Explore Outdoors ~ Shiny bugs

 

 Metallic green tiger beetles live in and around my garden. They are Six-spotted tiger beetles, and boy do they move fast! They fly fast and once they land, they run fast - up to more than 5 miles an hour, according to the Smithsonian. That translates to 120 body-lengths per second - which if you could do would be more than 400 miles and hour!

Take a close look at this beetle. 

What do you notice about its eyes? They are big! 

What do you notice about its legs? They are skinny and made for running!

If you see one around your house, what do you notice about the way they fly?

Tiger beetles are carnivores. They hunt and eat caterpillars and other insects that can be pests in gardens and on farms. 

This week, look for shiny insects. Take pictures or, if you don't have a camera, draw a picture and describe what you see.

 

My Awesome Summer

My Awesome Summer,  by P. Mantis
by Paul Meisel
40 pages; ages 4-8
Holiday House, 2017

P. Mantis had a wonderful summer, full of bird-watching, hide-and-seek, fine food, sibling rivalry, and flight lessons. There are a few scary moment, like the time she almost got eaten by a bat, and narrowly escaping spider webs. But for the most part it was a summer to remember.

What I like about this book:
It's fun to read! Written from the point of view of a praying mantis, it's set up as diary entries. For example:
June 2
All the aphids are gone. I'm hungry. Growing so fast! I ate one of my brothers. Okay, maybe two. Fine dining? Or sibling rivalry? Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. P. Mantis also reveals her most important trick: how to be still and look like a stick. This gets her out of a lot of dicey situations.

I also like love that what would usually go into back matter has been put on the end papers. Small-ish chunks of information about praying mantises and their ecology are accompanied by illustrations. The end pages are where you learn what mantises like to eat, how they use camouflage to hide from predators, flight, and laying eggs. That's where cool websites are and a very tiny glossary.

I like the cover, too. Who can ignore a face like Mantis's? Plus the monarda! Heading out to my garden to see if any of her cousins are hanging out amongst my flowers.


Beyond the Book:

Go on  a Mantis Expedition. Explore flowers and shrubs and tall-grass areas to see if there are any mantids hanging about. Remember to take along something to sketch with, or a camera. Things to observe:

• how big are the mantids you find?
• what colors are they?
• do they fly?
• watch their behavior for awhile. How do they hunt? 

What do mantids do during a solar eclipse? On Monday there will be an eclipse of the sun. If you live in North America you'll see partial or total eclipse. Check the Wednesday Explorer Club post for more. 

Check out this cool interview with StoryMakers. You'll learn how Paul Meisel met P. Mantis, and how he does his illustrations.

Read this Mantis profile over at National Geographic Kids.

Write about your awesome summer. When I went to school, every fall we had to write a story about what we did that summer. Don't wait. Get a head start ... and if you're feeling particularly creative, write a story from the point of view of an animal who spent the summer nearby. 

Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Review copy provided by publisher.

Spider Sketching

Last week I reviewed books about predators and prey, so this week we're taking a break from books to study local predators. One predator that you might find - even in the winter - is a spider.

Spiders aren't very active this time of year - at least in the northern part of the US where the weather is cold and snowy. Nope. Most of 'em are snugly ensconced beneath layers of leaves, or hanging out in the northeast corner of my bathroom (because it's warm and humid and there's usually an errant fungus gnat cruising about).

If you can't find any spiders around your house, you can always look online. Check out spiders with Bill Nye.

In the next town over, six-year-old Zuri has been busy drawing bugs. Some are imaginative multi-legged mini-monsters, and others resemble sketches you might find in any field journal. But the other day he emailed me a spider - OK, a drawing of a spider, complete with annotations.

Zuri likes drawing spiders because there are so many species and he likes to learn about them. The drawing he sent me isn't any particular spider; it's a "generic" spider. 

Even so, he paid attention to small details, like the hairs on the legs. They act as sensors, he notes on the drawing.

If you like spiders and you're stuck inside on a snowy day, why not draw a bunch? You can copy from photos in a field guide or from online sources (there's gorgeous photos at Spiders rule). Spend time closely observing the photos, and check out details: Can you see their eyes? What do their legs look like? Are there spikes or stripes or dots or zig-zags? What do their feet look like? Their fangs? Are they smooth or hairy?

Want to learn more about spider anatomy? Here's a great resource. Then go on a spider hunt around your house. You might find some dried-up spider remains in the windowsills, or live spiders lurking behind the stove. Draw pictures of those, too. But above all - have fun!