1. Plant Science AAEC – Paradise Valley Spring 2015
How do Insects Spread?
Plant Science
AAEC – Paradise Valley
Spring 2015

2. I Can… Describe the four insect life cycles.
Describe how insects spread during each stage of life.

4. How did the hungry caterpillar change throughout the book?
Discussion Questions
How did the hungry caterpillar change throughout the book?
Why did he change?
What do we call these changes?

5. four insect life cycles
1. Complete Metamorphosis
Egg, larva, pupa and adult.
Examples include beetles, moths, butterflies, flies, mosquitoes, bees, wasps, and ants.

6. Describe the four insect life cycles.
2. Gradual Metamorphosis
Egg, nymph, and adult.
Nymphs resemble adult in general body form but lacks wings.
Examples include grasshoppers, crickets, roaches, true bugs, earwigs, aphids, and whiteflies.

7. Describe the four insect life cycles.
Incomplete Metamorphosis
Egg, naiad, and adult.
Naiad are aquatic, breathe through gills, and develop in or around water.
Examples include dragonflies, mayflies, stoneflies, and damselflies.

8. Describe the four insect life cycles.
No Metamorphosis
Egg, young and adult.
Young are identical to adults, but smaller.
Examples include silverfish, bristletails, and firebrats.

9. Describe how insects spread during each stage of life.
Eggs of insects are immobile. They can spread by: wind, water flow, transported by humans, or on plant material.
Larvae of most insects are able to move. This is the stage that typically does the most damage to crops. Most larvae do not have wings. They move by: walking, wind, water, transported by humans, or on plant material.

10. Describe how insects spread during each stage of life.
Pupa are not mobile. They can however be transported: on plant material or by humans.
Adult stage is the most mobile. Adult insects spread by: flying, wind (flight makes being picked up by wind much more likely), walking, water, on plant material, and transported by humans. Some adult insects go through complex migrations. Adults may lay eggs anywhere that they travel. This contributes to the spread of insects.