATION
Extermination and habitat loss caused populations to decline
earlier in this century. Numbers are rising with better manage-
I ment of old woodland and more awareness of the hornet's
~ds. It is protected in Finland and Sweden.
FEATURES OF THE EUROPEAN HORNET
Wings: 2 sets. At rest, they are folded lengthwise, with forewings concealing hind wings. Both sets of wings are connected, which makes flight smooth. The female can move flight muscles without moving wings. This creates body heat that can be used to warm the nest.
© MCMXCII IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A.
EUROPEAN HORNET YelLOW
JACKET
The European hornet is 1 ~ times the size of a yellow jacket, and its markings tend to be brown rather than black.
Eyes: Indentation in front edge of compound eye gives it
kidney shape characteristic of the family Vespidae.
Mandibles: Used to chew insects into semiliquid food for larvae. Also used to make wood into pulp mixed with saliva -the material for building nests.
0160200511 PACKET 51
The European hornet needs a habitat of old woodland
that contains both healthy and dead or dying trees.
The queen usually makes her nest in a hollow tree, but
she sometimes uses a rock crevice or an abandoned
mouse nest instead. Throughout the summer the nest
becomes larger to accommodate hundreds of chambers,
or cells. Each chamber holds a single larva or egg.
~ lIFECYClE The European hornet lives in a society dominated by a single female, or queen. In April the queen chooses a nest site in an enclosed space, usually in a hollow tree. She creates wood pulp by mixing rotten wood and tree bark with her saliva. Then she fixes a layer of this pulp to the ceiling of the space and forms a stem from which the nest will hang. A long chamber, or cell, is attached to the stem, and other cells are added to its sides. The first eggs are glued to the cell walls, with one egg in each cell.
A larva hatches from each egg, anchored in its cell by a strand of mucus. It molts three times before becoming a pupa.
After a month, the first workers emerge. The queen remains in the nest from that point on, while the workers find food for themselves and the others in the nest. By summer, the workers have enlarged the nest to house up to 400 larvae and eggs.
Toward the end of the season, the workers produce larger cells, where young queens and males are reared. Whenever a young queen leaves the nest, she is seized by a male and mates.
As the weather gets colder, both workers and larvae die. Only queens survive the winter. They remain dormant until the warm weather returns, and the cycle starts again.
~ DEFENSES A hornet seldom stings any animal unless its nest is disturbed. Although many people fear hornets, there have been only 70 human deaths from hornet stings over the past 40 years. The sting is usually dangerous only to people who are allergic to the venom or who are stung on the tongue or a major blood vessel.
Left: The hornet eats liquid food only, but it kills other insects to feed its larvae.
DID YOU KNOW? • The first worker hornets are smaller than those that develop later, because they are fed and reared by the queen without help. • A hornet that lacks a good nest site may use a birdhouse. In Germany and Great Britain special hornet nest boxes are now put up.
Hornet venom affects the heart and blood vessels of mammals. It reduces blood pressure and prevents blood from clotting. As a result, the poison spreads rapidly.
Medical researchers have recently become interested in the venom and are trying to find out if it can be used to lower adrenaline levels.
Right: The queen scrapes wood audibly when making pulp for her nest.
• A hornet nest can be 10 to 25° F hotter than the air outside. To warm the nest, hornets place their heads in the cell entrances increasing the temperature with their body heat. If the nest gets too hot, they fan their wings at the entrance to create a flow of cool air.
[ "& NATUREWATCH The best time to see the European hornet is from July to September. The queen usually finds a nest site by May, but it takes a while before the addition of the hatched workers makes the nest site obvious.
L You may find a nest in a hol-
~ FOOD &: FEEDING The adult hornet eats only liq-uid food, especially nectar and tree sap. But it is also a predator, hunting insects like flies and caterpillars to feed its larvae.
The hornet has excellent eyesight. It flies over an area of vegetation until it spots a suitable insect such as a fly. It pounces on its victim, carries it off, and often removes its head, legs, and wings, which have little food value. It then chews the abdomen and thorax (middle body part) to a pulp that can be eaten by the hornet larvae. The hornet hunts all through
Left: The nest has few cells at the start of the breeding season, but it graws steadily.
low tree in mature woods. But the hornets are likely to attack if you disturb their nest or stand in their flight path. If you find a hornet nest under your roof, ask a local wildlife society to
remove the nest and find an- I other place for it.
the night, preying on slowermoving moths as well as on quick-moving insects that are active during the day.
When the worker returns to the nest with food, hungry larvae attract its attention by making rasping noises on their cells. A larva stops calling for food when its hunger is satisfied, and other larvae can then be fed. In return for being fed, the larvae produce droplets of a carbohydrate-rich sweet liquid that the adult hornet sucks up. The hornet also obtains energy from the sap of trees, such as ash and maple, and from a variety of flowers that are sources of nectar.
'" CARD 42 MORPHO BUTTERFLY "~ _________________________ G_RO __ U_P_5:_I_N_S_EC_T_S_& __ SP_I_D_ER_S __ ~
CLASS Insecta
ORDER Lepidoptera
FAMILY Nymphalidae
GENUS Morpho
Morpho butterflies are among the largest butterflies in the world. Their iridescent wings create flashes of bright color as they flit
through the trees of their rainforest habitat.
KEY FACTS
SIZE Wingspan: 2-8 in.
BREEDING Breeding season: Throughout the year. Eggs: Laid singly. Dome-shaped, sometimes striped. Egg to adult butterfly: 3-4 months.
LIFESTYLE Habit: Males fly among treetops. Females stay closer to the floor of the forest. Diet: Adults feed on rotting fruit and sap. Larvae feed on plant matter.
RELATED SPECIES The subfamily Morphinae includes three genera: Antirrhea, (aerois,
and Morpho. All are found in Central and South America, but the Amazon basin holds the greatest number of species.
Range of morpho butterflies.
DISTRIBUTION Morpho butterflies are found mainly in rainforest areas throughout Central and South America.
CONSERVATION Morpho butterflies are greatly threatened by the loss of their habitat. They can be saved only through conservation of the rainforest. There is some regulation of the commercial collecting of butterflies. '
FEATURES OF MORPHO BUTTERFLIES
The males of nearly all the species have brightly colored upper wings with a metallic sheen. The colors are produced by pigments and by the scattering of sunlight by tiny ridges on the scales.
MORPHO HECUBA
Found in the Amazon basin . With a wingspan of up to 8 inches, it is the largest morpho butterfly. Unlike most other morphids, the male has yellowish brown wings.
Morpho cypris: Found in Colombia. The male is a brilliant blue, and the female is yellowish brown.
Scales: Wings are covered 'with thousands of tiny, overlapping scales. There are more than 32,000 scales per square inch of wing surface.
© MCMXCI! IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILET ... PRINTED IN U.S.A. 0160200531 PACKET 53
Female morpho butterflies are very dull in comparison
to the male butterflies, whose brilliantly colored wings
range from silvery white to vibrant blue. The wings'
shimmering iridescence is produced when rays of
"white" sunlight fall on the tiny, prismlike wing
scales. These rays of sunlight are split into
colored light in a process called refraction.
