Adventures

with
Insects
4-H Entomology Project Book
18 U.S.C. 707

Publication 444-408 2014

Welcome to 4-H Entomology
Welcome to the 4-H Entomology Project. It will introduce you to many
new and exciting experiences. The Entomology Project is fun; it may
help you prepare for the study of insects as your life’s work, or help you
learn how important insects are in the lives of everyone.

The 4-H project will guide you in this first study of insects. Your
Extension agent and 4-H leader are advisors to help you solve your
problems. Ask for and follow their advice closely.

Ask your agent or leader for a project book and keep complete and
accurate records. This is an important part of the project. You may use
additional sheets if necessary. Enjoy your project and plan to participate
in 4-H Entomology Unit II.

Acknowledgements
This educational material was originally compiled and edited for 4-H
use by the National 4-H Entomology Program Development Committee,
composed of representatives of state and federal Extension services,
the National 4-H Service Committee, and Hercules Inc., a national
donor. Special acknowledgement is given to cooperators in various state
Cooperative Extension services who have supplied material included in
this publication.

The current revision was completed by Dini Miller, assistant professor

of entomology, Virginia Tech, and Kathleen Jamison, 4-H curriculum
and learning specialist, Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Review Team: Virginia Cooperative Extension/4-H Plants, Soils,

and Entomology Curriculum Committee members Joel Bunn, chair;
Stephanie Fletcher, chair elect; Joe Hunnings, specialist; John
Blankenship; Sandra Fisher; and Rikki Sterrett.

The members of the committee at time the original publication was

written were: Extension Entomologists E.A. Cancienne, Louisiana;
Warren T. Johnson, New York; J.O. Rowell, Virginia; Rudolph A.
Scheiber, Kentucky; and Paul W. Bergman, Federal Extension Service;
Frank J. Heitland, 4-H staff member, South Dakota; Kemp L. Swiney,
Federal Extension Service; Leon M. McNair, National 4-H Service
Committee; and donor representative Wheeler O. Holmes.
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Insects Are Interesting f. Give at least one demonstration or illustrated talk at a

meeting.
There are more different kinds of insects in the world than
all other living things put together. Some are so small that g. Keep your record book up to date.
we need a microscope to see them and others are several
inches in size. Insects are so numerous and widespread Step 2.
they can be studied practically anywhere; in the backyard,
the garden, in the house, or anywhere people travel in the a. Learn to recognize the main body parts of an insect.
world.
b. Make and use:
Entomologists, the scientists who study insects, estimate
(1) Spreading board.
that there are about a million species of insects worldwide.
In terms of numbers, they are the most abundant of land (2) Pinning block.
animals.
c. Collect, properly mount and label, and exhibit at least
The 4-H Entomology Project is designed so members of 100 different adult insects.
all ages can take part. Certain activities can be carried out
over several years. They are designed so you can use local d. Identify the order of all the insects you collected and
resources. If you live in a rural area, study the open fields. arrange the specimens by order in your display box.
If you live in an urban area, observe insects in and around
your home and use the Internet as a reference. e. Learn the scientific and common names of at least five
insects in your collection.
The activities listed in this book are to be used as guides.
Keep in mind the Entomology Project connects to many f. Assist your leader.
other 4-H projects.
g. Give at least one demonstration showing what you have
The following icons is used throughout the series: learned.

h. Keep a record of your work.

Questions to Consider
i. Consider all questions thoughtfully, and respond in your
What You Can Do project book or in a journal.

and Learn
What an Insect Is (SOL: 4.1, 7.5)
Step 1.
The animal kingdom is divided into large groups called
a. Learn “What an insect is.” phyla, which have similar characteristics. Animals with
backbones (vertebrates) and an inner skeleton, such as
b. Make or buy humans, cats, dogs, fish, birds, turtles, snakes, lizards,
frogs, and toads, belong in the Phylum Chordata.
(1) Collecting net.
The invertebrates have no backbone. There are several
(2) Killing jar. phyla in this group, including the Phylum Arthropoda,
insects and their relatives. Invertebrates also include,
(3) Insect pins.
Phylum Mollusca, snails, slugs, clams, and oysters;
(4) Insect collecting and display box. Phylum Annelida, earthworms and leeches; Phylum
Nemotoda, round worms and nematodes; Phylum
c. Collect, properly mount, identify, label, and exhibit at Platyhelminthes, flatworms, flukes, and tapeworms; and
least 25 different adult insects, representing as many Phylum Echinoderms, starfish, sea urchins, and sand
orders as possible. dollars.

d. Protect your collection from scavenger pests.

e. Attend club meetings.

