Kids Ask Dr. Bug about the curious things found in the garden

Did you know that there is a Kids Ask Dr. Bug video series? Check it out! https:// bit.ly/KADBvideos.

Science and collaboration go hand in hand. Dr. Bug was recently a part of a conference with a lot of Extension Master Gardeners. They helped her write this article and their answers are below.

What is the purpose of an insect’s exoskeleton?

Just as we have bones, insect bodies need support. The exoskeleton is on the outside and supports the body parts like our bones inside of us. ~

Alice Allison

A bug has an outer shell, or exoskeleton, for protection. It is made from chitin. One of the purposes of an exoskeleton is to keep its “guts” from falling out. Also, the exoskeleton keeps the water in the bug from evaporating. Like us, we need to keep drinking water, so we don’t dry out. The exoskeleton also provides a suit of armor to protect it. A true knight in shining armor! ~

John Malanchak

Exoskeletons are amazing and have several functions. Some were mentioned above and here are a few more: support for internal organs and a place for muscles to attach, protection from drying out, protection from being squished, and they help the insect sense their surroundings! Made from chitin exoskeletons can be very hard – hard enough to withstand being stepped on or driven over, as in the case of the diabolical ironclad beetle. Do you play Minecraft? Minecraft arthropods also have chitin, and they drop chitin upon death. While this chitin can be used to make armor in the game, did you know that people used to use beetle wings to decorate their clothes? Check out these sites to see some of these clothes! https:// bit.ly/BeetleClothes1 and https://

bit.ly/BeetleClothes2 ~ Dr. Bug

Do bugs have families like we do?

Some do, but not all. Some insects are called social insects, like honey bees, where babies are taken care of by adults, and the adults have different jobs that take care of each other. There are spider parents who carry their babies on their backs. Other insects lay eggs and never see their babies, like praying mantids. ~

Brenda Dahlfors

Bugs have families - other bugs that share traits and similar habits. For example, moths and butterflies (Family: Lepidoptera), bees and ants (Family: Hymenoptera), or flies and mosquitoes (Family: Diptera). Although bugs share “familiar” traits, they don’t do Thanksgiving dinner! ~

Diane Oakes

Bugs do have families! Actually, they are grouped into insect families. Some insect parents are very good parents. For example, the giant water bug female lays eggs on the wings of a male. He will stop everything else to protect the eggs until they hatch. ~

Amanda Groleau

Fireflies light up to find a mate! They don’t have Facebook or phones to find a girlfriend or boyfriend. The light tells other fireflies what it is – it’s not a bird or butterfly! ~

Jennifer Baskett

What a fiery question! Would you like your body to light up? I know I would! Especially on dark nights! But fireflies are so lucky that they have a chemical reaction in their body called bioluminescence which makes them light up to find a “friend.” ~

Anonymous

Much like humans put on their party clothes to attract that certain someone at a party, fireflies light up and use a flashy light pattern to attract a mate. ~

Lesa Smith

How do mosquitoes find their

prey?

Mosquitoes find their prey much like we find our dinner - with smell! Like other insects, mosquitoes are attracted to the scent of carbon dioxide. They seek out this smell to find their victims. They use their antennae to smell. ~

Cassie Thiessen

What tips you off when you are hungry? Your tummy growls and you smell dinner cooking. That is similar for mosquitoes. They get signals that a meal is near based on their senses. They find their next meal based on odors they can sense. They take a blood meal once they find their “dinner.” Hopefully it isn’t you! ~

Deb Bilyeu

Have you ever walked outside, and mosquitoes immediately target you?! Researchers have discovered that mosquitoes can detect skin odors and carbon dioxide. That means they can tell you’re breathing and like your smell. ~

Linda Bever

Do all spiders make webs?

Not all spiders make webs, although they do make silk. Only about half of them create webs to catch their dinner. Some spiders make draglines to snare their prey, like a cowboy lasso! ~ Anonymous

Hey kids! Have you thought about having a spider as your pet? They can live in or out of your house. First make sure your spider pet is safe for you to be around. Then you can find out how they live and what they need. Look at them with a microscope and find out if they make a web, or maybe not. ~

Sherry Brink

Who hasn’t run into a spider web at some point? Spiders can swing through the air on their webs to attach them across wide spaces. But some spiders make trap doors in the ground to live. Others just wait for prey to come along and then jump on them! ~ Katherine Oliver.

Do you have questions for Dr. Bug? Send them to ReallT@Missouri. edu or https://bit.ly/KidsAskDrBug. Please include your name and age. To help me learn what you learn from this column, consider filling out this survey: https://bit.ly/ KidsAskDrBugSurvey.

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