What's That Insect?

With spring in full swing (along with those temperature swings!), I'm seeing more insects, which reminded me I had never gotten around to posting these photos from last fall. Ken Kingsley, a volunteer entomologist at Great Basin National Park, volunteered to lead the Baker School's weekly science class. Their assignment? Bring an insect to class.

The kids brought all sorts of insects (and some non-insects), and Ken helped them figure out what they were and gave them some life history about them.

This tarantula hawk certainly made a huge impression. It's a wasp that captures a tarantula, takes it back to its burrow, then lays an egg on the abdomen. When the wasp larva hatches, it makes a hole in the tarantula's abdomen and feeds voraciously, avoiding internal organs to keep it alive as long as possible. 

Wow, it's a whole another life out there in the wilds of Snake Valley! I've never seen a tarantula in the southern part of the valley, so I thought it was very interesting that a tarantula hawk was found--the tarantulas are around somewhere. Tarantula hawks can also eat nectar, sometimes getting so drunk on it that it affects their flight.

Everyone got a good look at the tarantula hawk.

Melanie brought it to class.

 Here's a grasshopper.


A related insect is this very strange looking one, a Jerusalem cricket. They are native to the western U.S. and Mexico, but aren't seen too often because they're nocturnal. They've got really cool feet so they can burrow underground to eat dead organic material like tubers. They also can eat other insects.

 I think the kids really enjoyed the session.

Daisy looks like she doesn't quite believe what she's hearing.

 

I was very excited to see this wind scorpion or sun spider. It's an Arachnid, so related to spiders, and it's what the lead taxonomist for the 2013 Arachnid BioBlitz at Great Basin National Park specializes in. She will be delighted to see more of these when she comes out July 8-10. The BioBlitz is a great citizen scientist project open to everyone, so if you'd like to learn more about Arachnids and insects, click on the link!

 We have such a wonderful diversity of wildlife in Snake Valley, and it was really cool to learn more about some of the smallest creatures. Thanks, Ken!