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Arthropods
The phylum Arthropoda is further divided into Classes. The
common classes of Arthropods are:

1. Arachnida (harvestman, scorpions, pseudoscorpions,

spiders, mites, ticks) Tick
a. Have the head and thorax combined into one part
(cephalothorax);

b. Have no antennae;

c. Have four pairs of legs.

Spider

Mature Chigger
Tick
(note: immature chiggers
have only 3 pair of legs)

Scorpion

Pseudoscorpion

Harvestman

2. Chilopoda (centipedes)

a. Are generally flattened, many-segmented, long-

bodied animals;

b. Have one pair of moderately long antennae;

Centipedes
c. Have one pair of legs to each segment;

d. Are usually swift runners and inhabit the soil;

e. First pair of legs are modified into poison fangs!

They are predators.

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3. Crustacea (crayfish, shrimp, crabs)

a. Have the head and thorax combined into one part

(cephalothorax);
Crab
b. Have two pairs of antennae;

c. Have at least five pairs of legs

Crayfish
Sowbug

shrimp

4. Diplopoda (millipedes, thousand-legged” worm)

a. Are generally rounded, many-segmented, long-bodied

animals;

b. Have one pair of short antennae;

Millipedes
c. Have two pairs of legs attached to each body segment;

d. Coil in a characteristic manner when disturbed.

5. Hexapoda or Insecta (insects)

a. Have a body divided into three general regions (head, Swallowtail Butterfly
thorax, and abdomen);

b. Have three pairs of legs;

Army Moth
c. Have one pair of antennae

d. Are the only arthropods with wings.

Mole Cricket

Aphid
Boxelder Bug Earwig

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The phylum Arthropoda, Class Insecta are small animals 4. Have 2 pairs of wings. Other arthropods, like centipedes
which: and millipedes, have 2 antennae.

1. Have an exoskeleton (hard covering) on the outside of *Note: Evolution has caused some insects, like fleas and
the body. This gives insects protection. Most animals ticks, to lose their wings due to a parasitic lifestyle.
have skeletons (bones) inside their bodies.
Questions to Consider
2. Have three body regions. The head holds the eyes,
mouth parts, and antenna or feelers. The thorax is the • How do we classify other animals?
middle part with the legs and wings attached. The
abdomen is the part behind the thorax and contains the • Think of those features that make:
organs of digestion and reproduction.
– Horses different from turtles
3. Have six legs (three pairs). One pair is attached to each – Horses the same as dogs
segment of the thorax. – Birds different from frogs

Parts of an Insect

Front Wings Head Hind Wing

or
Elytra
Thorax
Thorax Hind Wing
Head
Abdomen
Legs

Hind Wings Antenna

(Antennae)
or
Flight Wings
Abdomen Legs

Head - with eyes,

antennae, and mouthparts

Thorax -
with legs and
wings Abdomen

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Insect Biology (SOL: 4.5, 7.5) from egg to adult. Insects are divided into four groups,
depending upon their method of metamorphosis.
Where an insect lives, what it eats, what its habits are, and
how it reproduces are all questions of insect biology. Most of
Questions to Consider
them can be answered by a study of the insect’s life cycle.
• Think about the life cycle of other animals.
The life cycle of an insect is from the egg stage to the
reproducing adult stage. How and what it does during • What are the life stages of frogs, birds, cats, snakes?
this period is its biology. Metamorphosis is the change in
structure and shape that an insect goes through as it grows • What kind of metamorphosis does each of those have?

