Arthropods

insects

Arthropod

n. [ahr-thruh-pod]: any member of the phylum Arthropoda, the largest phylum in the animal kingdom. Arthropods are divided into four subphyla:

Arachnida (spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites)
Crustacea (crayfish, crab, shrimp)
Hexapoda (insects)
Myriapoda (centipedes, millipedes).

Luna Moth

Actias Luna

3-B-I

Luna moths are usually a lime green color, however this picture is a female albino luna moth. This moth is found in North America, from east of the Great Plains in the United States to Northern Mexico. It's wing span is about 4.5 inches making it the largest moth in North America. Female Luna moth's can lay 400- 600 eggs at a time!

-J. Del Toro

Coconut Stick Insect

Graeffea crouanii

3-B-O

The Coconut Stick Insect is considered to be a pest in Fiji, because they feed off of their coconut leaves. Also because their are so many of them over there as well. When this insect becomes frightened it flares its beautiful pink wings. These wings are just for show, they cannot lift the insect off the ground in times of trouble. - H. McEwen

Yellow Umbrella Stick Insect

Tagesoidea nigrofasciata

3-B-O

The Yellow Umbrella Stick insect is a subfamily of the regular stick insect. What makes this one different is the color and pattern to its wings. Instead of pink and green, or just transparent, this one has bright yellow and black wings. These are are smaller than the average stick insect. - H. McEwen

Giant Forest Scorpion

Heterometrus Spinifer

3-B-I

The Giant forest scorpion is also known as The giant blue scorpion. They can reach to be the length of about 3.9-4.7 inches. It feeds mainly on insects, such as cockroaches, crickets and locusts. Its venom can cause very severe pain disorders of vision and mild numbness in the affected area, but it is not lethal. They are very defensive creatures they would use their pedipalps to attack more than their tail. This type of scorpion can be found in South East Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. They live in moist forest areas in the dark. Like under logs or other debris to they could burrow into the ground where it can hide during the day.

-J. Del Toro

Goliath Stick Insect

Eurycnema goliath

3-B-O

Goliath Stick Insect is just like what the name entails. Mostly. Instead of this insect being the largest in the world, it is the heaviest. In Australia that is. These types of stick insects are native to Australia, and get to as long as 25 cm. The females are the ones that are heavy, and they get so heavy that they can't use their wings to fly. -H. McEwen

Stick Insect

Phryganistria

3-B-O

This is a large stick insect. According to today's records they can get up to 12 inches long, with their legs being just as long as their body. In fact, a new discovery in China has found a stick insect close to 2 feet long. This insect can be found all over the world except for places where their is extreme cold, naturally. Like Antartica. - H. McEwen

Butterflies

Rhopalocera species

Section 2-C-I

A butterfly ranges anywhere from ½ to 12 inches across and can be found on every continent except Antarctica. The beginning is humble. The first meal? Typically the eggshell from which it had just emerged! From that point, the Very Hungry Caterpillar eats… and eats… and eats before metamorphosing from egg to air. -- T. Jeske

GIANT CENTIPEDE

Scolopendra gigantea

section 4-B-I

The word "centipede" means one hundred legs. However, centipedes do not have one hundred legs. The number of legs depends on the species. The giant centipede seen here has about 40. Giant centipedes are found in rain forests in South America. They are known to eat other arthropods, as well as amphibians and even small mammals and reptiles. They have a very venomous bite that could potentially kill a small child. -D Tribe

EMPEROR SCORPION

Pandinus imperator

section 4-B-I

Native to rain forests and deserts in Africa, the emperor scorpion is one of the world's largest scorpions and can live for up to eight years. There is poison in an emperor scorpion's sting, but not nearly enough to kill a human who isn't allergic to it. These scorpions are surprisingly docile, and have even been kept as pets. Like all scorpions, they glow a fluorescent blue when under ultraviolet light. -D. Tribe

CRane Fly

Nephrotoma Appendiculata

3-B-O

Crane flies are sometimes known as mosquito hawks or daddy longlegs. They are known to be in the Tipulidae family, it is one of the largest groups of flies, including over 15,000 species and subspecies in 525 genera and subgenera. The adult crane fly, resembling an oversized mosquito, has a slender body and stilt-like legs that are deciduous, easily coming off the body.