~ HABITAT Morpho butterflies are found
mainly in the tropical forests of
South and Central America, at
elevations below 6,000 feet.
They are most abundant in the
Amazon basin, but among the
50 morpho species there are
exceptions. Some species oc
cur in the high Andes Moun
tains, while others live on the
lower western slopes or in arid
parts of Mexico.
The males and females are
active at different times of the
day and live in different parts of
the forest. Females stay in the
undergrowth in denser parts of
the forest. Males usually fly at a
higher level among the tree
tops, descending only to drink
from rivers. Because of these
different habits and the male's
brighter coloring, male mor
pho butterflies are seen more
often than females.
Right: The plump, hairy larvae of morpho butterflies feed voraciously on forest plants.
~ DEFENSES The undersides of a morpho
butterfly's wings are usually
dull brown, often with patterns
that look like dead leaves. A
feeding butterfly holds its wings
upright and blends into its su r
roundings. But when a male
flies off, he reveals the brightly
colored upper sides of his wings.
This contrast may be a defense
-the flash of color surprises
the predator, allowing the but
terfly to escape.
Morpho species have differ
ent flight patterns. With a wing
span of nearly eight inches and
left: Usually bright blue, the upper sides of the male's wings may also be brown, red, or yellow.
DID YOU KNOW? • Male morpho butterflies are prized by collectors. Some vil
lage populations once sup
ported themselves by hunting
and selling these butterflies.
• The larvae of one morpho species are attacked by tachi
nid flies. The flies lay eggs on
leaves that are eaten by the
morpho larvae. The fly larvae
a small body, the largest mor
pho species glides on air cur
rents. Species with smaller
wings and larger bodies fly by
beating their wings up and
down. All species can change
instantly from a slow, steady
flight to wild, swooping move
ments, allowing a quick, unex
pected means of escape. The larvae of some species se
crete a fluid and comb it through
the hairs on the body. The exact
function of this fluid is unknown,
but it may make the larvae taste
bad to predators.
Right: The pattern and color of the undersides of the morpho's wings blend in with the forest's leaves.
hatch inside a morpho larva
and feed on its tissues. When
ready to pupate, the fly larvae
bore through the body wall
of the morpho larva.
• Male morpho butterflies often chase each other, so col
lectors take advantage of this
behavior by waving bright
blue scarves to lure specimens.
~ FOOD & FEEDING Unlike other butterflies, morpho
butterflies do not feed on flower
nectar. Instead they suck the
juice from overripe or rotting
fruit. They also eat the sap from
damaged trees and vines. Most
species are solitary feeders, but
clouds of butterflies are some
times seen feeding together.
The butterflies drink from riv-
~ lIFECYClE Most female morpho butterflies
lay their dome-shaped eggs one
at a time. An emerging larva, or
caterpillar, is usually bright red
and yellow with a triangular
head covered with stiff hairs.
On the last segment of the
body is a two-pronged tail.
As a caterpillar grows, it
sheds its skin regularly. The
new skin stays soft for a few
hours to allow the caterpillar to
expand. Some morpho cater
pillars molt up to seven times.
ers and streams in the forests.
Morpho larvae feed on a vari
ety of plant material, depending
on location. Mimosa is popular
with a number of species. Some
of the food plants are toxic to
humans, but they do not seem
to harm the larvae or make
them unpalatable to birds that
prey on them.
In its final stage the caterpillar
spins silk to make a tough outer
covering. It enters the pupal, or
chrysalis, stage and hangs from
a branch by a silk thread.
Within the chrysalis the cater
pillar's tissues are broken down
and reassembled into the tis
sues of an adult butterfly. The
pupal case finally splits open,
and the butterfly emerges. It
hangs from the empty shell to
let its wings dry and expand.
Then it flies off to seek a mate.
LEAFCUTTER BEE
CLASS Insecta
ORDER Hymenoptera
FAMILY Megachilidae
The female leaf cutter bee constructs an intricate nest that has a separate cell for each of her offspring. Each cell is built from tiny
pieces of leaves that are glued together with saliva.
KEY FACTS
CHARACTERISTICS
Length: Female, 1 in. Male, slightly
smaller.
Coloration & form: Both male and
female are dark and sturdy. Similar
to the honeybee but darker and
with a more rounded abdomen.
Mouthparts: Sharp, scissorlike
action slices through leaves.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary.
Diet: Nectar and pollen.
Lifespan: Adult female, 2 months.
Adult male, 1 month.
RELATED SPECIES
There are over 1,000 species of leaf
cutting bees worldwide. More than
100 of them occur in the United
States. Most of the known species
are found in the temperate zone,
but there must be thousands more
awaiting discovery in the tropical
rainforests of the world.
Range of the leafcutter bee. ~~==~~~~---
DISTRIBUTION
The leafcutter bee is found throughout the United States,
southern Canada, and northern Mexico. It is also found in
most of Europe and western Asia .
CONSERVATION
The leafcutter bee is in no danger at present, but modern farm
ing methods have probably reduced its numbers.
FEATURES OF THE lEAFCUTTER BEE
Ja.ws: Powerful and scissorlike
Eyes: Large and compound, pro viding good
hairier than the honeybee.
© MCMXCII IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A.
Nest building: The leafcutter bee may cut and discard many pieces of leaves while building its nest. Nests consist of a col
lection of individual cells, each built from 15 to 20 oval pieces of leaves.
0160200631 PACKET 63
The leafcutter bee belongs to a group of bees known
as the "solitary bees." The leafcutter bee dies before its
young have hatched, but it leaves them well provided
for. The female lays each egg in a tiny cell that she fills
with a mixture of nectar and pollen. This food lasts until
the following spring, when the young bee emerges.
~ HABITS The female leafcutter bee con
structs a cigar-shaped nest in a
tiny hole in wood or sometimes
in the ground. The nest consists
of a line of thimble-shaped cells
-one cell for each offspring.
Each cell is made up of 15 to
20 pieces of leaves. Oval pieces
are used for the walls of the cells,
and round pieces are used for
the partitions. The bee glues the
leaves' edges together with sali-
va, which forms a cementlike
substance when it dries. The
leaves are so well glued togeth
er that the entire nest can be
removed without falling apart.
The bee prefers soft, pliable
leaves and may discard several
leaves before finding a suitable
one. Groups of nests are often
found near rosebushes, since
rose leaves and petals are pop
ular building materials.
~ lIFECYClE The female leafcutter bee fills
each cell with pollen and with
nectar that she disgorges from
her "honey stomach" -an ex
tension of her gut. She then lays
an egg, seals the cell, and has
nothing more to do with her
offspring. The food in the cell
lasts until the young adult bee
emerges the next spring.
The female determines the
sex of her young by withhold
ing or releasing collected sperm,
which is stored after mating. Fe
males are produced from fertil
ized eggs laid in the cells on the
inside of the nest. Males are pro-
Left: The female leaf cutter bee begins the process of nest building by gathering leaves.
Right: Each egg is laid in a separate cell filled with a food supply of pollen and nectar.
