1. There are many insects with a Gradual Metamorphosis life cycle. Grasshoppers, termites, true bugs, aphids, earwigs, thrips and book and bark lice.

2. Insects with Gradual Metamorphosis have to be go through a nymph cycle.

3. Insects with Gradual Metamorphosis have 5 nymph cycles. They don’t make a chrysalis. Click on the number 5 to see the five nymphs.

4. Group 3 Insect Life Cycle: Incomplete Metamorphosis The young insects in this group change shape gradually. They do not look like adults until shedding their last skin. Then there is a change.

5. Incomplete Metamorphsis Click on the 5instar nymph and it will turn into a dragonfly when it climbs out his skin.

6. A dragonfly, mayfly, and a stonefly are all insects with two sets of wings. They have an Incomplete Metamorphosis life cycle. They turn into the adult after they shed their last skin.

7. Group 4 Insect Life Cycle: Complete Metamorphosis Some insects go through 4 stages of growth. None of the young look like the adult. Click on the adult. This is the adult.

8. Stage 1 : These are butterfly eggs. Butterflies lay their eggs on the leaf of the plant that they eat. Look on the leaf of a milk weed to find some eggs of the Monarch butterfly. Click to watch where the Monarch butterfly lays its eggs.http://www.youtub e.com/watch?v=IjwDrMs k5IY&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtub e.com/watch?v=IjwDrMs k5IY&feature=related

9. Stage 2: When the egg hatches a little caterpillar comes out. A new caterpillar is called a 1instar. It is really little. The caterpillar eats and grows and changes into a 2instar and then a 3instar.

10. Stage 3 : The 5instar caterpillar is ready to make a chrysalis. Click on the link to see the butterfly spin the cocoon. http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=DKjG1vm5F84&NR=1 Here are some different spun pupas.

11. Stage 4 : The pupa opens up and out comes the butterfly. Click on the link to see the cocoon open up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjduur9Y yVA&feature=related It looks different! It doesn’t look like an egg, or a caterpillar or a pupa.

12. Caterpillars change 4 times. When they turn into a 5instar they are ready to make a chrysalis. Click on the numbers to put the caterpillars in order of age. 1 2 3 4 5

13. The butterfly life cycle has 4 stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and adult. Look at the pictures. Which one is missing? Click on the picture to find the missing stage. the egg

14. Now that you know about the life cycles of insects here are some other fun curiosities about insects. Some caterpillars look really scary, but don’t worry. They are using a scare tactic so they will not get eaten. Click on the link to see the scariest caterpillar of all in action. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lD00Err6CY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lD00Err6CY

15. More scary caterpillars! Remember these caterpillars are trying to survive. They don’t want to be eaten by a bird.

16. Oh! Oh! Sometimes another butterfly tries to copy a butterfly. This is called mimicry. Monarch butterflies taste nasty and birds won’t eat them. The Viceroy butterfly tries to look like the Monarch so birds won’t eat him. Click on the pictures to find which is which. Look at the hind wings. The Viceroy has an extra black line going across the wings. Look at the hind wings again. The Monarch does NOT have an extra black line going across.

17. Here is an other example of insect mimicry. The syrphid fly looks like the yellow jacket wasp. Can you see the difference? Click on each picture to find what it is. The waspThe fly

18. More insect mimicry Click on the picture. This moth is using mimicry to look like a jumping spider. The moth is also trying to scare the attacker. The mothJumping spider

19. Sometimes when you try to find insects, they are hard to see because there is something called camouflage. Camouflage is a disguise that causes the insects to blend in with their surroundings. Click on the pictures to find the insects.

20. Look closely and click on the pictures to find the camouflaged insects.

21. Can you find the insect? Look closely. Remember they look like they blend in with the surroundings. Click on the pictures to find the insect.

22. Let’s see if we can remember some of the things that insects use so they won’t get killed or eaten by an animal. Mimicry The insect mimics another insect to protect itself. The insect disguises itself so it can blend in with its surroundings. The insect scares other insects or animals that might try and eat it. Camouflage Scare tactics Click on words to find definition

23. You have learned a lot about insects. Let’s check if you can remember. This moth is showing which of the following: 1. camouflage 2. scare tactic 3. mimicry

24. This insect is using which of the following: (hint: there are two answers) 1. mimicry 2. camouflage 3. scare tactic

25. This insect is using which of the following for survival. 1. Camouflage 2. scare tactic 3. mimicry

26. This grasshopper has a Complete Metamorphosis Life Cycle. True or False