Orange Scutellerid at the AISM.

Scutellerid

Outdoor exploration

Outdoor science club

Mantid egg packet

Acrida acuminata : The common stick grasshopper.

Adults are present only in a few summer months. Eggs are laid in sandy soil.

Magnificent blue spot on a dragonfly abdomen.

Thank you for bring in this in Blayne.

I speak for the fleas.

Alate or prince/princess? of an ant colony

Adult Hawk moth or "Sphingid". What do you think it looks like?

Bruchidae: seed beetle

Classroom seed beetle

What plant does this creature resemble?

The chamo katydid goes aposematic (warning colors)

Look at all that fake lichen.

Lichen mimic katydid at AISM.

Discovered by 2nd grade and Lillie (3rd)

I speak for the fleas

AISM Chrysomelid beetle

I speak for the fleas

Catalaucus

Valentines ants (Crematogaster) meet pitted ant(Catalaucus)

This was taken on our Acacia xanthophloea tree. The fever tree.

I speak for the fleas

Small grey moth eyeball.

One of those random insects found dead on the floor. Thanks to Molly Rathbone.

I speak for the fleas.

AISM thrip infestation. Gynaikothrips ficorum

Thrip infestation at AISM.

Weird creatures.

Immature thrips cause the leaves to curl inward or fold into a pocket in which the thrips develop and in which they lay eggs. Heavily infested leaves eventually become tough and brown or yellow, dropping from the plant prematurely. The Cuban laurel thrips can also bite (more like scratch with their mouthparts) people. 

The Cuban Laurel Thrip

The Cuban laurel thrips is a pantropical species that occurs wherever Ficus retusa is planted.The egg is cylindrical with rounded ends, smooth, and translucent white. 

I speak for the fleas

Underside of a rhino beetle.

Rhino beetle: Dynastinae.

 The larvae feed on rotten wood and the adults feed on nectar, plant sap and fruit.Note the lamelate or leaf like antennae.

I speak for the Fleas

A male Camponotus ant.

I speak for the fleas

Brentidae from below.

Brentidae

These are also known as straight snouted weevils and they eat wood. Oops time to check out the furnishings in my classroom. Note the antennae are not elbowed.

Ampulex:The cockroach hunter.

These wasps help to keep your home free from cockroaches.

Ampulex sp: The cockroach wasp.

These cockroach hunters are able to subdue their host cockroaches by an extremely accurate sting into a ganglion. This makes the cockroach submit to being led away by an antenna and used as live food for the larva of the wasp. EEEEEWWWW.

I speak for the fleas!

The golden wasp: dorsal view.

Love the twirly bits.

Face it head on. A large golden wasp.