# Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Nature/Insects

Insects :
| Nature General Conference See also Insects - Advanced | Skill Level 1 |
| Nature General Conference See also Insects - Advanced | Year of Introduction: 1933 |

## 1. Do one of the following
### c. Take color photographs of 20 species of insects, representing at least six different orders. All pictures should be in focus, close-ups and properly labeled, showing where photographed, the date photographed, common names and genus or species level names.

Photographing insects can be challenging, but with a few tips, success is within reach. Perhaps the most important feature of your camera for insect photography is the "macro mode." This feature allows the camera to focus on subjects less than 50cm away. It is often marked on the camera body with a small flower icon (since flower photography is also mostly close-up). If you cannot find how to enable this feature on your camera, consult the user's manual. If you cannot find that, search for one on the Internet.
Once you find an insect, you may discover that it moves far too quickly for you to be able to take a decent picture. One trick you can use in this case is to capture the insect and pop it in a refrigerator for about an hour. This will not harm the insect, but it will certainly slow it down. After taking a few pictures, release the insect into the wild again.
You can also try placing the insect in a drinking glass, and covering the top with the camera lens and body. Use a transparent glass for this so that light can illuminate the insect. Once it settles down, take the picture.
This requirement can really be divided into two phases: field work, and lab work. The field work comes first, and it consists of going out into the wild and finding as many insects as you can. Do not worry about identifying them. Photograph as many as you can. If they are too difficult to photograph, capture them and bring them back to the "lab" where you can refrigerate them as described previously. The "lab work" is when you sit down and attempt to identify the insects you have captured, either photographically, or physically.
We present a crude identification guide below, but if you want to identify the insects you find, you will very likely need a good field guide. You can try various on-line identification aids as well, including Bug Guide.

## 2. What are the distinguishing characteristics of an insect?

Insects possess segmented bodies supported by an exoskeleton, a hard outer covering made mostly of chitin. The body is divided into a head, a thorax, and an abdomen. The head supports a pair of sensory antennae, a pair of compound eyes, and mouth parts. The thorax has six legs (one pair per segment) and wings (if present in the species). The abdomen (made up of eleven segments some of which may be reduced or fused) has respiratory, excretory and reproductive structures.

## 3. Name five species of injurious insects and tell how to control them.

Many insects are considered pests by humans. Insects commonly regarded as pests include those that are parasitic (mosquitoes, lice, bedbugs), transmit diseases (mosquitos, flies), damage structures (termites), or destroy agricultural goods (locusts, weevils). Many entomologists are involved in various forms of pest control, often using insecticides, but more and more relying on methods of biocontrol.

## 4. Name five species of useful insects.

Although pest insects attract the most attention, many insects are beneficial to the environment and to humans. Some pollinate flowering plants (for example wasps, bees, butterflies, ants). The silkworm has greatly affected human history, as silk-driven trade established relationships between China and the rest of the world. Fly larvae (maggots) were formerly used to treat wounds to prevent or stop gangrene, as they would only consume dead flesh. This treatment is finding modern usage in some hospitals. Adult insects such as crickets, and insect larvae of various kinds are also commonly used as fishing bait.

## 5. Tell two Bible stories in which insects played an important part.

* Exodus 8:21-31: God sent a plague of flies on Egypt.
* Exodus 10:1-18: God sent a plague of locusts on Egypt.
* Proverbs 6:6-8: The ant "stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest."
* Jonah 4:5-11: God used a worm (possibly an insect larva) to teach Jonah about His concern for people.
* Acts 12:20-23: King Herod was eaten by worms and died.

## References

* Wikipedia article on Insects