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Insects are animals
that have:
1 pair of antennae
2 pairs of wing (if
any)
3 pairs of legs
3 body parts: head,
thorax and abdomen
and an exoskeleton ("exo"
means their skeleton is on the outside!)
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There are a group of insects
called "true bugs" that differ from other insects in several ways.
One way they are different is that they eat using a feeding tube instead
of chewing jaws.
You probably have seen Boxelder bugs
a lot on HOT days at school or at home. Make sure you
be careful though because their only way to defend themselves is to let off a stinky odor!!!
That's probably why no other insects or animals like to eat them.
That's right....Boxelder bugs have no natural enemies, except for
YOU! Boxelder bugs will leave a red stain if you step on
them and so the only easy way to get them out of your site is to
get out your vacuum cleaner! |
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Many
people think anything with a lot of legs, like a spider, is an insect.
But if it has eight legs as do spiders, ticks and scorpions, it is
considered an arachnid, not an insect. |
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Plants like the pitcher plant and venus flytrap, other insects
eat each other which is called cannibalism, fish and amphibians,
reptiles, birds, mammals like coyotes, moles & shrews, gats, and
PEOPLE all eat insects! |
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"EATING INSECTS!" That's right! Entomophagy is
eating insects and in the U.S., it's predicted that
you'll eat as much as 1 pound of insects in your lifetime - by
accident, of course.
That's because insects and parts of
insects are impossible to eliminate completely in modern food
harvesting and processing. Consequently, the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration allows a certain amount of bugs and bug parts in
your processed food. So one way or the other, we've all
eaten insects.
But as much as we dislike the thought
of eating insects, there are a lot of cultures around the
world who think differently. Many native societies in
Australia, Asia, Africa and elsewhere have a long history of
eating insects for a good source of protein, vitamins and
minerals.
In fact, there are 1,462 recorded
species of edible insects.
Many of the insects eaten are those
that can be gathered in large number, like ants, termites and
locusts (grasshoppers).
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LOCUSTS: These
insects are eaten in parts of Africa and increasingly in South
Korea. They are boiled, cleaned and salted after being
gathered early in the morning before they're active. The
photograph to the right shows two desert locusts! |
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TERMITES:
These insects are a popular food in parts of
Africa and Australia, particularly the large queen castes, where
one single termite can measure up to 3 inches long. They
are typically eaten lightly salted and are a better source of
protein than beef, but they also are really high in fat so some
people covert them into a colorless oil used for frying.
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CATERPILLARS:
In Mexico, caterpillars from the Giant Skippers are sold fresh in
markets and then fried before eaten. Many
beetle grubs (baby beetles that are a lot like caterpillars) are
also popular. The Goliath beetle reaches to a length of 5 1/2
inches and is a favorite in Africa. Silkworm pupae and ant
eggs are also popular in Asia and Africa. Look at the
caterpillar to the right. It looks really poky, but it's
actually soft and fuzzy! |
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CRICKETS: In Thailand,
crickets - considered one of the best tasting insects - are
cooked and served as crunchy snacks.
The mole cricket, in particular, is a favorite because it
contains high levels of protein, iron, calcium, phosphorus,
vitamins B1 and B2 and niacin. These are all important
vitamins and minerals that help keep you healthy. Look at
this mole cricket...yuck! Would you eat one?
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BEETLES:
Despite their hard shells, adult beetles are also yummy!
People in Thailand eat water beetles and people in China eat
giant water bugs. They consider them a delicacy, which
means that they are a super fancy snack!!! What do you
think? Would you like to eat a beetle for a holiday
dinner? |
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BEES: Wild honey bees are
a popular treat in Thailand
and they are so heavily hunted as a food item, that researchers
believe that
small farmers should start raising them to help both the farmer's
income and prevent extinction.
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Plants (all kinds and
all parts), other insects, each other which is called cannibalism, small
fish, tadpoles or even a giant water bug, dung (cowpies) dead animals and live ones, too,
including YOU!
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The use of an insect,
disease, or mite to control a troublesome weed or insect pest is called
Biological Control and the insect, disease or mite used is called a
"natural enemy."
Here at the
laboratory, scientists are studying several "natural enemies" of insect
pests and weeds. One of the "good bugs" is the Aphthona flea
beetle, an insect being used to control the noxious weed called leafy
spurge.
Other natural enemies
are being studied for use against crop pests, such as the wheat stem
sawfly and sugarbeet root maggot, and to battle weeds like spotted
knapweed and hoary cress.
Have you ever seen leafy spurge along the
side of the road or in a field?
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MST)
FAX: 406.433.5038
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