desert bugs - Top That! Publishing

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BEETLE MANIA With around 400,000 different kinds, beetles form the largest group of insects, known as Coleoptera. The word ‘Coleoptera’ means ‘sheathed wing’, and you’ll see that most beetles’ flight wings are protected by a hardened shield. Apart from their hardened shields, do beetles have any other form of defence Some beetles secrete toxic chemicals when threatened. If the poisonous chemical secreted by the blister beetle touches human skin, it causes painful blisters and can even be fatal if swallowed. This chemical, called cantharidin, is secreted by the male beetle and given to the female, who covers her eggs with it to protect them from predators. Blister beetles are often brightly coloured, which acts as a further warning to predators to stay away – these beetles are bad to eat! This brightly coloured blister beetle secretes a toxic chemical. FACT FILE The name ‘stag beetle’ comes from the enormous mandibles (jaws) found on the males of this species. They look like a stag’s antlers! When threatened, the devil’s coach-horse beetle arches its tail and opens its pincer-like jaws, rather like a scorpion. (Its arched tail means it is also known as a ‘cock-tail’.) If this action doesn’t put off predators, the beetle squirts a stinking liquid from two glands at its rear. The devil’s coach-horse beetle has no sting in its tail, but squirts a foul-smelling liquid and gives a nasty bite. Which is Britain’s largest beetle The stag beetle is Britain’s largest beetle, with males growing to 7 cm (3 in.) in length. On summer evenings, males take to the air in search of a mate. Despite their fearsome-looking jaws, male stag beetles don’t bite, but wrestle with each other over a good breeding site, the winner throwing the loser to the ground. 10
Male stag beetles take to the air on warm summer evenings in search of a mate.
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Page 5 and 6: Now You See Me Pages 34-36 Rainfore
Page 7 and 8: There are millions of species of in
Page 9 and 10: WHAT’S BUGGING YOU? Bedbugs, assa
Page 11: Are bugs able to live under water a
Page 15 and 16: EYE SPY DRAGONFLY Dragonflies are o
Page 17 and 18: How fast can dragonflies actually f
Page 19 and 20: All the members of the Orthoptera f
Page 21 and 22: FLUTTERBY BUTTERFLY Butterflies and
Page 23 and 24: BUSY BODIES There are over 19,000 k
Page 25 and 26: ANT-TASTIC Ants and termites are kn
Page 27 and 28: What does a queen ant do The queen
Page 29 and 30: Which beetle has the most disgustin
Page 31 and 32: Do insects use their legs in self-d
Page 33 and 34: STAYING ALIVE It’s a jungle out t
Page 35 and 36: Do butterflies, moths and caterpill
Page 37 and 38: What is a leaf butterfly This amazi
Page 39 and 40: UP, UP AND AWAY The way in which in
Page 41 and 42: Why are moths attracted to light No
Page 43 and 44: Why does scent matter The insect wo
Page 45 and 46: Do killer bees really exist African
Page 47 and 48: Which rainforest insect tucks itsel
Page 49 and 50: Which water insect lives at the bot
Page 51 and 52: Which insect helps to turn over the
Page 53 and 54: How else do insects find water to d
Page 55 and 56: Ponds and swamps provide excellent
Page 57 and 58: DESERT BUGS You might expect the dr
Page 60 and 61: THE EYES HAVE IT To make up for the
Page 62 and 63:
How does a caterpillar see its food
Page 64 and 65:
GLOSSARY Honeycomb A waxy structure
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INDEX African honeybee 43 African s
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