BugsLook Closero o

A Dorling Kindersley Book

Text by Sue MalyanEditor Fleur Star

Senior art editor Janet AllisPublishing manager Susan LeonardManaging art editor Clare Shedden

Jacket design Simon OonPicture researcher Sarah Mills

Production Luca BazzoliDTP Designer Almudena Díaz

First published in Great Britain in 2005 byDorling Kindersley Limited

80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL

A Penguin Company

2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

Copyright © 2005 Dorling Kindersley Limited, London

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,

recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

ISBN 1-4053-1166-5

Colour reproduction by Colourscan, SingaporePrinted and bound in China by Hung Hing

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Contents

Look out for us. We willshow you the size of every

animal in this book.

6 Spiked with

poison

8 Hopping along

10 Flying beetle

12 Deadly sting

14 Fast flier

16 Watch me run

18 Babysitting bugs

20 Flutter, flutter

22 Killer sucker

23 Index and

Glossary

Spiked with poisonThis postman caterpillar may be tiny, but it is heavily armed.Not only is it covered in sharp spines, but its body is full of poison.

6

sp

i k y

Did you know...

This insect is so small itcan disguise itself as

bird droppings.

...The caterpillarcan only use its firstsix legs for walking.

Its other legs justhave suckers for

gripping.

7

n i b b l eni b b l e

I’ve got 12 eyes, butI can only see if it’slight or dark.

I won’t always be acaterpillar. Soon I willchange into a brightlycoloured butterfly.

p ri ck l ysh

arp

Hopping alongThis desert locust isstill a young hopper.Its wings have not yetformed, so it movesabout by hopping.

8

These are my jaws. I usethem like teeth to biteand grind up my food.

I like to be with other hoppers.The more of us there are, the faster we all hop!

Did you know...Adult

locusts are 6 cm (2 in)

long, but there can be50 billion of

them in oneswarm.

... Locusts aregrasshoppers thatmove in swarms.When a swarmeats, it can ruin

whole crops.

9

I make my chirping noiseby rubbing my back legsagainst these hard veinson my wings.

Look how long and strong my back legs are! I can jump10 times my own length.

chirpchirp

chirp

Flying beetleThis cardinalbeetle has beenfeeding on thepollen in a flower.When it has finished, it liftsits bright red wing cases,ready to fly off.

Did you know...

... Birds know thata brightly colouredinsect tastes nastyand could even be

poisonous.

10

I can’t flyvery fast.

These are my antennae.I use them to feel andto smell.

Cardinal beetles are 1.4 cm (1⁄2 in) long, but

they are easy to spot.

11

When I’m flying,I lift up my wingcases out of theway of my wings.

I’ve had my fill, I’m off.

Deadly stingIf you ever spot ascorpion, keep out of its way! The stingon the end of its tailis so poisonous that it could kill you.

Scorpions are deadly but small – just 10 cm (4 in) long.

12

I can survive in the desertfor months without waterand for more than a yearwithout food.

danger

I inject mypoison withthis spike.

I’ve got four pairs ofeyes on top of myhead, but I can’t see very well.

Did you know...

... The scorpion’spoison makes itsvictim unable to

move. It would killa person in a few

hours.

13If I fancy a snack, I graban insect or a lizard inmy two pincers.

Boo!

Fast flierThis dragonfly is takinga rare break, resting on a plant. It spendshours in the airwithout landing.

My spiky legs helpme to hang on toslippery surfaces.

14

I’m very goodat spottingthings thatmove about,like my dinner!

My eyes are so bigthey cover most of my head.

Did you know...This species

of dragonfly is a southern hawker.

It is 7 cm (2 3⁄4 in) long.

... A dragonfly’swings beat about 20times every second.It can hover in the

air and even flybackwards.

15

whirr whirr

These veins supportmy wings.

My beautifulcolours help meattract a mate.

Watch me runScuttling over the hot desertrocks, this ground beetle ischasing a spider. It has longlegs and can run really fastas it hunts its prey.

My jaws are outsidemy mouth. I usethem to grab myprey and chop it up.

Did you know...

This kind ofground beetle is called adomino beetle,because of itswhite spots.

... If it is attacked,the ground beetlesquirts its enemy

with a liquid that burns.

16

My skeleton grows on the outside of mybody. It makes a hard,protective case.

twitc

htw

itch

17I can’t fly becausemy wing cases arestuck together. Where’s that spider gone?

Babysitting bugsWhen most insects lay eggs, theyleave them alone. This femaleparent bug is different. She staysto guard her eggs and defendthe young bugs against enemies.

These are mybabies. Theystay close sothat I canprotect them.

Even fully grown parent bugs

are just 0.6–0.8 cm (1⁄4 in) long, so

it’s easy for lots of babies to fit

onto one leaf.

18

We live on birch leavesbecause they are full oflovely, juicy sap to drink.

Did you know...

... This bug is akind of a shield bug. Its foldedwings make the

shape of a shield.

19

I’m looking out forbirds who mightfancy a bug snack.

suckchews l

u rp

With a flutter of red andblack wings, a postmanbutterfly lands on apassion flower, lookingfor a drink of nectar.

This curled up tubeis my proboscis. I useit like a straw tosuck up my food.

This butterflyhas large wings for

the size of itsbody. The

wings cangrow to 8 cm

(3 in) across.

20

My wings arecovered with scales.

flapflutter

Flutter, flutter

Did you know...

... Female postman butterflieslay up to 500 eggs,but only a few ofthem survive to

be adults.

21

My black and redcolours show that I am poisonous.Birds soon learn to leave me alone.

upside-d

own

Mmm, passionflower - myfavourite!

Killer suckerDung flies are alwayson the lookout foranimal poo,because that’swhere theylay theireggs.

22

I’ve got a big mouth! It’s great forsucking up liquid.

My yellow fur showsthat I’m a male.Females are grey.

These tiny fliesare less than 1 cm (1⁄2 in)

long.

buzz buzz buzzzzz

Did you know...

... A dung fly eatsinsects. It kills its

prey by biting it inthe neck, and sucks

the liquid out of its body.

23

antennae11

cardinalbeetle 10-11

desert 12, 16desert locust 8-9

dragonfly 14-15dung fly 22-23eggs 18, 20, 22eyes 7, 13, 14grasshopper 9ground beetle

16-17jaws 8, 16legs 7, 10, 14, 16

mouth 16, 22parent bug 18-19poison 6, 10, 12,

13, 21postman butterfly

7, 20-21postmancaterpillar 6-7proboscis 20scorpion 12-13skeleton 16suckers 7wing case 11, 17wings 8, 9, 11, 15,

20

Glossaryantennae a pair of feelers thata creature uses to sense whereit is or to find food. Someinsects also use them to smell with.

nectar a sweet liquid found inmany flowers.

poison a liquid or othersubstance that kills or harms ananimal if the animal touches oreats it.

prey creatures an animalhunts for food.

proboscis a tube-likemouthpart used by some insectsto suck up liquid food.

suckers cup-shaped pads that stick to surfaces, helping acreature to grip.

swarm a large group of bugs,such as locusts, that cometogether to eat or find a new home.

wing case a protective coverthat some insects have overtheir wings.

Index