Week of March 27 – Bug facts

Bumble bees can vibrate or “shiver” their wing muscles to raise their body temperature.  Most insects warm themselves in the sun.

Damselfy are some of the oldest insects on Earth.  They were around when dinosaurs lived.

Dragonflies have amazing compound eyes that allow them to see in every direction at once.

After Honey bees collect nectar, thebee will go back to the hive and wiggle her abdomen while moving in a figure 8 pattern.  This wiggle dance tells the other bees the direction and distance to go find the flowers.

For many mayflies once it molts for the last time, it leaves the water, finds a mate and dies – usually within one day.

Army ants are famous for their method of hunting and killing prey much bigger than themselves.  They hunt together in groups called raids that might contain up to a million ants.

Field crickets chirp by rubbing the rough edges of their wings together.  Only male crickets can chirp – and they usually do it to attract females. 

There are around 11,000 different grasshopper species.  All of them have superstrong back legs that allow most to leap distances 20 times their body lengths – about three and a half feet.