46 



The 



can do liitle harm. But scmerimes in our 

 western states, and in other parts of the 

 world, they occur in vast numbers and 

 may strip fields of everything green. 

 Crops of wheat or corn or even fruit 

 trees may oe ruined within a few hours. 



Blips. All small insects and even disease 

 ^erms are called "bugs" by many people. 

 The name bugs, however, is properly 

 applied onU' to one group of insects. It 

 is a group with which, for the most 

 part, you do not want to have much 

 to do. It includes amongr many others the 

 fleas and bedbugs. The lice which live- 

 on birds and mammals are closely related 

 to the bugs. Of course, there are many 

 bugs that do not live on other animals. 

 Some live in the water striding over the 

 surface or swimming near the top. 



Closely related to the true bugs, al- 

 though belonging to a different order, 

 are the plant lice and the scale insects. 

 The plant lice, or aphids, are soft-bodied 

 insects which cling tightly to plants and 

 suck their juices, weakening the plant and 

 often killing it. The scale insects attack 

 many kinds of trees and shrubs. Like 

 aphids they multiply into millions. They 

 cover themselves with tiny scales like 

 shields; thus protected, they feed on the 

 sap. 



Beetles. All beetles have hard wing 

 covers which completely cover the up- 

 per side of the abdomen and fit so 

 closely that you can scarcely see the 

 seam down the middle of the back. 

 The ladybird beetle made famous by 

 "ladybug, ladybug, fly away home" is 

 common even in cities; and the Colorado 

 potato beetle is often found in the po- 

 tato patch. Another common beetle is 

 the firefly whose light goes on and off 



Living Things of the Earth unit i 



Fig. 6o The Colorado potato beetle does Tinicb 

 dajnage. How do you know it is a beetle? (u. s. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE) 



like a tiny flashlight as frequently as 

 once every second or even faster, and 

 sometimes with great regularity. Its light 

 is located on the lower side of the ab- 

 domen. In the larva stage they are called 

 glowworms and can be found shining in 

 the grass. If you can collect half a tum- 

 blerful of glowworms you will have 

 enough light to read by. 



Insect communities. Most insects live 

 quite solitary lives, but ants, most bees 

 and wasps, and the "white ants" or 

 termites live in large communities. They 

 are the social insects. Each insect per- 

 forms some special job which benefits 

 the whole community. 



Of all the social insects, the ants, 

 which are found in almost every part 

 of the world, are the easiest to study. 

 Most of you have had the experience of 

 discovering an ant nest beneath a rock. 

 You may have seen the ants pick up 

 large white bundles, run back and forth, 

 and finally dash off to some safe hiding 

 place. Then they come back for more 

 bundles until shortly the nest has been 



