Insects & Bugs for Kids: An Introduction to Entomology

by Jaret C. Daniels

Overview

Catch all the buzz about bugs with this children’s guide that includes an introduction to entomology and an insect identification section.

Kids love the thrill of discovery—especially when it comes to bugs. Become a young entomologist. Learn all about bees, butterflies, spiders, and other creepy crawlies. Jaret C. Daniels, author of many bug books, presents a kids’ introduction to entomology. From ants and beetles to dragonflies and mosquitoes, this easy-to-understand book is a perfect guide for beginners.

It features expert insights on a variety of common and important insects. It delves into such topics as what the various species eat, how and where to find them, and why they’re important. In the field-guide section, featured species are organized by type of bug. Full-color photographs and descriptions of key markings help readers to identify the species they see in nature.

Inside You’ll Find

• Beginner’s guide to bugs of the USA and southern Canada
• The basics of entomology and bug anatomy
• Identification guide to common and important bugs to know
• Fun bonus activities for the whole family

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647551643
Publisher:	Adventure Publications, Incorporated
Publication date:	05/25/2021
Series:	Simple Introductions to Science
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	245,720
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.27(d)
Age Range:	6 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jaret C. Daniels, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Entomology at the Universityof Florida and Director of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of Natural History, specializing in insect ecology and conservation. He has authored numerous scientific papers, popular articles, and books on wildlife conservation, insects, and butterflies, including butterfly field guides for Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Ohio, and Michigan. He is also the author of Vibrant Butterflies: Our Favorite Visitors to Flowers and Gardens; Backyard Bugs: An Identification Guide to Common Insects, Spiders, and More; and Our Love of Bees. Jaret currently lives in Gainesville, Florida, with his wife, Stephanie.

Read an Excerpt

All About Bugs

If you want to observe or study bugs, it helps to know a bit more about them first. The term “bug” is generic and typically refers to a wide assortment of small, creepy-crawly critters. All bugs are arthropods (say it, ar-thro-pods). Arthropods are invertebrates—they don’t have an internal skeleton and bones. Instead, they have an external skeleton, a segmented body, and jointed appendages, such as legs and antennae. The arthropods are a large group of animals that includes insects, crustaceans, spiders, centipedes, millipedes, and scorpions. Together they are the largest, most diverse and widespread group of animals on the planet, representing nearly 85 percent of all known animal species.

Insects are by far the most familiar and frequently encountered arthropods. They are also incredibly diverse, with over 1 million known species. The vast majority of species on Earth that are yet to be described are likely insects and other arthropods. In fact, scientists conservatively estimate that the total number of insects could exceed 8 million when all are eventually discovered. While the vast majority of that amazing diversity exists in the tropics, there are well over 150,000 species of insects in the United States and Canada alone. They are also incredibly abundant. Although it may sound crazy, there are about 1.5 billion insects on Earth for every human being.

Entomology (say it, ent-o-mall-o-gee) is the study of insects. It is a big scientific field that makes contributions to biology, agriculture, chemistry, human and animal health, conservation, the environment, medicine, and even criminal investigation (forensics). Entomologists work in laboratories and out in nature (fieldwork). They identify new species and uncover evolutionary relationships between species. They help ensure safe and sustainable food production; help us fight plant, animal, and human diseases; work to prevent pest damage to homes, landscapes, and the environment; and many other useful things. They even help conserve rare and endangered species.

But you don’t have to have a college degree to enjoy or study insects. Anyone can learn about and enjoy insects, and even collect valuable scientific information or make new discoveries. Today, there are also many opportunities for citizen scientists—members of the general public who help collect and analyze data—to contribute. No matter if you’re interested in butterflies, ants, ladybugs, bees, or even earthworms, there are a great many citizen science programs available, and kids can participate in many cases too!

Of course, the first step is probably just exploring and getting to know the many different types of bugs that are right outside your front door.

Table of Contents

All About Bugs 6

An Insect's Body 10

Insect Development 14

What Insects Eat 16

Why Insects Are Small 17

Why Insects Are Important 18

How and Where to Fill Bugs 34

Beware of Bites, Stings, and Other Hazards 35

On or Under Logs 36

Beneath Tree Bark 41

On the Ground or Under Other Objects 43

On Plants 46

On Flowers 48

At Lights 50

In or Near Water 52

Common Insects and Bugs 55

Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera) 56

Bees, Wasps, and Ants (Order Hymenoptera) 70

True Bugs (Order Hemiptera) 76

Beetles (Order Coleoptera) 84

True Flies (Order Diptera) 90

Dragonflies and Damselflies (Order Odonata) 94

Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Crickets (Order Orthoptera) 97

Cockroaches and Termites (Order Blattodea) 99

Earwigs (Order Dermaptera) 99

Caddisflies (Order Trichoptera) 100

Dobsonflies and Fishflies (Order Corydalidae) 100

Antlions and Lacewings (Order Neuroptera) 101

Mayflies (Order Ephemeroptera) 102

Praying Mantises (Order Mantodea) 102

Walking Sticks (Order Phasmida) 103

Spiders (Order Araneae) 103

Centipedes (Class Chilopoda) 105

Earthworms (Order Megadrilacea) 106

Millipedes (Order Julida) 106

Harvestmen (Order Opiliones) 107

Sowbugs and Pillbugs (Order Isopoda) 107

Projects and Activities 109

Attracting Insects with a Light 110

Bug Observation Supply List 113

Raising Caterpillars 114

Moth Baiting 117

Planting a Pollinator Container Garden 119

Recommended Reading 122

Glossary 124

About the Author 128