1010 YOU KNOW? I -: Megachile rotundata, a leaf
cutting bee found in Africa, is
a valuable pollinator of alfal
fa, a crop grown as protein
rich food for cattle.
• The leafcutter bee's great
est enemy is the cuckoo bee,
which tries to lay its eggs in
duced from unfertilized eggs
laid on the outside. In spring
the males emerge first and
compete to mate with the
females who follow them.
The male dies soon after mat
ing. The female lives a few weeks
longer to build the, nest. She
spends several hours building
each cell and filling it with food.
Right: The female uses a mixture of chewed leaves and saliva to glue her nest inside a hole.
the leafcutter's nest. To pro
tect its nest entrance, the
leafcutter covers it with hun
dreds of pieces of leaves.
• The mason bee, a relative
of the leafcutter, makes a
clay nest and decorates the
outside with pebbles.
~ NATUREWATCH A leafcutter bee's nest is hard
to spot because it is covered
w ith pieces of leaves and has a
small opening . The nests are
easiest to find in spring, when
they are being built. They are
usually found near rosebushes.
~ FOOD &: FEEDING The leafcutter bee feeds on the
pollen and nectar from various
flowers such as clover and rose.
The bee can see ultraviolet light
as a range of colors invisible to
the human eye. A flower that
looks white to humans contains
a wealth of patterns to a bee.
These patterns direct the bee to
Left: The leafcutter bee often travels as far as one mile when searching for food.
the nectar inside·the flower.
The leafcutter bee feeds at
great speed, often visiting up
to 25 flowers per minute. As it eats, the pollen trapped on its
body pollinates the flower. The
female collects pollen on the
long, bristlelike hairs on her ab
domen, and she stores nectar
in her honey stomach. She uses
the accumulated pollen and
nectar to fill the cells in her nest.
TSETSE FLY
CLASS Insecta
ORDER Diptera
GROUP 5: INSECTS & SPIDERS FAMILY Muscidae
GENUS Glossina
Tsetse flies feed only on blood, and they carry deadly diseases as a result. Despite many attempts to wipe them out, tsetse
flies thrive throughout tropical Africa.
KEYFA~C~T~S ______________________________ ~
CHARACTERISTICS
Length: About y,; in.
Mouthparts: Piercing.
Wings: 1 pair of wings and 1 pair
of halteres, or "balancers."
BREEDING
Breeding season: Throughout
the year.
No. of young: 1 reared at a time,
with an average total of 12 pro
duced during the 6-month lifespan
of each female.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary; parasitic.
Diet: Exclusively fresh blood ob
tained from mammals, birds, and
reptiles.
RELATED SPECIES
There are 20 species of tsetse flies,
5 of which transmit sleeping sick
ness. Close relatives include the
bloodsucking European stable fly
and the housefly.
FEATURES OF TSETSE FLIES
Wings: 1 pair of function ing wings and 1 pair of halteres (balancers) . Fly rests with wings folded on its back.
Range of tsetse flies.
DISTRIBUTION
Found throughout tropical Africa, south of the Sahara Desert
and north of the Kalahari Desert.
CONSERVATION
Numerous attempts to eradicate tsetse flies have been unsuc
cessful. But new advances in control methods show promise of
limiting populations in the near future.
Larva: Female gives birth to a
full-grown larva. Larva immediately
pupates in soft sandy soil
and emerges as an adult fly 30
days later.
Mouthparts: Slender, needlelike tube, tipped with crown of microscopic razor-sharp teeth. Can pierce thick skin to reach a blood vessel.
,g' MCMXCl1 IMP BV/ IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A. 0160200561 PACKET 56
Tsetse flies have a highly sophisticated feeding technique
and an advanced breeding system. As a result, nearly all
of their offspring survive. Tsetse flies have resisted
every attempt to eradicate them, and they remain
one of the most dangerous insect pests.
~ HABITAT Central Africa is infested by 20 species of tsetse flies, each of
which has its own habitat. One disease-carrying species, Glossina palpatis, lives in forests
along rivers and lakes. It feeds mainly on the blood of croc
odiles and swamp-dwelling antelope, as well as the blood of humans. When the forests
are cleared for farming, the fly retreats into the remaining
trees and continues to plague local people.
Glossina mortisans, another disease carrier, occurs on the savannas of eastern Africa. It
feeds on the blood of wilde
beests, zebras, buffalo, and other grazing herds. These
animals have become immune to the disease the fly carries, but they still act as
hosts to the disease organism.
~ SPECIAL ADAPTATIONS Blood lacks several important vitamins. But this is not a prob
lem for tsetse flies because they cultivate microscopic plants within their bodies to supple
ment the nutrients in their diet.
I Nourished by the blood tak
~nto a tsetse fly's gut, the
plants manufacture the missing vitamins and provide the
fly with a steady supply. Both the plants and the fly benefit from this arrangement, which is also common among bloodsucking parasites such as bed
bugs and lice.
~ FOOD & FEEDING Tsetse flies feed only on the fresh blood of mammals, birds, and reptiles. Their mouthparts form a "drill" that can bore
through the thick skin of animals such as the crocodile. The "drill" is basically a slender
tube tipped with microscopic teeth. Powerful muscles make
the tube vibrate to rasp away skin tissue. The tube is so deli-
Left: After feeding, tsetse flies clean their delicate and highly efficient mouthparts.
[ DID YOU KNOW? • The Europeans who explored tropical Africa in the 19th century had to travel on foot because their horses and
mules died from sleeping sickness carried by tsetse flies.
cate that a bite from a tsetse
fly is seldom felt. A tsetse fly appears flat and
shriveled when it lands on its
host, but by the time it leaves its abdomen is swollen with blood. The fly rests after feed
ing and excretes excess water in order to reduce its weight.
One meal may be enough to last the fly for several days.
Right: A tsetse fly's needle-sharp bite is rarely felt unless it hits a nerve in its victim.
• Some farmers in areas that are infested by tsetse flies have stopped raising cattle. Instead they raise native ani
mals like the eland that are immune to sleeping sickness.
~ TSETSE FLY & MAN Tsetse flies are deadly because
they carry sleeping sickness. This disease is caused by a single-celled organism that
breeds in a tsetse fly's gut. The fly injects the organisms into its victim when it takes blood.
The cells multiply in the vic
tim's bloodstream. Then they
invade the central nervous sys
tem and cause drowsiness. If the sufferer is bitten by another tsetse fly, the disease is passed
on from one person to another. The disease organisms may stay in the bloodstream for years
before killing the host, or they can prove fatal in a few months.
~ BREEDING Most flies lay several hundred
eggs at a time and abandon them to their fate. Usually most
of the offspring die before they reach maturity.
Tsetse flies have evolved a completely different breeding
system. Instead of producing hundreds of offspring so that a few will survive, the female
produces one at a time and guards it with her life. Instead of laying the egg, she hatches it inside her body, and the leg
less larva then grows inside her. It breathes through two black
openings that protrude from the female's birth canal. The
Left: The female gives birth to a fully developed larva, which burrows into the earth.
larva is nourished by a secre
tion made from the blood that its mother eats. It drinks this "milk" from a nipplelike gland inside the mother's abdomen.
