Dont Bug Me

Description
Don't Bug Me is an event in which you must be able to identify insects from 29 orders (div. B and C) and 100 families (div. C only). You should have a good amount of knowledge on general insect info. to. To do well in this event, make sure you go beyond the rules. On most tests questions about behavior, structure, human impact, and any characteristics of certain insects may be asked.

What is an insect?
Before getting into the specifics of identifying insects you have to know what an insect is. An insect is an invertebrate with several distinguishing characteristics. These include: segmented bodies with paired, many jointed legs; 3 major body sections; 6 legs; and 2 antennae. After you have identified an organism as an insect you then must classify to its order (div. B and C) and family (div. C only).

Head
The head is the anterior oval-shaped body region that hold the antennae, eyes, and mouth parts.

Insects generally have two types of eyes, simple and compound eyes. Most have three simple eyes,also known as ocelli, located on the upper front part of the head. Several insects lack ocelli or only have two. Compound eyes are situated on the upper portion of an insects head and are composed of many facets. In some insects compound eyes occupy most of the head.

The antennae are usually located on the front of the head below the simple eyes. These are great for identification. Some of the types of antennae include aristate (are pouchlike with a bristle), capitate (ends in a club), clavate (sawlike), filiformis (threadlike), geniculate (elbowed), monoliform (beaded), pectinate (comblike), plumose (featherlike shape), serrate (sawtoothed shape), and setaceous (bristlelike). See http://bugs.bio.usyd.edu.au/Entomology/externalmorphology/antennaTypes.html for pictures.

The mouth parts of an insect are located on the ventral or anterior part of the head. The moust part structures typically present are the labrum (upper lip), jawlike mandibles, jawlike maxillae, a labium (lower lip), and the hypopharynx which acts as a tongue. Mouth parts are generally sucking or chewing. Insects with chewing mouth parts have lateral moving mandibles and chew their food, while insects with sucking mouth parts have parts like a beak which is called the proboscis through which liquid is sucked.

Diagram of head:



Thorax
This is the middle section of the body and is divided into 3 segments called the prothorax, mesothorax, and metathorax. Each segment bears a pair of legs, and the mesothorax and metathorax usually bear a pair of wings if the insect is not wingless. Each of the thoracic segments bear 4 groups of sclerites, or platelike areas. These are the notum (dorsally), pleuron (there's one on each side), and sternum (ventrally). These segments are then devided into even smaller segments.

The wings are located dorsolaterally (they're near the top) on the mesothroax and/or the metathorax. The muscles that move wings are attached to the walls of the thorax most of the time. Insect wings vary in number, size, shape, texture, venation, and in position held at rest making them a great assist in identification. Most insect wings are membranous, though some are thickened or leathery. Some are covered in hair and others in scales. Most insects fold their wings over the abdomen at rest, but others hold them vertically over the body or hold them outstretched. I won't go into detail on wing venation, but here's a picture.

General Venation See bottom of http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/tutorial/wings.html for more.

Abdomen
The abdomen typically consists of 11 segments, but the last segment is usually represented by appendages only. Many insects have fewer abdominal segments because of fusing of some insects. Each abdominal segment generally contains 2 sclerites (or hardened body wall plate), a dorsal tergum and ventral sternum. The terga usually extend down the sides of most segments and overlap the sterna. Most insects lack appendages on the abdomen other than at the posterior end. This appendages may be lacking or drawn into the body and hidden. When these terminal appendages are present, they usually consist of a pair of cerci, a median dorsal epiproct (appendage above anus), a pair of paraprocts (pair of lobes located below and on each side of anus), and genitalia. The anal opening is on the posterior end of the abdomen, right under the epiproct. The sexes in many groups can be identified by the genitalia at the end of the abdomen.

Insect Taxonomy
Kingdom - Animalia Phylum - Arthropoda Subphylum � Mandibulata Superclass - Hexapoda Class � Insecta

