THE INSECTS— ARTHROPODS 



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Some even have poison on the hairs and can give quite a sting to a 

 person who handles them. Spittle bugs suck plant juice and expel part 

 of it from the posterior end of the body and beat it into a froth with 

 which they cover the entire body for protection. 



Some insects depend on protection by locomotion. By rapid flight 

 and maneuverability they escape doom from a more sluggish enemy. 

 Some prefer to jump or run. 



Courtesy General Biological Supply House 



Fig. 15.9. Protective mimicry. The white arrows point to a caterpillar on a maple 

 twig. Note the almost perfect mimicry that acts as a valuable protection from birds 



and other enemies. 



Other insects hold their ground and achieve protection by combat, 

 and they fight with a ferocity and aggressiveness unequaled in the animal 

 kingdom. Some bite with their jaws and others have a powerful sting 

 on the tip of their abdomen. There is an ant that has learned to spray its 

 poison from the sting so that intruders are greeted with a cloud of poi- 

 sonous vapor when they come too close. 



Some insects have repulsive odors and tastes that protect them from 

 predators. These may leave an odor on any object which they contact 



