Transcript Organisms in Gardens - Jeremy`s Site

 Dragonflies
 Butterflies & Caterpillars
 Ladybirds
 Snails
 Earthworms
http://powell.colgate.edu/wda/Australia/Dragonflies--pyche_cropped.jpg
The dragonfly is a flying insect that can hover in mid-air. It eats other insects,
catching them while it is flying. There are many different species of
dragonflies, and most of them are found near water. The earliest dragonflies
appeared over 300 million years ago. Like all insects, the dragonfly has a 3part body: a head, a thorax, and a long, thin, segmented abdomen. The
dragonfly has 2 large compound eyes that take up most of the head. On the
short thorax there are 3 pairs of jointed legs and two pairs of long, delicate,
membranous wings. The dragonfly breathes through spiracles (tiny holes in
the abdomen).
A dragonfly undergoes an incomplete *metamorphosis. The larva hatches
from an egg which is laid in water, in plants near water, or even underwater.
As this aquatic larva (called a nymph) grows, it *moults many times. When
fully grown, it emerges from the water, using the claws on its feet to crawl
onto a plant. The dragonfly flies away over land. It only returns to the water to
reproduce and continue this cycle. The life span ranges from about 6 months
to over 7 years (most of it is spent in the nymph stage, the adult lives for only
a few weeks).
*Metamorphosis – Change of form or nature
*Moults – To lose one’s old skin
http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/photos/santa_barbara_california/images/butterflies%20on
%20tree%20mating.jpg
Butterflies are beautiful, flying insects with large scaly wings. Like all
insects, they have 6 jointed legs, 3 body parts, 2 antennae, 2 compound
eyes, and an *exoskeleton. The 3 body parts are the head, thorax (the
chest), and abdomen (the tail end).
The butterfly's body is covered by tiny sensory hairs. The 4 wings and the 6
legs of the butterfly are attached to the thorax. The thorax contains the
muscles that make the legs and wings move.
Butterflies are very good fliers. They have 2 pairs of large wings covered
with colourful scales in overlapping rows. Lepidoptera (butterflies and
moths) are the only insects that have scaly wings. The wings are attached to
the butterfly's thorax (mid-section). Veins support the delicate wings and
nourish them with blood.
Butterflies can only fly if their body temperature is above 30°C. Butterflies
sun themselves to warm up in cool weather. As butterflies get older, the
colour of the wings fades and the wings become ragged.
The speed varies among butterfly species (the poisonous varieties are
slower than non-poisonous varieties). The fastest butterflies (some
skippers) can fly at about 48 km/h or faster. Slow flying butterflies fly
about 8 km/h.
*Exoskeleton – A hard outer structure, such as the shell of an insect or crustacean,
that provides protection or support for an organism
Butterflies and moths undergo complete metamorphosis in which they go
through four different life stages.
Egg - A butterfly starts its life as an egg, often laid on a leaf.
Larva - The larva (caterpillar) hatches from an egg and eats leaves or
flowers almost constantly. The caterpillar moults many times as it grows.
The caterpillar will increase up to several thousand times in size before
pupating.
Pupa - It turns into a pupa (chrysalis); this is a resting stage.
Adult - A beautiful, flying adult emerges. This adult will continue the cycle.
Caterpillars spend most of their time eating leaves using strong mandibles
(jaws). A caterpillar's first meal, however, is its own eggshell. A few
caterpillars are meat-eaters; the larva of the carnivorous Harvester butterfly
eats woolly aphids.
Butterflies and moths can only sip liquid food using a tube-like proboscis,
which is a long, flexible "tongue." This proboscis uncoils to sip food, and
coils up again into a spiral when not in use. Most butterflies live on nectar
from flowers. Some butterflies sip the liquid from rotting fruits and a rare
few prefer rotting animal flesh or animal fluids (the Harvester butterfly
pierces the bodies of woolly aphids with its sharp proboscis and drinks the
body fluids).
http://www.foagm.org/Album_02-07/caterpillar%20(ID_).jpg
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A caterpillar is the larval stage of butterflies and moths. The caterpillar hatches
from a tiny egg and will eventually pupate and turn into an adult butterfly or moth.
This larval stage usually lasts from two weeks to about a month. This is the main
feeding stage of the butterfly. Caterpillars eat almost constantly and grow very
quickly, at an astonishing rate.
Caterpillars mostly eat the leaves of flowering plants and trees using their powerful
mandibles. Caterpillars are very limited in their diet; many species will only eat the
leaves of a single type of plant. They usually eat only the plant that their mother
carefully chose to lay their egg on.