The demands of the hungry larva force the female to feed more frequently than usual.
Birth is delayed until the larva is fully grown. As soon as it emerges, it burrows into the
earth, where it pupates and is transformed into an adult.
Because it never feeds independently as a larva, it is not
exposed to predators. In her lifespan of about six
months, the female tsetse fly
produces only 12 young. But their high survival rate makes
this process successful.
Left: A tsetse fly's bite is deadly to humans and wildlife. The flies carry sleeping sickness, which kills both humans and livestock.
CARD 45
DOR BEETLE GROUP S: INSECTS & SPIDERS • FAMILY GENUS &: SPECIES ,,'--------CLASS ORDER
Insecta Coleoptera Geotrupidae Geotrupes stercorarius
The dor beetle is one of thousands of species of dung beetle. These creatures do the world a service by burying and
recycling the dung of grazing animals.
KEY FACTS
CHARACTERISTICS
Length: ~-l in .
Wings: 1 pair, plus 1 pair of elytra
(wing covers).
Legs: 6.
Mouthparts: Biting.
Coloration: Glossy black.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Lives alone or in pairs.
Diet: Animal dung and other rot
ting organic matter.
Lifespan: Average, 18 months.
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 1 year.
Breeding season: Early summer.
No. of eggs: 3-6 per burrow.
Larval development: 9 months.
RELATED SPECIES
Other dor beetles of the genus
Geotrupes are found throughout
North America, Eurasia, and Africa.
The family Geotrupidae is closely
related to the scarab beetles of the
family Scarabaeidae.
Range of the dor beetle.
DISTRIBUTION
The dor beetle is found in northern and central Europe, east
into central Asia.
CONSERVATION
The insecticides injected into cattle to kill parasites can make
cattle droppings poisonous to dor and dung beetles. In gen
eral, however, the beetles are flourishing wherever grazing ani
mals are numerous.
FEATURES OF THE DOR BEETLE
Mouthparts: Biting .
Front legs: Rakelike. Used for digging and burying dung.
©MCMXCVI IMP BV/IMP INC. WILDLIFE FACT FILETM
Antennae: Each ends in a club made up of several flaps that can be opened like a fan to increase the sensitive area.
HOW THE DOR BEETLE
The dor beetle rolls a ball of dung over the ground by walking back
ward on its forelegs and pushing the ball with its hind legs, like a tiny living wheelbarrow.
Coloration: Glossy black edged with iridescent blue and green at the edges. Metallic
blue or green underneath.
PRINTED IN U.S.A. US P 6001 12 073 PACKET 73
Dor and other dung beetles have developed the ability to
exploit the waste products of a variety of animals. As a
result these beetles have an abundant food supply that
is always available. This makes them some of the most
successful and widespread insects in the world.
~ HABITS The dor beetle is a common but rarely seen inhabitant of grasslands and open woodlands. It lives wherever there are enough grazing animals such as cattle and deer to generate a good supply of dung, its favorite food.
The dor beetle is one of several species of dung beetle. Each species concentrates on the dung of a particular type of grazing animal. Rabbits, sheep, cattle, and horses all have their
attendant dung beetle to bury and reprocess their dung as fast as it accumulates.
The beetles tend to collect and bury far more dung than they use. In doing so, they perform a valuable service, returning nitrates and various other nutrients to the soil, where they can then be absorbed by the roots of plants.
Right: A dung beetle uses its hind legs in order to push a ball of dung over the ground.
~ ENEMIES Slow and shiny, dor beetles are easily caught by insect-eating birds and mammals. The beetles are preyed upon by crows, hedgehogs, moles, and foxes.
A more insidious enemy of the
~ LlFECYClE The lifecycle of the dor beetle involves four stages: egg, larva
(or grub), pupa (the transitional stage between larva and adult), and adult.
The female digs a burrow under a heap of dung. The burrow is up to two feet deep and has three or four chambers for eggs. The male drags pieces of dung to his mate, which she rolls into balls. She places one ball in each
Left: Dor beetles can be identified by their glossy shells and their metallic sheen.
DID YOU KNOW? • Australian dung beetles can only deal with the dung of native mammals. African dung beetles were imported to clear the dung of introduced African cattle.
dung beetle is a tiny mite. It slips its needlelike mouthparts between the plates of the beetle's armor and sucks its blood. One beetle may be infested by several mites.
chamber, then lays an egg on top of the ball and covers it with dung, leaving an air hole.
The larva hatches in summer and feeds on the dung until it hibernates. In spring it wakes up and eats the dung until it becomes a pupa. In early summer it emerges from the burrow as a beetle. When winter arrives it hibernates again, this time as an adult beetle.
Right: Although the larvae have three pairs of well-developed legs, they move as little as possible.
• The European dor beetle is related to the sacred scarab beetle depicted in the jewelry of ancient Egypt. The scarab beetle is found throughout the Mediterranean region.
[--21 NATUREWATCH Although species of dor and dung beetles vary, most are black on top and metallic green or blue underneath.
A dor beetle can be found
~ FOOD & FEEDING Decomposing carcasses and rotting fungi are all food for the dor beetle. But this insect feeds primarily on the dung of grazing mammals.
Since dung is basically material that has been rejected by another animal's digestive system, it might seem to be a poor source of nutrition. But a grasseating animal makes poor use of its food, and large amounts of what it eats passes through its body almost undigested. In
Left: Dung beetles cut chunks of fresh dung with their serrated front legs. Then they roll the dung into small balls.
by using a stick to break open cow dung in a pasture. Since dor beetles prefer well-aged dung, they are rarely found in fresh droppings.
the process, the food is ground up and mixed with digestive juices, plus large quantities of bacteria that live in the animal's intestine and help break down tough plant matter. As a result, dung is actually rich in nutrients that have been partially processed. It is an easy source of food for any creature that does not mind the taste. The dor beetle is attracted to the smell of dung and other rotting substances that make up its diet.
LARGE WHITE BUTTERFL V
CLASS Insecta
ORDER Lepidoptera
GROUP 5: INSECTS &: SPIDERS FAMILY Pieridae
GENUS & SPECIES Pieris brassicae
The large white butterfly is one of Europe ~ most common butterflies. This species is considered a pest by farmers because
the caterpillars feed on the leaves of cabbage plants.
KEY FACTS
SIZES
Adult wingspan: 2-2%; in .
Larva: Up to 2 in. long.
BREEDING
Mating: Usually 2 generations pro
duced each year. More in southern
parts of range.
Eggs: 50-100.
Hatching time: 1 0-1 5 days.
Larva to pupa: About 20 days.
Pupa to butterfly: About 20 days
or over winter.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Day-active; often migratory.
Diet: Larva eats leaves of the cab
bage and nasturtium families. Adult
feeds on nectar.
Adult lifespan: Usually 2-3 months.
