Bugging Out on Beetles

Can you name all the beetles?  Wait!  Before you say John, Paul, George, and Ringo, you should know there are more kinds of beetles than any other kind of animal.  There are over 290,000 kinds of beetles and only 4,000 kinds of other animals.  Beetles rule!
 


 

The Tasks:

This WebQuest is designed for grade 3-5 students studying life sciences.  You will learn:



 

The Resources:

1.   Beetles aren't only numerous – they're incredibly different from one another. They come in a wide range of sizes and colors and live nearly everywhere on Earth. You can piece together this beetle puzzle and then select your bug to find out some of the secrets of beetle survival.

2.   Wayne's Word Beetle Bonus Bonanza offers lots of information about several unusual species of beetles. He has included some great activities and pictures. There is a Pizza Graph showing the percentage of beetle species compared with all the species of plants and animals on earth. You can also try your luck at finding all the beetles in his word search.

3.  You can watch as a small egg hatches and a beetle larva begins to develop.  But without your help, the larva will never make it to adulthood. By double clicking on the attacking ants, you can protect the larva and see it reach adulthood.
 
4.  Do beetles sing?  No, not those Beatles again.  Although we might not recognize the words and the message, beetles do sing to communicate with other beetles.  By visiting this page, you will be able to listen to some beetle songs and to get an idea of the actual size of several species of beetles.

5.  Want to meet a beetle up close? You can make a pitfall trap at home and see if the beetles and their friends are living in your backyard. You can name the beetles you find whatever you like. Just be sure to treat all your pitfall captives gently.

6.  The FBIA (Federal Bug Intelligence Agency) seeks your help in locating a gang of notorious creepy crawlies! They have posted the mug shots and rap sheets of the12 most wanted bugs and one of them is a beetle. This beetle is wanted for reasons that you might not guess.  If you visit this page, you can identify the beetle and learn why it made the most wanted bugs list.
 


 

The Process:

1.  Beetles aren't only numerous – they're incredibly different from one another. Here, you will meet seven unique beetles and attempt to piece together a beetle puzzle.  As you match the pieces correctly, you will learn how these small creatures defend themselves against predators.

2.  Wayne's Word Beetle Bonus Bonanza offers lots of information about several unusual species of beetles. You will read about the $1000 beetle and view a necklace made entirely of beetles. Be sure to check out the "Beetle Bonus Bonanza". You will visit several links from Wayne's page that illustrate the great diversity of beetles. Click on the pizza graph to see how big a piece the beetles get. Find out how many times he has included the word "beetle" in his word puzzle. After exploring this site, you can tell your friends all they ever wanted to know about beetles and more!

3.  Beetles begin life from a tiny egg laid in a compost heap or in a rotting log. You will  watch as a small egg hatches and a beetle larva begins to develop. Your task is to protect the larva from attacking ants and other beetles. Without your help, the larva will never make it to adulthood. Use your mouse to double click on the attacking predators.  If you are quick enough, you will see the larva develop into an adult beetle.

4.  Although we might not recognize the words and the message, beetles do sing to communicate with other beetles. When you visit this page, you will click on the blue icon to hear examples of  beetle songs. By clicking on the picture of the beetle, you will find information about the species, measurement or size, how the sound is generated, and where the beetle is found.

5.  You will make a pitfall trap at home and keep a record of the beetles you capture in your backyard.  You will need a plastic container (like a plastic cup) and a small hole located in an out of the way area of your yard.  Check your trap regularly to see who drops in. Record information such as size, appearance, and unusual characteristics. Compare your information to the beetle profiles you have visited on other pages and try to identify your specimens. Treat your captives kindly and release them once you have the information you need.

6.  The FBIA (Federal Bug Intelligence Agency) has posted mug shots of the 12 most wanted bugs. Only one of these bugs is a beetle. Click on the Bug Mugs to learn something about each bug and why it is wanted. Identfy the good bugs and the bad bugs. Why did a beetle make the 12 Most Wanted List? Check out "Bug Bodies" to see a really cool 3D picture of each bug.

7.  Now test your knowledge of beetles by doing a word search on Quia.
 


 

Learning Advice:

If you are following this WebQuest as part of a science project, you will want to keep a journal as you visit the links.  Record the information you find concerning the number of kinds of beetles, where they are found, and their contribution to our environment. Select a few species of beetles to investigate more thoroughly. Use pictures that you have drawn or printed of those beetles to illustrate your journal. If you captured a really unusual beetle in your pit trap, share it with your classmates before you release it, but treat it kindly.
 


 

Conclusion:

In completing this WebQuest you have discovered an unseen world in which beetles rule. Perhaps you have a new appreciation for these industrious insects.  What do you think would happen if we eliminated all the beetles on earth? If you have an interest in Ancient Egypt, you might also want to search for information on scarab beetles.
 


 

This page was originally written by Vicki Johnson for Dr. R. Bruce Lewis in EDU 506, and was last updated on March 22, 2001.  To view my Power Point Presentation click here.