Insects are amazing tiny creatures and are often overlooked. Are insects animals or something else entirely? Insects are animals because they meet the taxonomic classification for the animal kingdom. These characteristics include: respire with oxygen, feed on organic material, motility, sexual reproduction, and are multicellular. There are more insects on Earth than all other animals …
Bug Facts
Insect anatomy is wildly different than our own. They have exoskeletons around their organs, instead of an endoskeleton. You may wonder how different other aspects of their anatomy is. Do insects have hearts? Here’s more about insect hearts and how their circulatory systems work. Do Insects Have Hearts? Insects do hearts, and they are a …
If you see a squished bud, its insides won’t look red but green or yellowish. Do insects have blood? Instead of blood like humans, insects have a similar but distinctly different fluid. Learn about bug blood and about the insect circulatory system. Do Insects Have Blood? Bugs have a substance called hemolymph, which serves similar …
If you discovered a tiny cream-white egg on a milkweed leaf, then you have probably found a monarch butterfly egg. In about 4 days (or less), a caterpillar is going to hatch and soon, you will be watching the life cycle of the gorgeous monarch take place. Raising monarch caterpillars into butterflies is a surprisingly …
My caterpillar hasn’t been moving. What’s wrong? Is it dead? Should I move it to another leaf? Put something else in there? HELP! I’m frantic! I’m in a panic! Okay, it is time to relax! That’s right. Relax. Breathe. Chances are that your caterpillar is ready to molt. Shed its skin and change instars. It …
If you’ve been learning about raising monarchs, you’ve probably heard of the monarch parasite: OE spores. In this article, you’ll learn what OE parasites are, how they affect monarchs, and how they are transmitted. What Are OE Parasites? Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) is a protozoan parasite that affects monarch and queen butterflies. OE protozoan is a single-celled …
To raise monarch caterpillars at home, you’ll need a few supplies. There are some great commercial options for rearing monarch larvae. In this guide, you’ll learn the monarch butterfly supplies needed to raise from instar to adult butterfly. But you don’t have to spend a lot of money to successfully do this. Many of the …
How many legs do insects have? Do all insects have 6 legs? Knowing how many legs is an important step to identifying the animal you’ve discovered. In this post, you’ll learn about 6 legged insects, with examples and photos. Insects have 6 legs, as part of their morphology. If an animal has more (or less) …
If you thought bugs and insects were the same things, you’re not alone. A lot of people use the two words interchangeably, but they don’t have the same meaning. You may even hear a scientist using the word bug as a generic term for an insect. However, in a technical sense, the two words have …
Most people know that spiders have 8 legs. And if an animal has six legs, it’s an insect, not an arachnid. But do other animals also have eight legs? Do all spiders have 8 legs? It is a myth that only spiders have 8 legs. Some other 8-legged animals include mites, ticks, scorpions, pseudoscorpions, and …