Group 1 insects all come

from the egg looking
Without Metamorphosis Orders
Thysanura (Silverfish)
exactly like adults,
Collembola (Springtails)
except for size.
Mallophaga (Biting lice)
Anoplura (Sucking lice)

Egg Immature Adult

Group 2 insects change

shape gradually. They
Gradual Metamorphosis Orders
Orthoptera (Grasshoppers)
have three stages of
Isoptera (Termites)
growth; egg, nymph,
and adult. Psocoptera (Book lice and bark lice)
Thysanoptera (Thrips)
Egg Nymphs Adult Hemiptera (True bugs)
Homoptera (Aphids, leafhoppers)
Dermaptra (Earwigs)

Group 3 insects change

shape gradually. The young
Incomplete Metamorphosis Orders
Ephemerida (Mayflies)
do not look like adults
until they shed their last Odonata (Dragonflies)
exoskeleton. Then there is Plecoptra (Stonefiles)
a quick change.
Egg Naiads (always aquatic) Adult

Group 4 insects all go

through four stages of
Complete Metamorphosis Orders
Neuroptera (Lacewings)
growth; egg, larva, pupa,
Coleoptera (Beetles)
and adult. None of the
young look like the adult. Strepsiptera (Twisted wing parasite)
They go through a great Mecoptera (Scorpionflies)
change in shape during Trichoptera (Caddisflies)
the pupal stage. Egg Larvae Pupa Adult
Lepidoptera (Moths, butterflies)
Diptera (Flies)
Siphonaptera (Fleas)
Hymenoptera (Bees, wasps)

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Where to Look for Insects (SOL: 4.1, 4.5, 7.4, 7.12)

• In the air for flying insects on warm days from early • On (or in) fresh or decaying fruit
spring to late fall
• On domestic animals for parasitic insects such as fleas
• On a wide variety of vegetation, both day and night and lice

• Around street lights, porch lights, and study lamps at • Along the edges of rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds and
night in the water

• In woodpiles, especially in spring and early summer • In buildings: around windows or in flour bins, cereal
packages, and closets or boxes where clothing and old
• In the soil papers are stored

Collecting Net
Groove
Materials needed:

1. Small wood handle 3 feet long (broom handle or dowel).

2. About 5 feet of heavy-gauge (No. 9) wire for the hoop. Wire Metal
or Sleeve
3. A piece of unbleached muslin or netting cut into two 30- String
by-20-inch pieces.

4. Soft wire, heavy string, or metal sleeve to hold the hoop’s

wire to the net handle.

5. Needle and heavy thread.

How to make:

1. Bend the heavy wire into a circle (about 12 inches in

diameter) to form a hoop. Bend arms 2-1/2 inches and
3-1/2 inches long to fit in the net handle. Muslin or
Netting
2. Bore holes in the net handle for the arm hooks. If you
want a smooth fit, groove the handle on both sides as
shown.
Wire Hoop
3. See “Net Bag Construction” for instructions on how to (No. 9 wire)
make a bag.
12 inches
4. Thread the wire hoop through the hem of the bag and
insert wire arms into the handle. Slip the metal sleeve over
the handle to hold the wire arms in place. If preferred, you
may attach the hoop arms to the net handle by wrapping
them with soft wire or heavy string or purchase a net from
BioQuip (www.bioquip.com) over the Internet.
3 1/2 inch arm 2 1/2 inch arm
Insert Insect Net (Muslin or Netting) and Wire Hoop

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Net Bag Construction

To construct the net bag, lay a 20-by-30 inch piece of net Figure A.
material (muslin or netting) on another piece of the same 30” 20”
size (Fig A) and fold them making the folded material 10 by
30 inches (Fig. B). Cut the material from the bottom folded
corner diagonally up and across to a point 10 inches below the Figure B.
top unfolded corner (Fig. C). After cutting, you will have two 20”
roughly triangular pieces (Fig. D).
Figure C.
Stitch the two triangular pieces together, making the seam
about 1/2 inch from the cut edge and leave 10 inches free on 30”
one side at the top where the net hoop will be inserted (Fig.
E). Turn the cut edges inside and stitch the seam down flat (A
felled seam). 10”

To make a casing for the wire hoop, fold the top edge down 5
inches (Fig F). Then turn the folded edge down 2.5 inches and Figure E.
stitch the hem (Fig G). If you want to reinforce the hem of a bag Figure D.
made of netting, you can make only one fold and cover the fold
with a strip of muslin 5 by 40 inches. Then fold again and stitch.
The muslin will protect the netting around the wire hoop.

