 Insects...
What Good Are They Anyway? |
If you have ever been stung
by a bee, stabbed by a mosquito or had the leaves of your favorite
tree eaten by a gypsy moth caterpillar, you've probably wondered...what
good are insects? Although it is true that insects can cause damage,
they can also be beneficial.
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Print the following list
and fill in the name of the insect that provides each benefit
|
| clear wing
moth |
lac scale |
honeybee |
| praying
mantis |
silkworm |
fruit fly |
|
| Benefit: |
Insect |
| Honey and wax |
__ __ __ __ __ __
__ e |
| Silk for cloth |
__ __ __ __ __ o
__ __ |
| Pollinates flowers |
__ l __ __ __ __ |
__ __ __ g |
__ __ __ h |
| Genetic information |
__ __ __ i __ |
__ __ __ |
|
| Used to make shellac |
__ __ __ |
__ __ __ __ __
|
| Eats other insects |
__ __ __ y __ __
__ |
__ __ __ __ __ __ |
|
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Did You
Know...
- Some insects provide us with medicine
- People in other countries eat insects
as a food source
- Many insects start their lives
in the water and are an important food source for aquatic
organisms.
- Most adult insects have the parts
shown to the right:
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Amazing Adventure
#2: The Sheet Trick
To observe insects more closely, take a
white sheet or towel outside and spread it under a plant. Shake
the plant or wiggle it with a stick. See if any insects fall out
onto the cloth. Quickly transfer the insects to a collection jar
with holes for air. Closely observe your insects. Draw them in an
insect journal, paying close attention to details. Look them up
in an insect guide and list in your journal what benefits they may
provide. When you are finished, remember to release you insects
where you found them.
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