Insect Identification (Orders Only) (Format stollen from DH's Rocks&Minerals Page)
Order Name (nickname) Metamorphosis Characteristics Protura (Telsontails) Simple conical head, piercing mouthparts, lacks eyes and wingless, 12 segments in abdomen, .6-1.5mm Collembola (Springtails) Simple wingless, long bodies, 4-6 abdominal segments, multicolored, tube protrudes from abdomen, microscopic Diplura (same) Simple 1-segmented tarsi, chewing mouthparts, 2 cerci on head Thysanura (Bristletails) Simple spindle shaped, flat bodies with 3 long, bristly tail like appendages Ephemeroptera (Mayflies) Simple distinguished easily by their two large, triangular wings Odanata (Dragonflies & damselflies) Simple two pairs of elongate membranous wings, compound eyes large, abdomen long and slender, antennae very short Plecoptera (Stoneflies) Simple 4 membranous wings, elongate, flattened, cerci present, long antennae, mouthparts chewing Orthoptera (Grasshoppers & crickets) Simple usually 2 pairs of wings, antennae many-segmented, cerci present, has ovipositor, FW is long, narrow, and many veined Blattodea (Roaches) Simple flattened oval bodies, long laid back antennae, wings (almost never used) Isoptera (Termites) Simple small, soft-bodies, usually pale-colored, antennae generally short and thread- or bead-like Dermaptera (Earwigs) Simple slender flattened bodies, large pincers at end Mallophaga (Chewing lice) Simple bristly body, toothed mandibles, small compound eyes, abdomen more wide or as wide as head Anoplura (Sucking lice) Simple flattened and wingless, sucking mouthparts, abdomen thiner than head Thysanoptera (Thrips) Simple slender bodies, short antennae, short legs, feathery wings Hemiptera (True bugs) Simple FW (front wing) thickened at base and membranous at tip, HW (hind) shorter than FW, wings held flat on body, tips of FW overlap, mouthparts sucking, antennae of 5 or fewer segments (long and conspicuous or short and concealed) Homoptera (cicadas and more) Simple beak short and rising at back of head (different from Hemiptera), wings held rooflike over body, tarsi 1- to 3-segmented, antennae sometimes short and bristlike or sometimes long and threadlike Neuroptera (dobsonflies, lacewings, antlions) Complete (finally) FW and HW almost same size, four membranous wings, wings held rooflike over body at rest, wings with many veins, antennae long, cerci absent, mouthparts chewing Coleoptera (beetles) Complete FW horny or leathery, FWs? meet in straight line on back, HW membranous and are usually longer than FW, wings rarely absent or reduced, antennae usually with 11 segments (sometimes with 8-10), antennae variable in form Mecoptera (Scorpianflies) Complete slender, soft bodies; long legs and elongated, snout like heads Trichoptera (Caddisflies) Complete shaped or colored like certain moths, antennae long and threadlike, antennae usually long as body or longer, HW a little shorter than FW Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies) Complete 4 membranous wings, usually have proboscis in form of coiled tupe, wings covererd in scales Diptera (True flies) Complete one pair of membranous wings (you can identify them instantly from this), have knoblike projections called haltares Siphonaptera (Fleas) Complete laterally flattened abdomens, tough skin, enlarged coxae, mouthparts with 3 piercing stylets for blood sucking Hymonoptera (Bees, Ants, Wasps, and more) Complete wings are sometimes present, FW a little larger than HW, antennae usually fairly long

Binder Checklist
Make sure you have the following info. in your binder or known by memory: Definitely Necessary: -Insect identification guide and sheets -Nymph identification sheets -Insect pictures (obviously) -Insect characteristics sheets -Human impact information -Basic insect information Optional: -Entomology glossary (to be on the safe side) -Cheat Sheets (for quick finding if they have a section where you must answer questions about insects not already identified) for the following: -Vectors -Record-winning insects (largest, smallest, fastest fliers, most deadly, etc.) -Historical info. (safe side, horrible test making at state had at least five questions on this subject) -Invasive species

Resources
I highly recommend the following guides:

Peterson Field Guides: Insects - shows differences between different insects, has all insects on insect list

Audubon Field Guide to Insects and Spiders - has nice colored pictures and good bug descriptions, good for general insect knowledge

Smithsonian Handbooks: Insects - really nice pictures, great for nymphs and larva identification; I took this one as my field guide at competition only because I already had info from the Peterson field guide copied in my binder.

Good Links
I could post a huge link section, but most of my links are up at the following link so I'm sure you could look there:

http://soinc.org/events/dontbugmeC/index.htm http://bugguide.net

Soon to come

Human Impact Section Dichotomous Key Insect Behavior

Recommendations For Group Members
Both team members should have a strong background in Envrionmental Science (AP Level). the team should be prepared for both types of events (visual : power point/pictures, and live specimins), a lack of practice in either area can result in false indentifications. the teams should have knowledge in using all types of microscopes. teams should spend a portion of thier preperation, near various habitats (if available) such as marshes, swamps, forests, grassland, etc. to observe certain native species in a natural habitat (bring plenty of sunblock, & bug repellant)