How to Collect Insects with a Net

There is a special technique used to net certain insects,

especially stinging and “biting” insects like wasps, bees,
hornets, assassin bugs, and tiger beetles. Sweep the insect into
the net and with a quick jerk force it to the bottom of the bag. Figure F. Figure G.
Flip the net hoop over so that the bag lies flat over the hoop.
This prevents the insect from FLYING OUT. Then grasp one
hand around the bag just above the captured insect. Insert the
end of the bag along with the captured insect into the killing jar.
Place the jar lid over the mouth of the jar as tightly as possible
and hold it for 30 to 60 seconds until the insect becomes
motionless. Remove the end of the net from the killing jar and
put the stunned insect back in the killing jar. Always stand
sideways to the wind while opening and handling your killing
jar.

Collecting butterflies and moths without damaging the

specimen also requires a special technique and care in handling
the net. To prevent butterflies or moths from escaping after
being netted, whip the net so the insect goes to the bottom of
the bag. Then squeeze the thorax of the butterfly between your
thumb and forefinger while it still is in the net. This will stun
the insect and prevent it from beating the scales off its wings
when it is dropped in the killing jar.

Many kinds of insects “play possum” and become inactive

when disturbed. To catch these insects, hold your net under
plants and shake the insects off into the net, then transfer them Figure H.
into the killing jar.

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Make an Insect Killing stainless steel and come in several sizes, but No. 3 and No.
5 are the most useful.
Jar
Any insect that is large enough to be pinned without
The size jar depends on the size and kind of insect you
breaking or otherwise being distorted may be pinned
want to collect. For butterflies and moths, a glass, wide-
directly through the body. The place of insertion depends
mouth pint mayonnaise or pickle jar with a screw cap is
upon the type of insect. If you use the following rules,
satisfactory. Never mix other insects in the same killing jar
you will pin the different types of insects so that the pin is
as your butterflies and moths. They can be easily damaged
placed firmly through the heavier parts of the body.
by beetles, wasps, and other hardier insects. You can use a
smaller wide-mouth jar for collecting other insects. Make 1. Bees, wasps, flies, etc.: Pin through the thorax between
several jars at a time so that you will always have extras if bases of fore wings and just to right of center line (B).
they get broken.
2. True bugs: Pin through the scutellum, the triangular area
Preparing the Killing Jar between the bases of the wings C.
Materials Needed: 3. Beetles: Pin through the fore part of the right wing
cover near the center line (D).
1. Several wide-mouth or canning jars with tight fitting lids.
4. Grasshoppers, crickets, etc.: Pin through the prothorax
2. Plaster of Paris
or “saddle,” just to the right of the center line (E).
3. Water
5. Butterflies, moths, dragonflies, etc.: Pin through center
4. Ethyl acetate, fingernail polish remover, or other of thorax between the bases of fore wings (F).
material that contains acetone.
Make sure 3/8 inch of the pin projects above the insect to
Mix 8 heaping teaspoons of Plaster of Paris with 5 make it easier to handle the specimen. Use a pinning block
teaspoons of water in a mixing cup. This should make a to measure this distance.
paste about as thick as a milk shake. Stir the mixture until
smooth. Poor or spoon enough mixture into each jar to
form a layer 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick. Tap the killing jars A
against the ground so the Plaster of Paris makes a smooth
surface. With the caps off the jars, let the Plaster of Paris
set for several days until it is thoroughly dry. When dry,
the Plaster of Paris becomes paper white. When the Plaster
of Paris is thoroughly set, pour as much killing agent into
the killing jar as will be absorbed by the Plaster of Paris. C
Pour any excess liquid that is not absorbed out onto a
concrete surface outdoors and cap the jar immediately.
B
Never pour it into a water source or down a drain. It E
evaporates quickly off of surfaces like concrete or asphalt.
To reduce the danger of inhaling the fumes, go outdoors to
“charge” a killing jar. Always keep the jar tightly covered
except when placing insects in the jar or taking them out,
as the killing agent evaporates very rapidly.
D
Pinning Insects
You can buy insect pins at most college or university
bookstores. Check with your local 4-H leader or on the
Internet for the nearest source of supply. Do not use F
common pins since they will rust and ruin what may be
valuable specimens. Insect pins are made of nylon or