RELATED SPECIES
The closest relative is the small white
butterfly, Pieris rapae, which is native
to Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
LlFECYCLE O F THE LARGE
Adult butterfly: The female has dark wingtips and spots. The male is slightly small -er and does not have spots. Butterflies from the second brood of the year have darker markings.
•
Range of the large white butterfly.
DISTRIBUTION
Found in Great Britain and southern Scandinavia, across Europe
to North Africa and Asia, as far as the southern Himalayas.
CONSERVATION
The large white butterfly is very common. Considered a pest to
crops, its population has declined during the past 50 years due
to increasing use of insecticides.
Egg: Yel low and bullet-shaped . Laid in clusters of 50 to 100 on the undersides of leaves of the cabbage or nasturtium families . The eggs become darker yellow as they f!1ature .
SMALL WHITE BUTTERFLY Female's forewings have black
tips. Males have one black spot, while females have two.
, I . . ,., ., ' J' : ; :
Larva: Pale yellowish green, mottled with black. Found on leaves of
the cabbage and nasturtium families, where it feeds until it
is ready to pupate.
Bright green larva conceals itself in the center leaves of
plants. Lacks the unpleasant smell of the large white
butterfly's larva.
..,.1, . ' .. ' .. ", ..
" . ~ t t'
<tv MCMXCII IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A.
Chrysalis: Pale green or brown silk casing with black markings. Usually attached by a fine silken thread in a sheltered position on a twig or fence or in a dry shed.
0160200661 PACKET 66
The female large white butterfly poses a serious problem for
farmers because she lays her eggs on plants of the cabbage
and nasturtium families. When the caterpillar hatches from
the egg, it chews the leaves of these plants for about 20
days. At that point it is ready to change into a pupa and
begin its transformation into an adult butterfly. By then,
however, the damage to the plants has already been done.
~ lIFECYCLE The larva, or caterpillar, of the large white butterfly hatches from its egg by eating the shell. It then feeds on the leaves of plants in the cabbage and nasturtium families . After about 20 days, when the caterpillar is fully grown, it crawls onto a twig or fence post and changes into a pupa. The pupa is yellowish green with dark blotches--coloration that provides camou-
NATUREWATCH The large white butterfly has black markings on its white wings. It is most often found in cabbage fields, where the
flage. Encased in a silken covering, or chrysalis, it is attached to its support by a fine thread. Inside the pupa, the tissues of the body break down and reform as an adult butterfly.
The adult emerges from the chrysalis in about 20 days and lives for two to three months.
Right: The female large white butterfly lays her eggs on the underside of a cabbage leaf.
females lay their eggs. The caterpillars can be found on the outer leaves of cabbages and related plants.
~ FOOD &: FEEDING The caterpillar of the large white butterfly feeds on the leaves of plants in the cabbage and nasturtium families . From the moment it hatches until it becomes a pupa, it eats constantly. Usually a group of caterpillars feed together, stripping leaves down to the stalk with their strong jaws. The caterpillar's unpleasant smell and bold pattern tend
Left: The large white drums on a flower with its legs, "tasting" with its receptors before feeding.
I DID YOU KNOW? • Migrating large white butterflies have been seen in the Himalayas as high as 12,000 feet above sea level. • When it is threatened by a predator, the caterpillar of the large white butterfly may drop to the ground and then curl the ends of its body inward in order to protect itself.
to keep predators away, so it often feeds on exposed leaves, where it is easily seen.
The adult butterfly feeds on the nectar of flowers, using receptors on its feet to locate a suitable flower. The insect uncoils its long, tubelike mouthpart, or proboscis, and inserts it into the flower's center, using it like a straw to suck up nectar.
Right: The adult large white butterfly feeds on nectar from a wide variety of flowers.
• One of the main enemies of the caterpillar is a parasitic wasp that pierces the caterpillar's body and lays its eggs inside. Tiny grubs hatch from these eggs and feed on the caterpillar's body until they are fully grown. Then they gnaw their way out, leaving the dead caterpillar behind.
~ BREEDI NG The large white butterfly is so numerous that the male does not have to travel far to find a mate. He can usually just spot a female, but she also secretes a scent called a pheromone that he can sense over 300 feet away.
After her eggs are fertilized, the female searches for a leaf of the cabbage or nasturtium families on which to lay her eggs. To determine if a leaf is suitable, she
~MIGRATION In midsummer, swarms of large white butterflies fly south from the Baltic over Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Some turn west to summer in Great Britain; others fly to Malta. In September,
Left: After hatching, the larvae of the large white feed on cabbage leaves. The very strong flavor of the leaves gives the larvae an unpleasant odor, which helps them
stay together and also deters predators.
drums on it with her forelegs to bring out its smell . The plants that the female seeks are rich in mustard oil, which attracts the large white but repels many other insects. The leaves' green color also attracts the butterfly.
The female then lays a cluster of 50 to 100 tiny yellow, bulletshaped eggs on the underside of her chosen leaf. The eggs hatch in 10 to 15 days.
some swarms reach Israel, where they breed for a few generations. In India, large whites leave the Ganges Valley in hot weather and fly into the Himalayas, returning south when it is cooler.
LEAFHOPPER
CLASS Insecta
ORDER Heteroptera
GROUP 5: INSECTS & SPIDERS
SUBORDER Homoptera
FAMILY Cicadellidae
Leafhoppers are small, often brightly colored insects. They damage plants by drinking the sap and laying their eggs in the shoots.
They also carry diseases from one plant to another.
KEY FACTS ~----------------------------------------------------~
CHARACTERISTICS
Length: Usually under ~ in., but
some up to % in.
Wings: 2 pairs.
Eyes: Compound, small.
Color: Often green to provide
camouflage on leaves. Some
species are brightly colored.
BREEDING
Breeding season: Late summer.
Eggs: Inserted into plant tissues
in small batches.
Hatching time: Varies depending
on temperature; in some cases
over winter.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Lives in large groups.
Diet: Sap of various plants.
Lifespan: Less than 1 year.
RELATED SPECIES
The family Cicadellidae contains
more than 15,000 species of leaf
hopper. At least 2,500 species are
found in North America.
FEATURES OF LEAFHOPPERS
The illustration shows the species Graphocepha/a coccinea, found in the eastern United States.
Wings: 2 pairs . Forewings are membranous at the tips and thickened at the base. Hind wings are very thin.
Range of leafhoppers.
DISTRIBUTION
Leafhoppers are found throughout the world in both tropical
and temperate regions, wherever there is enough vegetation
on which to feed.
CONSERVATION
In the tropics, many species are considered agricultural pests
because they weaken plants and spread disease. Despite con
trol measures, all species remain common.
Coloring: Varies greatly between different species and between the sexes of each species.
Mouthparts: 2 pairs of thin threads, or sty/ets. Outer sty
lets are tipped with sharp teeth for pierc
ing plants. Inner stylets form food
and salivary ducts.
© MCMXCII IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILET" PRINTED IN U.S.A. 0160200721 PACKET 72
With over 15, 000 species, leafhoppers are among the
most numerous and successful insects in the world. They
are found in temperate and tropical regions throughout
the world, gathering in large numbers wherever there are
suitable plants for them to feed on. Some leafhoppers in
the tropics badly damage agricultural crops. But in other
areas these insects tend to feed mainly on wild plants.
