Homeschool Fun :) Entomology 101

{ August 29, 2008 @ 8:21p08 } · { Uncategorized }

We are really having fun this year and learning some interesting things! For example, maybe you all know already but I have certainly never given much thought to the process of mosquito bites and what causes them to itch some people and not others. We are using Apologia science this year which I LOVE!!! I actually bought this book a few years ago anticipating my boys getting to the age that they could understand! We are in “Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day”! Entomology is far more fascinating that I ever realized and we are on our way to becoming Entomologists! Are you impressed yet? Just wait ! So, now back to the mosquito. First, only the female insects suck blood-they need it to develop their eggs. The males feed on nectar and fruits. The mosquito has a long, tubular mouthpart (it is called a proboscis, in case you care) This mouthpart has 4 cutting/piercing tools called stylets. The female mosquito uses these tools to stab into the skin and then she will stick her proboscis into the wound to suck the blood. At this point she injects her saliva (eew, gross!) which keeps the blood from clotting. Most people are allergic to her saliva and thus the itching. Amazing! Another fun fact is that most insects use their legs and feet for tasting. I had heard this but never really appreciated it the way Karsten did. Yesterday I had a running commentary on everything he would be tasting if he were an insect. He was barefoot and of course going out of his way to touch everything with his feet. We have a molted exoskeleton (cast) of a june bug on our KITCHEN counter. We have been reminded of just how nasty flies really are. You really shouldn’t eat after them! I knew they vomited on their food, but do you know why? They have sponge mouths and can only sponge up liquids. Their vomit has a chemical that helps break down and begin to digest the food so it “liquifies”. By the way, when they vomit they also vomit what they ate last right there on your food. Remember that dog poop in the yard? Or that dead animal in the field? Yep! Yummy. Ok, enough already of insects, but that has been our life this week. Oh, just one more cool thing- we can tell if an insect is male or female now.  We can turn it over and see if it has a ovipositor (long and pointy spikey stinger looking thing) on the end of the abdomen. If so, it’s a she and that is how she lays eggs. Now you know.

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