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Make a Pinning Block

Pin medium and larger-size insects vertically through
the body, using the pinning block to set the height of
the insect on the pin. You can make a simple, temporary
pinning block out of corrugated cardboard. You can make
a more permanent pinning block out of wood. Position 1 inch
bug first at the highest level. Insert pin in the insect at the
correct position. Once the insect is positioned, move pin
and insect to second level and pin through the first label
containing collection information. Move the pin holding Adjusting Height of Card Point
insect and first label to the third level and pin through the
second label, the one that identifies the insect. See diagram 5. Put a tiny drop of glue on the bent-down part of the
on page 12. card point. Press it gently to the underneath, right side
of the insect. You can use clear fingernail polish or any
clear-drying glue. Be sure the insects is “square with the
world” and not at an angle. This takes practice!
1 inch
5/8 inch
3/8 inch

1 inch 1 inch 1 inch

Block Spreading Board

Materials needed:
1. Block of soft wood (balsa wood) or Styrofoam
approximately 6 x 6 x 2 inches.

Adjusting Height of Insect and Labels on PIn 2. A handsaw or pocketknife

How to make:
How to Card Point Small Insects Saw or cut a wide groove across the block. The groove
should be about 1/4 inch wide and 1/2 inch deep. This
1. Select some heavy paper, such as index
makes a slot for the insect’s body to rest in when spreading
cards, for making the card points.
A Card Point the wings. You may wish to make three or four of these
2. Cut the card points in the shape shown (actual size)
blocks (some with broad and some with narrow slots) for
and about 3/8 inch long. spreading small or large butterflies or moths.

3. Put a pin through the base of the card point as shown 6 inch
and push it up on the pin to about 1/4
6 inch
inch from the top of the pin. Use a
pinning block to set the card points at
uniform heights.

4. With a pair of tweezers, bend the tip 2 inch

of the card point down as shown in the
sketch. 1/4 inch

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Spreading Butterfly
Wings
A. Put an insect pin through the center of the
thorax of a freshly killed butterfly. (If the insect
has dried, see your leader for instructions for
relaxing specimens.) Leave ¼ inch of the pin
exposed above the thorax. Make sure the insect
does not tip from side to side or front to back on
the pin. A

B. Push the pin straight down in the center of the B

slot of your pinning board until the outstretched
wings are just level with the surface of the
pinning board.

C. Lightly insert an insect pin in each front wing

along the front margin and just behind one of
the heavy wing veins. Move the front wings,
using the pin, gently forward until the hind
margins of the front wings are in a straight line
at right angles to the body. Push pins gently into
block to hold the wings.

D. With a pin placed behind a heavy vein in the C

hind wing, move each hind wing forward until
the gap between the front wing and hind wing is
closed to just a notch, as shown in the right side
of D.

E. Cut some narrow strips of paper and lay them

over the wings. Pin them in place as shown.
Remove the other pins that are through the
wings. The pins holding the paper strips in place
should not go through the wings but should
be close to them to keep enough pressure on D
the wings to prevent them from slipping out
of place. Some entomologists use transparent
paper so they can see if the wings have slipped
out of place while the specimen is drying. Too
thin paper will not give enough pressure on the
wings. If the abdomen tends to sag, you can
prop it up with pins until it dries.

You also can use pins to keep the antennae in

place while the specimen dries. Depending on the
moisture in the air, the specimen should remain on
the board from four to eight days,

Note: As you gain more practice with spreading E

butterflies, you will want to use a method which
does not puncture the wings with pins. This method
is shown in some entomology books.