~ LlFECYClE Leafhoppers are closely related
to cicadas, insects known for
their loud "song." About 50
years ago experts realized that
leafhoppers also "sing." But the
sound is too low and soft to
travel through the air. Instead,
it travels through the tissues of
the plants on which leafhoppers
feed. Like the cicada's song, its
function is to attract a mate.
In some species, the female
attracts a male by generating a
series of pulses. The male replies
in a more elaborate fashion, and
if all goes well, they mate. The
fertilized female then lays her
eggs inside a food plant, inject
ing them into the tissues with
her ovipositor-a bladelike ap
pendage on her abdomen. The
eggs are left to develop during
the winter.
A leafhopper has a simple life
cycle. It hatches as a wingless
miniature form of its parents
and almost immediately begins
feeding. There is no larval stage.
A leafhopper simply gets bigger
as it feeds. It sheds its hard out
er cuticle several times before
reaching winged maturity and
mating. A leafhopper lives less
than a year. The adults die off
with the onset of winter, leav
ing the dormant eggs, which
will produce a new generation
the following spring.
~ CHARACTERISTICS With well over 15,000 species
found throughout the world,
leafhoppers form one of the
largest families of insects.
These agile insects are able to
run sideways and to leap great
distances. They also fly well, on
long wings that are usually held
arched over the body. Many
species are small, slender, and
brightly colored. The rhododen
dron leafhopper, for example,
Left: This multicolored species of leafhopper is found in certain parts of Australia.
DID YOU KNOW? • The leafhoppers that carry
potato viruses are less com
mon in northern locations.
For this reason, most "seed"
potatoes for planting come
from areas like Scotland.
• Leafhoppers are attracted
to light. In India large swarms
of green rice leafhoppers die
under street lamps, are swept
is a mixture of turquoise-green
and bright orange-red.
Leafhoppers do not look like
their relatives, the aphids. But
they share the aphids' habit of
gathering in huge numbers to
drink the juices of plants.
Each leafhopper species has a
favorite food plant. As a result,
each species can be identified
with the particular plant around
which it is almost always found.
Right: Ants tend young leafhoppers and feed on the honeydew that they produce.
up, and sold as bird food.
• The mating call of leafhop
pers is a series of clicks gener
ated by special muscles that
buckle the insect's hard out
er skeleton.
• Some North American leaf
hopper species migrate hun
dreds of miles in order to find
food during summer. ----.-J
I ",J NATUREWATCH Leafhoppers are most numer
ous in summer, and they infest
most plant species. Brushing
the foliage may dislodge the
insects, and they fall to the
ground, fly off, or leap away.
Plant sap is rich in sugar but
poor in other vital nutrients, so
~ FOOD & FEEDING Leafhoppers feed exclusively on
the sap of plants, such as apple
trees, rosebushes, sugar beets,
and potato plants.
The mouthparts of a leafhop
per consist of four stylets that fit
together to form a hollow nee
dle with two internal channels.
The insect slips the sharp point
into the plant and injects a little
saliva into one of the channels.
The fluid pressure within the
plant forces sap to rise up the
other channel and into the in
sect's stomach.
The saliva keeps the sap fluid
Left: Because sap oozes naturally from a pierced plant a leafhopper does not need to suck actively.
a leafhopper may have to in
gest large quantities of sap in
order to get enough protein
and vitamins. The insect then
excretes the surplus sugar and
water, or "honeydew." This is
the sticky substance that is of
ten on plant leaves and stems.
and initiates the digestive pro
cess. The saliva can also harbor
disease organisms. Several leaf
hopper species carry plant vi
ruses, which they take in with
the sap and then transfer to oth
er plants. One species, the Asian
green rice leafhopper, can dev
astate entire paddy fields with
a rice virus.
Even when there is no disease
involved, a flourishing popula
tion of leafhoppers can destroy
crops by draining sap from the
foliage. The leaves become cov
ered with speckles. In addition,
pale blotches mark each feed
ing site. A badly infested plant
will wither and eventually die.
"'CARD 48
PURPLE EMPEROR
,,---------------------------------------------~ CLASS Insecta
ORDER Lepidoptera Nympha/idae Apatura iris
The purple emperor is an elusive forest butterfly that is extremely difficult to spot. It flits high among the tops of oak trees,
swooping down occasionally to drink at ground level.
KEY FACTS
CHARACTERISTICS
Wings: 2 pairs.
Wingspan: About 2 in.
Mouthparts: Caterpillar has a pair
of chewing jaws. Adult has a long,
coiled, sucking proboscis.
BREEDING
Eggs: Laid singly, usually on sal
low leaves.
Hatching to pupation: 8 months
(including winter dormancy).
Pupa to adult: 2-3 weeks.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Flies by day, usually high up
in the tree canopy.
Diet: Caterpillar eats sallow, wil
low, or aspen foliage. Adult drinks
nectar or rotting matter.
Lifespan: Adult, 2-3 months.
RELATED SPECIES
This species' closest relatives are
the lesser purple emperor, Apatura
ilia, and Freyer's purple emperor,
A. metis.
Range of the purple emperor.
DISTRIBUTION
The purple emperor is found in southern Great Britain, central
Europe, and throughout much of temperate Asia as far east as
China and Korea.
CONSERVATION
Destruction of its broad-leaved forest habitat has made the
purple emperor rare in many parts of its range. However, it
is not considered an endangered species.
FEATURES OF THE PURPLE EMPEROR
Wings: 2 pairs, covered in scales. Held tightly together and vertically to the body when at rest.
©MCMXCIV IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILpM
Antennae: Tipped with highly sensitive
nerve receptors that are used to "smell" the air.
Body: A dense covering of tiny, bristle, like hairs gives the
butterfly a velvety appearance, and
this makes it less attractive to po
tential predators.
Coloration: The blue-violet iridescent sheen of the male does not come from pigments. It is created by the scattering of light from finely ridged scales on the wings. This iridescence is visible only from certain angles and appears to flash on and off. It is used to attract females and repel rival males. Beneath this iridescence is a blackish brown pigment. The female's wings lack the purple sheen, so she is much less conspicuous than the male.
PRINTED IN U.S.A. US P 6001 12068 PACKET 68
The male purple emperor is one of the most beautiful
butterflies in the world. As a result, it has been hunted
extensively by collectors. Unlike many brightly colored
butterflies, this species is not toxic and is eaten by birds.
Moreover., its forest habitat is rapidly dwindling. All of
these factors have made the purple emperor butterfly
increasingly rare throughout much of its range.
~ HABITS The purple emperor butterfly is
an elusive and uncommon crea
ture. It spends almost all of its
time high above the ground,
among the upper branches of
large forest oak trees.
The male is highly territorial.
He stakes a claim on an oak
branch and tries to defend up
to 1,000 square feet of air space
against neighboring rival males.
The females are attracted to the
most successful of these rivals,
so they also spend a great deal
of their time in the treetops.
