Kids Ask Dr. Bug

about the curious things found in the garden

Why haven’t we discovered all the insect species yet?

While there are approximately 1.5 million known insect species, it is estimated that there are over 5 million species, so scientists have a long way to go to name ALL the insects. New species are being discovered frequently – around 18,000 species of all kinds are discovered every year, and many of those are insects!

Some of the reasons all the insects haven’t been discovered include: • Insects are small, and some are microscopic. It can be hard to find them and even harder to study them. • Some insect species look like each other and so it requires specialized techniques to tell them apart. • Insects live in all kinds of habitats all over the world, including some that are very hard for humans to reach.

However, it is possible that a new species could be right in your own backyard! You can help by studying the insects around you. Maybe you will find the next new species!

Are there invertebrates other than insects?

Yes! In fact, more than 90% of animal life are invertebrates. The word “invertebrate” means an animal lacking a backbone. This includes arthropods (insects, spiders, centipedes, millipedes), gastropods (snails, slugs), annelids (worms), coelenterates (jellyfish, corals, sea anemones), cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish), and many other animals.

Do bugs sleep?

Insects don’t tuck themselves into a comfy spot and get “shut eye” like some other larger animals – they don’t even have eyelids. However, they do sleep! Sleep can be defined as a period of time when there is disconnection from the external world, changed brain activity, and the brain requiring a moment (or two) to jolt back into consciousness. What’s more, there is something called “sleep rebound”

that comes from not getting enough sleep and then needing more sleep to recover. Insects experience all of this, although different insects have different sleep needs. To perform their best, insects must catch their Zs. If they don’t get enough sleep, it can affect their behavior. For example, scientists found that if they kept honey bees awake, the bees couldn’t do the waggle dance as well as their sisters who got enough sleep.

Insects have other forms of rest that aren’t considered sleep. These include torpor and diapause. Torpor is like hibernation and occurs when the temperature is too cold for the insects to move. As cold-bloded organisms, insects rely on the temperature around them to be able to move and interact with the environment. Diapause occurs when there are environmental conditions that are harmful for development such as temperature extremes, drought, or not enough food. In this case, the insects pause their development

and rest until the environment gets better for them to finish growing up.

Long-horned bee

Do momma bugs sing to their babies?

Many insects “sing” to communicate with others of their species, usually to find a mate. Most insects are also solitary, meaning that after the mom carefully selects a location to lay her eggs, she flies/ crawls/hops away and does not interact with her offspring. So, most insect mommas are not even near their eggs when they hatch. There are a few cases of insects that care for their offspring, more than laying eggs, or making sure that their babies have something to eat when they hatch. Some insect mommas, and a few insect papas, care for their offspring a little longer, such as the eggplant lace bug mommas that guard their eggs after they are laid. She watches over her eggs and if an enemy approaches, she rushes toward them fanning her wings!

Another neat example is the giant water bug. The mom lays her eggs on the dad, who then takes care of the eggs until they hatch. In a honey bee hive, sisters take care of their siblings until they emerge as adults and then the daughters take care of the queen bee so she can lay more eggs. The hive hums, but no, momma insects do not sing to their babies.

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.

TAMRA REALL Horticulture Specialist

Dr. Tamra Reall (@MUExtBugNGarden) is a horticulture specialist for MU Extension – Urban West Region. For free, research-based gardening tips, call 816-833-TREE (8733), email mggkc.hotline@gmail.com, or visit extension.missouri.edu. The University of Missouri is an equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/ pro-disabled and veteran employer.