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Labeling Insects Making a Collection Box

(a) Shows information on each label. Materials:

(b) Shows proper arrangement on pin. 1. Any sturdy shallow box about 2 by 6 by 8 inches,
similar to a cigar box, which is ideal
(There are no sheets in back, use labels page 45). The
most important label is the one that tells where, when, and 2. Piece of corrugated cardboard, soft fiberboard, or
by whom the insect was collected. Every pinned insect Styrofoam
should have this label. Remember, a specimen without a
date, locality, and collector label is practically worthless. 3. Glue
You can add the “common name” labels if you know this
information. Place labels at the desired height on the pin by 4. Moth crystals to keep pests out of collections
means of a pinning block.
5. Pill box or safety-match box to hold moth crystals

6. No. 2 and No. 3 insect pins

7. Insect labels

8. White paper

Procedure:

1. Cut the cardboard, fiber board, or Styrofoam to fit

the bottom of the box.
A
2. Smear glue on bottom of box and insert cut piece.

3. Line the box with white paper.

4. Fill a safety-match or small pill box with moth

crystals (crushed mothballs).

5. If the pill box is air tight, punch some holes in the

lid.

6. Pin the crystals box in a corner of the collection

box.

Questions to Consider

• Why do people collect insects?

• Why do you want to collect insects?

• Why do people collect other things?

B • What do they collect?

• How do they display them?

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Identifying Your Insects (SOL: 7.5, 6.1)

Each insect you collect will belong in a particular Order. This is the system used in grouping insects. From the description
given of the Orders and the illustrations shown, place your insects in the Orders in which they belong.

Thysanura (Firebrats, Silverfish)

Wings: None

Mouthparts: Chewing Silverfish

Metamorphosis: None

Added note: Silver-colored insects with long antennae and two or three long antennae-like appendages (cerci) at the end
of the abdomen. The silverfish feed on rayons, starched clothes, book bindings, and other materials having starch or glue.
Most damage is caused to paper products. Can be found in feed or flour mills where starchy foods are handled or in sinks
and bathtubs of homes.

Collembola (Springtails)

Wings: None

Mouthparts: Chewing Springtail

Metamorphosis: None

Added note: Very small insects, less than 1/5 inch long. Flip themselves into the air by means of a spring-like appendage,
under the abdomen. Found in damp places such as under decaying vegetation, stones, boards, and in the soil.

Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Cockroaches. Mantids)

Wings: Top pair – Leathery; Bottom pair – Membranous and folded under top pair (camel crickets are wingless)

Mouthparts: Chewing
Praying Mantis
Metamorphosis: Gradual
Cockroach
Added note: A very common order of insects.

Red-legged Grasshopper Field Cricket

Isoptera (Termites)

Wings: Two pairs of the same length (workers are wingless)

Mouthparts: Chewing
Termites
Metamorphosis: Gradual

Added note: Kings and queens may be collected while swarming and workers may be found infesting wood. Look under
wood on the ground.

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Ephemeroptera (Mayflies)

Wings: Two pairs – First pair much larger than second pair.

Held vertically when at rest.

Mayfly
Mouthparts: None

Metamorphosis: Incomplete

Added note: Found near water and attracted to lights. Have two or three long antennae-like appendages (cerci) at the end
of the abdomen. Niads are aquatic.

Plecoptera (Stoneflies)

Wings: Two pairs

Mouthparts: Chewing

Metamorphosis: Incomplete Stonefly

Added note: Found near running streams.

Odonata (Dragonflies, Damselflies)

Wings: Two pair

Damselfly
Mouthparts: Chewing

Metamorphosis: Incomplete Dragonfly

Added note: Feed on other insects.

Usually found near water. Niads are aquatic.

Neuroptera (Dobsonflies, Lacewings, Ant lions) Lacewings

Wings: Two pairs, many fine net-like veins

Mouthparts: Chewing Dobsonflies

Ant lions
Metamorphosis: Complete

Added note: Have long antennae and are predators. Seen at lights at night where they feed on other insects. Antlions are
immature and make pits in the ground to entrap prey.