To maintain such an active
lifestyle, the butterfly requires
energy-rich food. The adult re
lies on liquid foods such as nec
tar, which it gets by descending
into woodland meadows in the
morning to raid the flowers. By
midday it is back up in the tree
canopy. But occasionally an in
dividual is seen swooping across
a clearing during the day, alter
nating long glides with rapid
flapping to regain height.
Right: The caterpillar's green coloring camouflages it on a leaf.
~ FOOD &: FEEDING When feeding, the purple em
peror caterpillar uses its power
ful jaws to chew through the
foliage of sallow and willow
trees. By contrast, the adult but
terfly uncoils its proboscis (long,
coiled tongue) and uses it like a
drinking straw to suck up liquid .
The butterfly needs energy
rich food as "fuel" for its treetop
flights. It gets this high-energy
food in the form of flower nec
tar, which is basically a solution
of sugars and fragrant oils in
water. But the butterfly also
obtains food from other places.
Left: Scales on the wings of the male purple emperor produce a scent that excites the female.
DID YOU KNOW? • Some early collectors tried to catch purple emperors in
trees by using nets on poles
up to 30 feet long. Others
tried to lure the butterflies
down with rotting corpses.
• The smell of gasoline may
attract the purple emperor, as
may the smell of tar, manure,
and human sweat.
Rotting fruit, a decomposing
carcass, or even a pile of excre
ment provides the purple em
peror with rich nutrients that
may not all be available from
flower nectar.
The natural processes of de
cay reduce such organic matter
to a nourishing liquid that the
butterfly can suck up. A highly
decomposed corpse may attract
several purple emperors, caus
ing them to descend from the
treetops. This fact was known to
early collectors, who waited to
capture the butterflies.
Right: When not in use, the proboscis is coiled and tucked under the purple emperor's head.
• Like all butterflies in its fami
ly, the purple emperor walks
on only four of its six legs. The
front, unused pair is held tight
under its body.
• The caterpillar hibernates on
bark, where it changes from
green to brown. It changes
back to green when it returns
to the leaves to feed.
I NATUREWATCH The destruction of large areas appear as just a purple flash in
of woodland is one reason why the flowers in a clearing.
the purple emperor is so rare. The purple emperor can oc-
In some parts of its range, this casionally be seen drinking at
butterfly is found only in small muddy puddles. Or it may be
patches of forest and may be found feeding on animal drop-
spotted only in early mornings pings beside prominent land-
during July and August. It may marks, such as tree stumps.
~ LlFECYCLE The female purple emperor lays
her eggs in late summer. She
attaches each one to a sallow,
willow, or aspen leaf. The newly
hatched caterpillars are green
with round black heads. But in a
few days each caterpillar sheds
its skin and emerges with two
"horns" on its head. It spends
the winter clinging to a silken
pad spun on the fork of a twig
and hibernates until spring.
It then starts to feed again,
molting twice more before turn
ing into a pupa-the stage be
tween caterpillar and butterfly.
The transformation takes two to
three weeks, and the buttertly
emerges in early summer. By
mid-September it has laid its
eggs and died.
Left: Eggs are laid singly on food plant leaves, usually in September.
GREAT GREEN BUSH CRICKET
CLASS Insecta
ORDER Orthoptera
CARD 49
GROUP 5: INSECTS & SPIDERS
FAMILY Tettigoniidae
GENUS & SPECIES Tettigonia viridissimo
The great green bush cricket lives up to its name by being quite large and bright green. It is unpopular with farmers because it
gathers in large numbers and causes extensive damage to crops.
KEY FACTS
CHARACTERISTICS
Body length: 1 ~-2 in . Male slight
ly larger than female.
Wing length: About 1 ~ in.
Coloration: Bright green.
BREEDING
Breeding season: From July to
September.
No. of eggs: About 100, laid indi
vidually in the ground. ~ in. long;
dark gray.
Lifecycle: Nymphs hatch in early
spring. Adults mate in summer and
die in November.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Active by day and night.
Diet: Grasses, buds, leaves, fruit,
and insects.
Lifespan: About 6 months.
RELATED SPECIES
Close relatives include the upland
green bush cricket, Tettigonia cantons, and the eastern green bush
cricket, T. candata.
Range of the great green bush cricket.
DISTRIBUTION
Found throughout the southern part of Great Britain, most of
Europe, and North Africa.
CONSERVATION
Although the great green bush cricket has suffered from the
loss of its wild habitats, its numbers are still stable in most of its
range. It has adapted well and can frequently be found living
in heavily farmed areas.
FEATURES OF THE GREAT GREEN BUSH CRICKET
Structure: Body is divided into 3 main segments: head, thorax, and abdomen. The cricket has no backbone. It relies instead on a hard external skeleton. The large forewings form a protective case for the delicate hind wings when the insect is not flying.
Ovipositor: Present only on the female. This hard abdominal organ enables her to deposit the fertilized eggs deep in the ground.
along the abdomen are for breathing.
©MCMXCVI IMP BV/IMP INC. WILDLIFE FACT FILETM
Male: Has a tiny pair of cerci (claspers) that are used to grip the female when mating.
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
Antennae: Principal sensory organs, which may be longer than the
body. The greater length helps to distinguish this and other crickets from
true grasshoppers.
US P 6001 12 075 PACKET 75
The great green bush cricket is also known as the great
green grasshopper-even though it is not a grasshopper
at all. Unlike many of its smaller relatives, this cricket does
not jump or hop. Instead, it runs or flies from one plant to
another when it is searching for food. During the summer
months, the undergrowth comes alive with the male's loud
and distinctive song, which he uses to attract a mate.
~ HABITAT Because the great green bush cricket is easily disturbed, it generally lives in areas of untouched vegetation. Such habitats usually contain coarse plants like thistles. The ground cover provides the cricket with food and protects it from birds of prey.
The cricket is also found on
unused land around cities, railway embankments, and river valleys, as well as on the warm slopes of chalk and limestone hills . It prefers a warm, temperate climate, but it can cope with rough weather conditions in the wilder parts of its habitat, such as coastal cliff tops.
[ ~ SPECIAL ADAPTATIONS The male great green bush cricket produces his loud song by rubbing his forewings over each other.
There is a tooth-bearing rib on the underside of the left forewing and a small depres-
sion, called the mirror, on the inside edge of the right forewing. The mirror is covered with a membrane (thin skin). By rubbing the membrane and rib together, the cricket amplifies the sound.
~ FOOD &: FEEDING The great green bush cricket is most active in the late afternoon and evening, when it searches for food. Its diet is broad and varies according to what is available. It feeds on buds, grasses,
. fruit, shrubs, and leaves, as well as many small insects.
Using sensory organs on its long antennae, the cricket identifies edible material. Then, with
Left: A male great green bush cricket has claspers at the tip of his abdomen, which are used in mating.
its simple two-piece mouthparts, it tears the food into digestible pieces before swallowing it.
Because of its huge, adaptable appetite, the great green bush cricket is considered a pest by farmers. This creature tends to gather in large swarms, which can destroy grain crops in short periods of time.
Right: Some crickets feed only on other insects, but this species also eats many plants.
