INSECTS

WAXWORMS

BUTTERFLIES

Bibliography Biography

FOSS

MEALWORMS

Living insects need…

• Air• Food• Water• Space• To be treated with CARE and

RESPECT

3 Parts of an Insect

•Head•Thorax•Abdomen

The stages of a mealworm

• Egg

• Larva

• Pupa

• Adult

Mealworms are actually

darkling beetles

LARVE

The mealworm is not a worm.It is a larve.

Mealworms molt as they grow.

They also change colors

as they grow.

Molting - the shedding of the tough skinlike cuticle

so the mealworm can grow.

The mealworms molt about 5 times before it changes into a PUPA!

PUPA

The mealworm does not move in this stage. Inside, the

mealworm is turning into a BEETLE!

ADULT

After 2-3 weeks the PUPA molts for the last time. It then emerges as an adult

beetle.

The ADULT…

• Lives for about 30 days.• It can survive on bran and an

apple or potato for moisture.• Flaps its wings when it is ready

to mate.• Lays eggs a few days after

mating.

Waxworm Life Cycle

•Egg•Larva•Pupa•Adult moth

Waxworms will eventually turn into Wax Moths

Waxworms make SILK

This helps the larve walk and is used to build a

protective cocoon

After gorging itself as a chubby white larva, the

waxworm is ready to pupate.

The waxworm rests and transforms into pupae after the larve spins a

cocoon.

After about 2 weeks the adult moth emerges.

The adults do not eat or drink!

After mating the females lay their eggs and die.

Life Cycle of a Painted Lady

• Egg• Larva - caterpillar• Pupa - chrysalis• Adult butterfly

*The series of transformations isCOMPLETE METAMORPHOSIS

Painted Lady caterpillars turn into BUTTERFLIES

The painted lady constructs a chrysalis

when they pupate.

A chrysalis is a smooth plasticlike protective

cocoon.

The painted lady emerges from the cocoon after

about 10 days.

A beautiful painted lady butterfly emerges.

The butterflies…

• Are very strong fliers.• Live well on sugar water.• Live up to 30 days.

Mrs. Daniels

Hello Young Scientists! I am a first grade teacher at Jacksonwald Elementary in Reading, Pennsylvania. I have a husband, Jason and two children, Josh and Rian.We all love the outdoors and enjoy looking at nature and all of her creatures.This is one of my favorite science units to teach to my first graders.Our favorite part is watching the butterflies come out of their cocoons.We have so much fun letting the beautiful butterflies go at the end of the unit.

Bibliography

• Insects, Delta Education, 2001.• www.exeter.k12.pa.us• www.fossweb.com