Only a few Lepidoptera larvae are carnivores. The larva of the Harvester Butterfly
exclusively eats woolly aphids.
As caterpillars grow, their exoskeleton becomes tight on them, so they moult (lose
their old exoskeleton). After the moult, while the new skin is still soft, they swallow
a lot of air, which expands their body. Then, when the cuticle (the outermost layer
of the skin of vertebrates; epidermis) hardens, they let the air out and have room for
growth.
Caterpillars moult four or five times as they grow. Each different caterpillar stage is
called an instar.
When larval growth is done, the larva stops eating and empties its digestive system
(leaving a small dark spot). It then looks for a sheltered, safe spot where it will
pupate (turn into a pupa, entering its third stage of its metamorphosis).
When the caterpillar has reached the right size, it is time for it to pupate. It finds a
suitable place to attach itself (a twig, a leaf, underground, or another place). It
attaches itself with a silken girdle around its middle and a silken pad and cremaster
(at the end of the abdomen). It then splits open and loses its exoskeleton and
pupates (becomes a pupa).
http://www.picdiary.com/degrade.php?file=/misc/ladybird-macro.jpg
 Ladybirds (also called ladybugs or lady beetles) are small, oval-shaped
winged insects. These shiny insects are usually red with black spots or
black with red spots on the wing covers. The number of spots identifies the
type of ladybird. Most ladybugs are less than 6 mm long. As ladybirds get
older, the spots fade.
 There are about 5000 different species of ladybirds throughout the world. A
common one is the two-spotted ladybug; it is orange-red with two black
spots.
 These tiny predators (Family Coccinellidae) are helpful in gardens because
they eat many garden pests (such as mealy bugs and *aphids). Birds are the
major predator of the ladybug.
 When not flying, the wings are covered by a pair of modified wings (called
elytra). When flying, the elytra open up. Like all insects, ladybugs have: 6
jointed legs (black), 2 antennae (black), and an exoskeleton made of chitin
(a material similar to our hair and fingernails). Their 3-part body consists of
a head (with the mouthparts, eyes, and antennae), thorax (where the legs
and wings attach), and the abdomen (containing the reproductive and most
of the digestive organs).
*Aphid – Insect that is harmful to plants
Snail
Photograph taken by Funky Monkeys in Lakeside Primary School’s Eco Garden
http://www.iisgcp.org/EXOTICSP/images/oriental-snail/Mystery_Snail.jpg
 The snail is a gastropod, a soft-bodied type of *mollusc that is basically a
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head with a flattened foot. The soft body is protected by a hard shell, which
the snail retreats into when alarmed. These invertebrates are found
worldwide in the seas, in fresh water, and in moist areas on land.
Locomotion: Snails move by crawling, swimming, or floating with
currents. Land snails crawl on the ground, creeping along on their large,
flat foot; a special gland in the foot secretes mucus (a slimy fluid) helps the
snail move. The common garden snail is the slowest moving animal; it can
travel about 1 cm/s.
Anatomy: Snails range in size from 0.5 mm long (Ammonicera rota) to
over 76 cm long (the marine Australian Trumpet Syrinx aruanus). The
largest land snail is the Giant African Snail; it is over 39 cm long and
weighs about 900 g. Snails have two pairs of tentacles on the head. Land
snails have a light-sensitive eyespot located on each of the larger tentacles;
water-dwelling snail eyespots are at the base of the tentacles. The smaller
pair of tentacles is used for the sense of smell and the sense of touch.
Diet: Most snails eat living and decaying plants, some are scavengers
(animals searching for decaying flesh as food) and some are predators.
They eat using a radula, a rough tongue-like organ that has thousands of
tiny denticles (tooth-like protrusions).
Predators of the snail: Birds, fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, beetles (and other
insects) and human beings.
*Mollusc – Organism having a soft body and a shell
http://www.life.uiuc.edu/mcb/419/images/Earthworm_exiting_burrow.jpg
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Earthworms are very important animals that aerate (to expose something to
the chemical action of the air) the soil with their *burrowing action and
enrich the soil with their waste products (called castings). Good soil can
have as many as one million worms per 4050 m2. There are over 3000
species of earthworms around the world. These invertebrates range in
colour from brown to red, and most have a soft body. Earthworms range in
size from a few inches long to over 7 m long. The largest earthworms live
in South Africa and Australia.
