.....::Fly On The Wall ~ Arthropod Biology
The Fly on The Wall is a joint project between Biology class and English. In Biology, we caught an arthropod -- that being an insect, arachnid, or crustacean. After studying the creature for a while, learning facts about their biology and what makes an arthropod an arthropod, we wrote an entire story from the bug's point of view in English.
In Biology, we first learned how to safely catch a bug, or methods to make it easier. I had gone out to Sweetwater Natural Park and caught this fella by hand. To take the pictures, we put them in the refrigerator in order to slow down their metabolism, so they wouldn't jump everywhere. Because the arthropods are cold-blooded, they would first need to warm up before they could move. Putting them in the cold did not harm them.
What makes an arthropod an arthropod are mainly the abdomen, thorax, and head. Those are the three main parts. For crustaceans and arachnids, they only have two main parts to their bodies, the abdomen and the cephlothorax, which is like a mix of the head and the thorax. The abdomen is segmented. All arthropods have a hard outer shell as well.
My grasshopper was such a sweetie when I took pictures. He didn't jump a lot, and only tried once. However, he was missing a leg, so that might have discouraged him. I named him Timmy, which is his name in the story I wrote in English. In the picture to the right, he simply began to eat the plants I put as a background, so I got plenty of beautiful shots of him.
Here are some facts about my arthropod!
Physical description:The shell of the grasshopper is a dry and dusty brown color, in order to blend in with the sandy terrain of its home. It is a short-horned grasshopper. It has five eyes, two of which are large that are often the one people see, and three smaller ones that rest just under the antennae and in between. It has four front legs and two large back legs for jumping, as well as a pair of wings covering its long abdomen.For the Caerulean-winged Grasshopper in particular, the wings are tinted with the blue after which it is named. Its hind legs are also colored the same brilliant and outstanding caerulean.
Location:Found in Sweetwater Natural Park, among young leaves and in the dry dirt and sand. It was caught by a hand swiftly grabbing it.
Classification: Order: Orthoptera; Suborder: Caelifera; It is of the Orthoptera family, which consists of crickets, cicadas, and of course, grasshopper. For the Grasshopper in particular, they are part of the Caelifera classification. Also in the Caelifera classification are locusts.
What does it eat: They prefer grasses, leaves, and cereal crops. They are generally herbivorous. They are polyphagous, which means they'll eat more than one type of plant, but some stick to one plant. Some long-horned grasshoppers eat dead animals.
Life Cycle:Egg ==> Nymph (Looks like adult w/ no wings) ==> Nymph w/ Wing pads ==> Adults
After 40-60 days they become adults.They moult about 6 times.
How long does it live:From the moment it's laid, about a year. Although, not counting the egg stage, 2-3 months, maybe a little bit longer.
Relationships with other organisms:They are a food source to predators like birds, lizards, mantids, spiders, and rodents.
Where is it found (Global, or specific regions?):All around the world, except in cold places.
Migration:Generally called locusts when they migrate, since they do so in swarms.
Hibernation: Yes by digging a hole and sleeping in it.
It's completely natural for grasshoppers to lose their limbs, and they can still walk even without their hind jumping legs, for their front legs are the ones they use to walk. They also can still hop with just one leg. I know this because of mere observation. They will shed their limbs if they are injured or damaged, so they don't pose as a hindrance.
In Biology, we first learned how to safely catch a bug, or methods to make it easier. I had gone out to Sweetwater Natural Park and caught this fella by hand. To take the pictures, we put them in the refrigerator in order to slow down their metabolism, so they wouldn't jump everywhere. Because the arthropods are cold-blooded, they would first need to warm up before they could move. Putting them in the cold did not harm them.
What makes an arthropod an arthropod are mainly the abdomen, thorax, and head. Those are the three main parts. For crustaceans and arachnids, they only have two main parts to their bodies, the abdomen and the cephlothorax, which is like a mix of the head and the thorax. The abdomen is segmented. All arthropods have a hard outer shell as well.
My grasshopper was such a sweetie when I took pictures. He didn't jump a lot, and only tried once. However, he was missing a leg, so that might have discouraged him. I named him Timmy, which is his name in the story I wrote in English. In the picture to the right, he simply began to eat the plants I put as a background, so I got plenty of beautiful shots of him.
Here are some facts about my arthropod!
Physical description:The shell of the grasshopper is a dry and dusty brown color, in order to blend in with the sandy terrain of its home. It is a short-horned grasshopper. It has five eyes, two of which are large that are often the one people see, and three smaller ones that rest just under the antennae and in between. It has four front legs and two large back legs for jumping, as well as a pair of wings covering its long abdomen.For the Caerulean-winged Grasshopper in particular, the wings are tinted with the blue after which it is named. Its hind legs are also colored the same brilliant and outstanding caerulean.
Location:Found in Sweetwater Natural Park, among young leaves and in the dry dirt and sand. It was caught by a hand swiftly grabbing it.
Classification: Order: Orthoptera; Suborder: Caelifera; It is of the Orthoptera family, which consists of crickets, cicadas, and of course, grasshopper. For the Grasshopper in particular, they are part of the Caelifera classification. Also in the Caelifera classification are locusts.
What does it eat: They prefer grasses, leaves, and cereal crops. They are generally herbivorous. They are polyphagous, which means they'll eat more than one type of plant, but some stick to one plant. Some long-horned grasshoppers eat dead animals.
Life Cycle:Egg ==> Nymph (Looks like adult w/ no wings) ==> Nymph w/ Wing pads ==> Adults
After 40-60 days they become adults.They moult about 6 times.
How long does it live:From the moment it's laid, about a year. Although, not counting the egg stage, 2-3 months, maybe a little bit longer.
Relationships with other organisms:They are a food source to predators like birds, lizards, mantids, spiders, and rodents.
Where is it found (Global, or specific regions?):All around the world, except in cold places.
Migration:Generally called locusts when they migrate, since they do so in swarms.
Hibernation: Yes by digging a hole and sleeping in it.
It's completely natural for grasshoppers to lose their limbs, and they can still walk even without their hind jumping legs, for their front legs are the ones they use to walk. They also can still hop with just one leg. I know this because of mere observation. They will shed their limbs if they are injured or damaged, so they don't pose as a hindrance.