-J. Del Toro

King crab

Paralithodes camtschaticus

Section 5-A-O

King crabs are known for their size, even though there are only a few species that grow to a noteworthy size. The red king crab is one of these with a leg span of 1.8 m (5' 11") having been recorded on some specimens! These crabs are hunted year round in places as diverse as Alaska and the Barents sea. At the time of this writing 5 pounds of king crab legs can be purchased on crabplace.com for the low low price of $148.49.

-Alex

Grasshopper

Tropidacris Dux

6-B-I

This species of grasshoppers are one of the largest types of grasshoppers in the world. Their body is 10 cm long, and their wingspan is 18 cm long. These giant insects use sound and sight to communicate, and scent and touch is important for reproduction. They can be either a pet or a pest depending on your relationship with them! -G. Pirtle

Butterflies

Rhopalocera

6-B-I

Butterflies have a wide variety of over 20,000 different species. They have taste receptors on their feet, and up to 6,000 lenses in their eyes that help them see ultraviolet light. Adult butterflies don't excrete waist, instead they uses it as a continuous source of energy! -G. Pirtle

Lobster

Nephropidae

5-A-I

Lobsters can be found on the bottom of all oceans, from the shorelines to beyond the ridge of the continental shelf. Similarly to snails and spiders, have blue blood, because of the presence of hemocyanin which contains copper. They can live to be an estimated 45 to 50 years old in the wild. They can be distinguished from crabs by their longer body with a tail.

-J Manderscheid

Mormon Crickets

Anabrus simplex

5-A-O

The Mormon cricket's name is a source of confusion. They are actually a type of katydid and no known specimens have shown any sort of religious preference. After these shocking revelations, one may well wonder how these heathen katydids got such an ill-fitting name. The "cricket" part of the name came because of the chirping sound that males make, just like true crickets. The "Mormon" part of the name comes because swarms of them invaded the Mormons' crops in the Salt Lake area in the 1800s. -Alex

Wasp nest

5-A-O

Wasps make their nests out of wood fiber. To begin a nest a queen wasp will find a support for the nest and then find a source of wood fiber. She uses her mandibles to scrape off wood fiber, chews the fiber, and places this chewed fiber onto the chosen support. This becomes the point to which the nest is connected to the support. A similar process is followed to build the inner combs and the outer covering, first by the queen and later by workers. -Alex

RHINOCEROS BEETLE

Dynastinae

section 4-B-I

Over 300 hundred species exist of the rhino beetle, a subfamily of scarabs. These are some of the world's largest beetles, easily recognized for their size and unique shape. They are also some of the strongest insects, being able to lift 850 times its own weight. The horns are primarily used for digging and fighting for the right to mate. -D. Tribe

MILLIPEDE

Diplopoda

section 4-B-I

The name millipede means 1000 legs. However, much like the centipede, this name is an exaggeration. The record legs found on a millipede is 750. A millipede can be distinguished from a centipede by having two pairs of legs per body segment, shorter antennae, spiracles being on the underside of the body, and being generally slower. Also millipedes are not venomous, but are completely harmless to humans. The primary defense mechanism of a millipede is to simply curl up into a tight coil, protecting their soft side and leaving only the hard exoskeleton visible. They simply eat decaying organic matter: decaying plants, rotten meat and feces. -D. Tribe

Vinegaroon

Class of arachnids

Section 2-C-I

Everything is bigger in Texas!! This whip spider can grow to be over 3 inches long. Also known as a whip scorpion, both identities are a bit of a misnomer as this arachnid is neither spider nor scorpion. It can boast of neither the venom-filled stinger of a scorpion nor the venomous bite of a spider. Far from defenseless, though, the vinegaroon lurks under leaf litter, logs, and rotting wood, stalking its victims with its three pairs of eyes and spiny pedipalps poised to catch and crush its prey.