Anatomy and Diet: The brain, hearts, and breathing organs are located in
the first few segments of the worm. It has 10 hearts! The rest of the inside
of an earthworm is filled with the intestines, which digest its food.
Earthworms eat soil and the organic material in it - like insect parts and
bacteria. The mouth is covered by a flap (called the prostomium) which
helps the earthworm sense light and vibrations. Tiny bristles (called setae)
are on most segments of the earthworm's body.
Reproduction: Although each earthworm is hermaphroditic (having both
male and female reproductive systems), it takes two worms to mate and
reproduce. The reproductive organs are in the clitellum. The clitellum later
forms a cocoon which protects the developing eggs.
*Burrow – To make a hole or tunnel in the ground by digging
Ferns
Balsams
Mimosas
http://www.woodslore.org/Images/photos/ferns/dryopterisfelixmas.jpg
Non-flowering plants have existed more than 300 million years ago. They
include algae, ferns, mosses, and conifers.
Ferns have roots, stems and leaves. Most of them grow on other plants.
Non-flowering plants, except the conifers, reproduce by spores. A spore is a
tiny spherical cell that will grow into a new individual. Mosses and ferns
produce spores. Millions of spores are found inside spore capsules. The
spore capsules of a moss are at the top of the stalk, which sticks out of the
leafy part of the plant.
The spore capsules of a fern are located in groups at the underside of the
fronds. Frond is the name given to the leaf of the fern.
When they are ripe, the spore capsules open up, and the spores are
scattered. If the spores land on favourable soil, they will start to grow.
Adapted from book “New Primary Science Encyclopedia – Preston”
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/annuals/impatiens_balsamina.
html
Balsam (Impatiens balsamina) is a common garden plant. It is a native of
Southeast Asia. The leaves are used to heal wounds in Malaysia, Indonesia
and the Philippines. The flowers are used to treat snakebite and *lumbago.
The Chinese use the seeds to treat difficult labour, to relieve pain after
labour, to increase the menstrual flow, to expel phlegm from the respiratory
passages and as an antidote to fish poisoning.
It is important to remember that traditional medicines are dispensed by
qualified practitioners. Anyone to experiment with self-medication is not
encouraged.
Balsam is an erect, sparsely-branched, tender annual plant. These plants
which grow up to about 48 cm tall have thick-juicy stems and medium
spiky edged light green leaves. Flowers can be single or double around 5
cm in diameter, they bloom singly or in small clusters from the leaf axils,
close to the stem and the colour ranges from white, pink, rose, red, violet,
double colours etc.
*Lumbago – A painful condition of the lower back, as one resulting from
muscle strain or a slipped disk
Adapted from URL
“http://www.science.edu.sg/ssc/detailed.jsp?artid=914&type=6&root=4&parent=4&cat=47”
and “http://www.webindia123.com/garden/flowers/balsam.htm”
http://www.nbhtravel.com/Pensacola/mimosa%20tree.jpg
 The Mimosa tree (Albizzia julibrissin) was introduced to the USA in 1745
for use as an ornamental plant because of its unusual, attractive and
fragrant pom-pom like flowers and interesting fern-like foliage. This
deciduous (loses its leaves annually) tree is attractive to bees, butterflies,
and birds. In gardens this tree grows to 6 to 9 m.
 Mimosa trees are fast-growing but rather short-lived. It has a single trunk
with smooth gray bark. Each *bipinnate leaf is made up of hundreds of tiny
leaflets coated in white hairs, giving the foliage a silvery cast. In late winter
or spring the domed crown is decked in sprays of small, globular, golden
yellow flower heads. It is able to survive winter in southern USA, but
flowers better in climates with a longer, drier summer.
 Mimosa closes its leaves when touched.
Bipinnate – Having or consisting of divisions that are themselves once or several
times compound
Adapted from URL
“http://www.naturehills.com/new/product/productdetails.aspx?proname=Mimosa+Tree”
Jeremy
Ching
Hun
Noorul
Group Photograph
Afiqah
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PowerPoint Presentation Done by:
Teng Boon Song Jeremy
Ng Ching Hun
Noorul Faeyza
Nur Afiqah Bte Agus
Some objects of this presentation are taken from external sources,
stated below:
Microsoft Office XP - Microsoft PowerPoint 2002
Microsoft Office – WordArt, Clip Art
Information of organisms adapted from www.enchantedlearning.com unless
stated.
Sources of organisms’ photographs stated under them.
“Dragostea Din Tei – O-Zone” Song Excerpt Used