Thysanoptera (Thrips)

Wings: Two pairs or none

Mouthparts: Rasping, sucking

Thrips
Metamorphosis: Gradual

Added note: Very small insects, 1/8 inch long or less. Feed on many plants.

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Psocoptera (Book and Bark lice)

Wings: Some wingless, some with two pairs

Book Lice
Mouthparts: Chewing

Metamorphosis: Gradual

Added note: Found in old books and papers or on bark of trees or damp, stored grain.

Trichoptera (Caddisflies)

Wings: Two pairs

Mouthparts: Chewing Caddishfly

Metamorphosis: Complete

Added note: Wings covered with short hairs and held roof-like over body when at rest. Found near water. Larvae are
aquatic. They do not have niads because they have complete metamorphosis.

Mallophaga (Chewing lice)

Wings: None
Large Chicken Louse
Mouthparts: Chewing

Metamorphosis: None

Added note: Live on birds and to some extent on mammals. Feed on hair, feathers, scales, and dried blood.

Anoplura (Sucking Lice)

Wings: None

Mouthparts: Piercing, sucking Human Body Louse

Metamorphosis: None

Added note: Head narrow and long. Claws pincer-like for grasping hairs. Feed on mammals. Also like hogs, but let’s tell it
like it is.

Dermaptera (Earwings)

Wings: Two pairs

Mouthparts: Chewing Earwig

Metamorphosis: Graduate

Added note: Front pair of wings like those of beetles but very short, hind pair membranous. Have a pair of pincers on end
of abdomen. Found on plants and decayed matter and in damp locations in houses.

14 Adventures with Insects

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 Virginia 4-H
*

Hemiptera (True Bugs)

Green Stink Bug
Wings: Two pairs – front pair is half leathery and
half membranous and hind pair is membranous.

Mouthparts: Piercing, sucking

Lygus Bug
Metamorphosis: Gradual

Added note: Most live on land but a few live

in the water. Most feed on plant juices, but
there are some that feed on animals and others
that feed on other insects. Giant Water Bug
Chinch Bug

Homptera (Aphids, Scales, Leafhoppers, Cicadas) Potato Leafhopper

Wings: Two pairs or wingless

Mouthparts: Piercing, sucking Aphid

Metamorphosis: Gradual

Added note: All feed on plants.

Cicada
Buffalo Treehopper

Mecoptera (Scorpionflies)

Wings: Two pairs, long and narrow

Mouthparts: Chewing
Scorpionfly
Metamorphosis: Complete

Added note: Mouthparts arevat the end of a long snout. Found on low vegetation in dense woods or sometimes in open fields.

Coleptera (Beetles)

Wings: Two pairs – front pair is hard and

shell-like, and hind pair is membranous
Whirligig Beetle
Mouthparts: Chewing

Metamorphosis: Complete

Added note: This is one of the largest Convergent

orders of insects in the world and is Lady Beetle
found almost everywhere. Giant Stag
Beetle
Clover Lead Weevil

Adventures with Insects 15

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*

Siphonaptera (Fleas)

Wings: None
Flea
Mouthparts: Piercing, sucking

Metamorphosis: Complete

Added note: Adults live on animals. Fleas on pets lay eggs that drop off the animal and onto the floor. The larvae hatch
and can live in the carpet fibers feeding on dried blood until they pupate.

Clothes Moth
Lepidoptera (Butterflies, Moths, Skippers)

Wings: Two pairs

Giant Skipper Viceroy Butterfly
Mouthparts: Siphoning

Metamorphosis: Complete

Added note: Moths hide during day and Yellow Jacket

are active at night. Butterflies are active
in the day and are usually brighter colored
than the moths. Skippers have the tips of
the antennae bent back like the handles of
walking canes. Cabbage Butterfly

Diptera (Flies, Mosquitoes, Midges)

Wings: One pair

Mouthparts: Piercing, sucking, or sponging Mosquito

Metamorphosis: Complete
House Fly
Added note: Found around flowers, decaying vegetation,
on animals, and in houses and barns. Many bite, and also
breed in filth and waste.
Deer Fly

Hymenoptera (Bees, Wasps, Ants)

Wings: Two pairs. Worker ants are wingless.