Greatest asset: the sensory organs of its whiplike appendages.
Greatest defense: a gland at the base of its tail, capable of spraying 85% concentrated acetic acid (vinegar). With tremendous aiming capability, the vinegaroon can shoot vinegar into the eyes of its unsuspecting assailant from a distance of up to one foot. -- T. Jeske

goliath bird-eating tarantula

Theraphosa blondi

6-B-I

Mainly living in the rain forests of South America, the Goliath Bird-Eater is known to be the largest tarantula in the world with an average length of 4.75 inches and a leg span of up to 11 inches. When in defense mode, these spiders are capable of rearing up on their hind legs as well as creating a hiss by rubbing leg hairs together that can be heard up to 15 feet away. Now, before you get the heebie-jeebies, let’s let you in on a little secret: despite their name, these tarantulas rarely eat birds. They can, however eat anything that is smaller than them—including mice and frogs. --E. Sharp

Jungle Nymph

Heteropteryx dilatata

6-C-O

Unlike other thin stick insects, the Jungle Nymph is more branch-like than stick-like. The female Jungle Nymph, such as the one displayed, is very structurally different than the male and can become quite furious, even dangerous, when threatened. Although both sexes are decorated with spikes, the female will use the spikes located on her hind legs and her limbs together to defend herself. --E. Sharp

walking stick Bug

Eurycantha horrida

6-C-O

Thorn Bug, Walking Stick Bug, and Thorny Devil are all common nicknames for this insect. As hinted by it’s names, this creature has drastically adapted to its environment with spines accessorizing its hind legs. This large bug evolved to have these defense mechanisms against its predators it whereas its smaller relatives’ sizes allows them to camouflage. --E. Sharp

Extatosoma popa

6-C-O

There are various different types of insects in the genus Extatosoma that have developed unique qualities of camouflage. Many of these include the ability to blend in with leaves and lichen. This particular species, displayed in Richard Olsen’s Natural History Museum, is one from New Guinea origins and mimics the design of leaves. --E. Sharp

STAG BEETLES

Lucanidae

4-B-I

There are over 1200 species of stag beetle in the world. There are so named because their long mandibles, found on the males of most species, bring to mind the antlers of a stag. The scientific name is derived from Lucania, an ancient area in southern Italy where these beetles were often used as amulets. Males use their mandables to wrestle for mates or food. Females have mandibles as well, but they are smaller. However, female mandibles are actually stronger than male mandibles. In the Middle East, these beetles are pests, causing serious problems by eating through the roots of date palms. -D. Tribe

Phasmatodea

Phasmatodea

1-C-I

Pictured is a member of the order Phasmatodea, also known as a stick insect. Stick insects can be found on each continent, with the exception of Antarctica. As a form of protection from predators, many Phasmotadea camouflage themselves. Some may mimic plants or sticks and twigs, while other species, by virtue of their markings, can imitate moss or tree bark. -Z. McMurry

tuft-bearing longhorn beetle

Aristobia approximator

6-C-O

The Tuft-Bearing Longhorn Beetle, distributed among the areas of China, India, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand, are found to have an intrinsic design of yellow spots on their yellow body. These insects also possess antennae with black tufts that are used as sensory organs and are capable of releasing pheromones to find/attract a mate. --E. Sharp

Madagascar hissing cockroach

Gromphadorhina portentosa

6-C-O

These cockroaches, which are native only to Madagascar, undergo an impartial metamorphosis. The begin as nymphs from the egg, and continuously keep that body structure until they withstand six stages of molting. This body structure isn’t much different from that of other cockroaches other than the large factor of them not having wings. After the insect has reached the sixth stage, the only real change that occurs is the gaining of reproductive organs. When ready for mating, the male produces a range of hissing sounds to attract the female—hence its name as a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. --E. Sharp

Harlequin Beetle

Acrocinus longimanus

6-C-O

This colorfully patterned beetle finds its home in the tropical forests of Mexico and South America while other creatures find its home on its abdomen. Say what? Pseudoscorpions over time have developed a commensalism relationship with the Harlequin; they have begun to reside under the protection of this beetle, and the beetle is not harmed (nor is it benefited.) Because this beetle does not eat these small arachnids, it depends on a diet of bark, fungi, and other plants. --E. Sharp