Left: During the summer, the female great green bush cricket lays her eggs. Inserting her ovipositor deep in the ground. she deposits the eggs in a crevice. The eggs remain buried all winter.
DID YOU KNOW? • When a great green bush cricket is caught by a predator, it may shed the limb that the attacker is holding. This practice is very similar to the tail-shedding escape tactics employed by lizards. • According to Italian legend, if a mother catches a great
~ LlFECYClE The great green bush cricket mates between July and September. The male engages in frenzied activity as he sings to attract a mate. When he finds a partner, the pair then moves into position for mating. The male grips the female tightly with his legs as he transfers a tiny package of sperm directly into her genital opening.
After a few days, the female begins to lay her fertilized eggs. They are transferred from her abdomen by way of the ovipositor-a sword-shaped organ that she inserts deep into a crevice in
Left: The juvenile great green bush cricket looks like a small version of its parents.
green bush cricket in the bedroom of her child and ties the cricket by a thread to the bed, it will bring fame and wealth to the child in the future. • Each time it molts (sheds its hard outer layer), the nymph cricket devours its own discarded casing.
the ground. She then lays the eggs one at a time.
The eggs spend the winter buried, well protected from the elements and predators. After they have hatched, the developing nymphs (young) live off nutrients in the egg until they emerge in Mayor June.
The nymph is a perfect miniature of the adult. But before it becomes fully grown, it passes through several stages known as instars. It molts (sheds its hard outer layer) at each stage, emerging slightly larger and more developed each time. By the time the nymph reaches maturity, it may have molted seven or even eight times.
APOLLO BUTTERFL V
CLASS Insecta
ORDER Lepidoptera
GROUP 5: INSECTS &: SPIDERS FAMILY Papilionidae
GENUS & SPECIES Parnassius apollo
With its shimmering wings, the Apollo butterfly appears as a flash of bold color as it flits from flower to flower across mountain slopes, hills, and fields in much of Europe and parts of Asia.
CHARACTERISTICS Coloration: Creamy wings with black and red or yellow patches. Furry gray thorax and abdomen. Wings: 2 overlapping pairs. Wingspan: 2-4 in. Male smaller than female.
BREEDING Breeding season: July to August. Eggs: White. Several hundred, laid singly or in groups. Egg to pupa: 1 month. Pupa to adult: 2 months.
LIFESTYLE Diet: Caterpillar eats leaves of herbaceous plants. Butterfly sucks dew and wildflower nectar. Lifespan: A few weeks as an adult butterfly.
RELATED SPECIES There are 30 species in the genus Parnassius in the family Papilionidae, which also contains the vividly colored swallowtails.
Range of the Apollo butterfly.
DISTRIBUTION Found 1,500 to 6,500 feet above sea level in Europe and parts of Asia, from Spain in the west across to Mongolia in the east.
CONSERVATION Many butterflies are threatened by destruction of their habitats by humans. This is particularly true of the Apollo butterfly, which is now protected by conservation laws in many European countries.
FEATURES OF THE APOLLO BUTIERFLY
Wings: Creamy white and patterned with black or gray flecks . Conspicuous red eyespots sometimes have yellow centers. Transparent areas at edges.
Legs: 3 pairs . Relatively short and extremely thin . Attached to thorax.
Abdo'men: Covered with thick hair. Divided into 11 segments that contain digestive and reproductive organs.
Eggs: Smooth, round , white . Several hundred are laid on leaves, either
singly or in groups.
© MCMXCII IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A.
Head: Small , with 2 large compound eyes. The 2 long antennae have
swollen tips and are used for smelling and touching.
Thorax: Middle section of the
b0dy, to which wings and legs
are attached . Covered with laser of thick
gray or creamcolored hair.
0160200581 PACKET 58
The dramatic coloring of the Apollo butterfly
makes it one of the best-loved butterflies in Europe.
But this beautiful creature is becoming increasingly
rare throughout its range because changes in
land use are destroying its habitat. The Apollo
butterfly is now classified as endangered and
is protected by law in many countries.
~HABITAT The adult Apollo butterfly can be seen during July and August on sunny hills and mountains 1,500 to 6,500 feet above sea level. Its range stretches from Spain in the west, through much of central Europe and southern Scandinavia, into Asia. It is found as far east as Mongolia's Atlai Mountains.
The Apollo butterfly likes undisturbed, chalky slopes, where the plants on which it feeds grow. But there are
Right: The color on the wings of the Apollo butterfly can vary considerably.
fewer and fewer quiet areas of appropriate habitat, so concentrations of Apollo butterflies now tend to be widely scattered within its range.
Right: Adult Apollo butterflies mate during July or August and die soon afterward.
~ FOOD & FEEDING Because the Apollo caterpillar feeds on the leaves of herbaceous Sedum plants known as stonecrops, the adult female butterfly lays her eggs on these plants. After eating its way out of its shell, the caterpillar devours the plant leaves using its powerful jaws. The caterpillar must consume many leaves to get the nutrition it needs to grow rapidly in its larval stages and to sustain it during the pupal stage, while it changes into
Left: The Apollo's wings are covered in thousands of tiny, colored scales, giving them a shimmering quality.
an adult. It stops eating when it is ready to pupate and does not eat again until it emerges as an adult.
The adult Apollo butterfly has a long, thin sucking tube called a proboscis, which functions as a drinking straw. The butterfly uses this mouthpart to probe delicately into flowers and suck the energy-rich nectar from the base of the petals. It shows a strong preference for the flowers of thistles.
Right: The long antennae on the Apollo's head are used for smelling and touching. '
Left: During feeding, the Apollo butterfly extends its tubular tongue, or proboscis, forward to act as a flexible drinking straw. When at rest, it rolls its proboscis underneath its head.
DID YOU KNOW? • There are many varieties of Apollo butterfly, including an unusual dark form that is found in the Alps. • The swallowtails are close relatives of the Apollo. These mostly tropical butterflies are among the most beautiful in the world. • The bright red and yellow
~ lIFECYClE The female butterfly lays several hundred tiny, smooth, round white eggs, either singly or in groups. They usually hatch in August or September, and a caterpillar emerges.
The caterpillar has a tough skin, or exoskeleton, which can expand only to a certain size. To continue to grow, the caterpillar must molt-discarding its old skin for a new, soft skin, which hardens in the sun. The caterpillar eats until it fills this skin, then molts again. It may molt five times before it is fully grown. It then crawls down the plant
eyes pots on the wings help protect the Apollo from attack, especially by birds. By making the wing look like the big head of some other animal, the eyespots may scare the bird away. In any case they direct attacks away from the Apollo's vulnerable and easily damaged body.
and buries itself in the ground, where its body becomes short and squat. A final molt leaves it with a waxy skin inside a loose, silken cocoon, or pupal case.
In the pupal stage, the body completely dissolves and is rebuilt as a butterfly. After two months, the chrysalis bursts open and the adult emerges. It climbs up the nearest vegetation and expands its wings by pumping blood through the veins. When the wings have expanded and its skin is hard, the adult flies off to find its first meal and a mate.