Honey Bee
Mouthparts: Chewing

Metamorphosis: Complete

Added note: The greatest number of insects

on earth and found almost everywhere.
Black Carpenter Ant

Yellow Jacket

16 Adventures with Insects

* 18 U.S.C. 707
 Virginia 4-H
*

Glass-top Display Case

Materials needed for an 18-by-24-inch glass-top display case:

1. One piece of masonite or hardboard for bottom – 18 x 24 inches.

2. Two side pieces of pine – 3/4 x 3 1/2 x 24 inches.

3. One end piece of pine – 3/4 x 3 1/2 x 16 1/2 inches.

4. One end piece of pine – 3/4 x 3 1/8 x 16 1/2 inches.

5. One piece of Celotex or similar soft fiberboard for the pinning floor – 16 1/2 x 22 1/2 inches.

6. One piece of window glass 1/8 inch thick – 17 x 23 1/2 inches.

Celotex pinning floor

1/8 inch thick window glass

17 x 23 1/2 inches 18”
24”

3 1/2”

Masonite bottom

Both sides and one end

grooved 1/4” x 1/8”
to receive glass top

This end 3 1/8” to

allow glass to slide into
grooves

Adventures with Insects 17

* 18 U.S.C. 707
 Virginia 4-H
*

Where to look for Insects?

On a wide variety of In the air for flying

vegetation, both day insects on warm days
and night. from early spring to
late fall.

At night around
street lights, On (or in) fresh, or
porch lights, and decaying fruit.
study lamps.

On domestic animals
for parasitic insects,
In woodpiles, such as fleas, and lice.
especially in spring and
early summer.

Along the edges of

rivers, streams,
lakes, or ponds and
in the water.

In buildings – windows,
In the soil. in flour bins, cereal
packages, closets or
boxes where clothing
and old papers are
sold.

18 Adventures with Insects

* 18 U.S.C. 707
 * 18 U.S.C. 707
19 Adventures with Insects
1. Buffalo Treehopper; 2. Butterfly; 3. Cockroach; 4. Deer Fly; 5. Sucking louse; 6. Damselfly; 7. Cicadia; 8. Stag Beetle; 9. Scorpion
8. 8. 7.
6. 5. 4.
3. 2. 1.
(SOL: 7.5)
Can you name these insects?
*
Virginia 4-H
 Virginia 4-H
*

Entomology Project

Sharing What you Did: 1. How would you teach someone else about arthropods?

1. What did you like about this project? 2. What did you learn through this project that you will be
able to use in school? At home?
2. What was the easiest part? The hardest part? The most
fun? The most boring? 3. Describe a time when you might need the skills/
knowledge you learned through this project.
3. How did you decide which insects to collect? Why did
you choose your particular method of display? 4. In what other ways could you apply the skills learned in
this project?
4. How did you feel about doing this project?
5. What would you do differently if you conducted this
Processing What’s Important: project again?

1. Why is it important for you to know and for others to

know about insects?

2. What problems occured during the project?

3. What did you learn about making decisions?

4. What type of communication helped you make your

decisions?

5. If you worked in a group, what were some common

themes or thoughts you heard?

Generalizing “So What?”:

1. How will learning about insects help you?

2. When else have you had similar experiences while

learning new things? What about this experience made
it a brand new learning experience?

3. What other resources can help you gather information

about entomology?

4. What are some ways you like to learn? How did you use
them in this project?

5. What did you learn about observation?

Applying What Was Learned to other Situations:

20 Adventures with Insects

* 18 U.S.C. 707
Add photographs of your project here. Label them and tell why they
are important to you.
 4-H is a community of young people across America who are learning
leadership, citizenship, and life skills.

Publication 444-408 2014

www.ext.vt.edu
Produced by Communications and Marketing, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2014
Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs,
sexual orientation, genetic information, marital, family, or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; Jewel E. Hairston, Administrator, 1890 Extension
Program, Virginia State, Petersburg.

VT/0214/4H-251NP