Amazon Walking Stick

Phasmatidae family

Section 2-B-I

Master of disguise even before hatching, this insect emerges from an egg that resembles a tiny seed. Deep in the Amazon rainforest, it munches on leaves and berries while working under the guise of a stick. Should its mimicry fail, however, if a bird or other predator grasps a leg, the imperiled insect will simply detach its own limb. The missing appendage will regenerate the next time the insect molts. -- T. Jeske

Striped Mantis shrimp

Lysiosquillina maculata

Section 2-B-I

"Macula," isn't that in the eye? Yep, and the macula of the Lysiosquillina maculata can detect polarized light. Additionally, with six irises and 12 color receptors (in contrast to our 2 and 3 respectively) this crusty critter has ten times the range of color distinguishability than we do! A remarkable skill that goes hand in hand with its exceptional speed. Burrowed with just its eyes above the sand, it impales its prey on a serrated blade with the fastest strike in the animal kingdom! These showoffs dwell in the bottom of the oceans ranging from East Africa to the Hawaiian Islands. -- T. Jeske

Sasuma Katydid

Tettigoniidae family

Section 2-B-I

Sasu maa means "mother" in Hindi. This mother of all katydids does have a male counterpart, and it is only the male who can serenade the lush jungles of India and Thailand with its mating song. If the female is pleased, she will seek out the male who then bestows upon her a nuptial gift of spermatophylax. A katydid concert can get pretty loud, but the record goes to their distant cousins, the cicadas of N. America, who blast their mating call at a whopping 105.9 decibels! -- T. Jeske

asian-american moon moth

Actias neidhoeferi

4-B-I

It is often conceived that moths are always aesthetically inferior to butterflies. Well, these beauties prove that incorrect, that the Asian American moon moths can be just as striking as a butterfly. There are about 40 species of these moths, distinguished by the long tails on their wings and their soft, delicate, pale colors. They also have golden colored, fern-like antennae. Adults lack functional mouthparts, so they only live a few days after emergence from their cacoons. -D. Tribe

stick insects

Phasmatodea

4-B-I

Boy do these guys know how to camouflage! They take blending in to the extreme by developing the appearances of sticks and twigs. If the camouflage trick falls through, however, they got a few other tricks up their sleeves. Some species will release awful smells when threatened. Some species have brightly colored wings, and will flash them briefly before dropping somewhere else to hide. Others release irritant liquids. -D. Tribe

butterflies

Rhopalocera

4-B-I

Butterflies are actually very important to having a thriving ecosystem. It's a good thing they're found all over the world, except in Antarctica. Most butterflies eat nectar as a large part of their diet. Since nectar comes from flowers, butterflies are some of the world's greatest pollinators, though not quite efficient as a bee. Some butterflies are predators, and thus help control pests. Watching butterflies can also be a way to detect climate change. Plus, they're just pretty to watch. -D. Tribe

Butterflies of the world 2-B-I

Due to their bright colors and visits to flowers, butterflies are the most familiar of insects to humans. There are about 17,500 species of butterflies in the world, and around 750 species in the United States. M Caldera

Monarch Butterfly

Danaus plexippus

6-C-I

The Monarch is easily the most widely known butterfly on Earth—and that’s just how they like it. Their popularity can source to it’s beautiful orange and black coloration which warns against predators with a sign of poison. These butterflies, with a life span of six to eight months, take up the journey of a lifetime every fall—a 3,000 mile trip from California to Mexico (the longest distance of travel among insects.) --E. Sharp

Brush-Footed Butterfly

Family: Nymphalidae

6-C-I

Richard Olsen has a vast collection of butterflies in his museum. Many are stored in frames while many are preserved in a resin type of material all throughout the buildings. Brush-footed butterflies, which many of his butterflies can be identified as, are a classification of butterfly dedicated to those with reduced, hairy forelegs. Included in this group of butterflies are the viceroy, buckeye, and painted lady. --E. Sharp

Butterflies

Lepidoptera

1-C-O

Pictured is a display case containing four different types of butterflies. Butterflies, or Lepidoptera, can be found on every continent, excluding Antarctica. Butterflies have four stages in their life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, adult. -Z. McMurry

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