Transcript Student Presentations

Helaeomyia petrolei
(Diptera)
http://tachinid.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/oil-fly-antibiotic-resistance/
Helaeomyia petrolei
• The Helaeomyia petrolei (Oil Fly) is unique in
many ways. This is one of the few organisms
capable of living in the harsh environments of
oil ponds near oil fields.
• The oil fly can withstand very high
temperatures (within the oil pools), setting
them apart from most other insects.
http://fun-gallery.com/funny-pics/animals/photoshop-animals-145
• Larvae tend to congregate on the surface of the
oil.
• They breath through spiracles which protrude
through the oil.
• These flies are incapable of developing outside of
the oil.
• Their main food source is other insects that
become trapped in the oil, they are completely
carnivorous.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&docid=Me7vNAf8ScWR4M&tbnid=_Jm3IHPB0KXp3M:&
ved=0CAQQjB0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefunnyimages.com%2Fpage%2F19%2F&ei=bUJGUdbhJIGy8QS84GABw&bvm=bv.43828540,d.dmg&psig=AFQjCNGGOy0FW-x1x3REMa184BuQbsewAQ&ust=1363645366702244
https://www.google.com/search?q=funny+fly&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=NEJGUdz3HarD4APDkoDoAg&ved=0
CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=890#imgrc=2d4unuJewdbVyM%3A%3BsEtY1fy5EosHrM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cl
evelandseniors.com%252Fimages%252Ffunny%252Ffunnyfly.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.clevelandseniors.com%252Fforever%252Fjow77.htm%3B300%3B384
• Although these insects are totally submerged
in the oil, the oil never manages to enter their
body unless being ingested.
• This is because their membrane and
exoskeleton do an excellent job of sealing off
all possible points of entry.
http://www.phroth.com/2011/03/what%E2%80%99s-in-taco-bell%E2%80%99s-meat-a-phroth-investigative- http://www.sodahead.com/fun/do-you-think-flies-purposely-try-to-piss-you-off/question-963535/?link=ibaf&q=&esrc=s
What's the Buzz?
Phormia Regina
A.K.A The Black Blow Fly
The Nitty Gritty Facts
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Different types of blow flies
Complete Metamorphosis (Holometabolous)
Appearance as an adult: Range from 614mm in length. Metallic sheen to bodies.
Dark, olive-green body, black legs, and
orange pubescence around the
mesothoracic spiracles
Very noisy in flight
Scavengers
Very similar to houseflies; slightly larger
Order of the Day: Diptera
(The Fly Family)
Over 1,000 species in this order---WHOA!
(including mosquitoes, flies and gnats)
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Mouthparts: Piercing-Sucking or Sponging
Wings: 1 membranous, 2 Halteres
Metamorphosis: Complete
Life History
Economic Impact: Pests of humans and
animals
So...why should I care about a little
ol' fly?
Even though they're pests...
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Hey, Forensic science and law majors: Used
in forensics to determine time of death
Hey, biology majors: Larvae used in wound
cleaning
non-gross video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY-iUoI198k
Let's see what you remember...
1. Name one of the 3 types of blowflies
2. What order do blowflies belong to? Give one
fact about that order
3. Name one reason why blowflies are
beneficial
4. Name one disease flies can carry
5. Where is one common place house flies are
found?
1. Black blow fly, secondary screwworm, and
green bottle flies
2. Diptera
3. Can give information about crime scenes
and help clean wounds
4. Tuberculosis
5. Around garbage cans
"We hope that when the insects take over the
world, they will remember with gratitude
how we took them along on all our picnics."
-Bill Vaughn
Xerces Blue
Glaucopsyche Xerces
Scientific Classification
• KINGDOM - ANIMALIA
• DIVISION - RHOPALOCERA
• PHYLUM - ARTHROPODA
• CLASS - INSECTA
• ORDER - LEPIDOPTERA
• FAMILY - LYCAENIDAE
• TRIBE - POLYOMMATINI
• GENUS - GLAUCOPSYCHE
• SPECIES - XERCES
QUICK FACTS
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Xerces Blue, named after the persian king Xerxes
in french
Lived in the coastal sand dunes of San Francisco
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Characterized as blue wings with white spots
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Diet was nectar as most butterflies
Flew from Mid March to Mid April
More Facts
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Perhaps most famous of extinct US
butterflies
Subspecies that consisted of only one
population
Would've been good subject for genetic,
evolutionary, and geological studies
Females laid eggs on leguminous plants
THE FALL OF THE XERCES
DYNASTY
"When the tiny wings of the last xerces blue ceased to flutter...our world grew
quieter by a whisper and duller by a hue" - Unknown
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Extinct since 1941
 Video Cameras 1951
Two Scenarios
 Urban Development
 Symbiotic Relationship With Ants
Few left in Museums
 W. H. Lange
Extinction may not be forever
 Reintroduction
Plebejus
argus
Silver-studded blue butterfly
Plebejus argus Facts
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Found throughout
Europe and Asia
Congregates around
new/short
vegetation
Eggs are laid singly
on cross-leaved
heath
Live in transition
zones between wet
and dry terrain
Silver-Studded Blue
 Light
blue reflective
scales found on
the underside of
most adults
 The males are blue
while the female is
more of a brown
color.
The Difference
Plebejus idas
This species is closely
similar to Plebejus ideas.
The only way to tell them
apart is on the male
argus foreleg. The argus
has a spine and the idas
does not.
Working with ants
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The caterpillars
pupate in ant nests
Lasius niger ants are
attracted by sugarrich secretions
produced by the
caterpillar, and
provide protection
against predators.
Mutualistic
relationship
Working with ants continued
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Weaver ants stand and
wait for the eggs to
hatch
Newly hatched larvae
were tended and
sometimes carried off,
unharmed, in the jaws
of ants.
Ants used their
antennae to collect
droplets of liquid on
the body and long
hairs on the backs of
larvae
http://courses.ncsu.edu/ent201/lec/601/wrap/unit14.
htm
Lytta vesicatoria
Insects and People
Bug ID Project
Spanish fly
Blister beetles
Spanish flies are a part of the Coleoptera
order and the family Meloidae, more
commonly known as blister beetles.
Where can they be found?
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Lytta vesicatoria can be found throughout
Southern Europe and eastward to Central
Asia and Siberia.
Blister beetles in general can be found in
many locations, depending on the species.
There are over 300 species of blister beetles
found just in the United States.
Diet
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Leaves of ash
Lilac
White willow trees
Amur Privet
Larvae may be parasitic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oq9ey9NXi8
Spanish flies, as well as other blister beetles,
contain a substance called cantharidin.
Cantharidin is a major irritant that causes
blistering when it comes in contact with
human skin.
Cantharidin
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Colorless
Odorless
High doses of the chemical compound can
cause excessive salivation and
inflammations.
It can also be used as a topical medication
for removing warts and growths.
Poisonous when consumed.
Side effects of cantharidin
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If the bug is ingested by animals, it can make them
very sick and in some cases can cause death.
For human consumption, the fatal dose of cantharidin
is estimated to range from 10 to 65 mg.
Burning of the lips, mouth and pharynx can occur,
followed by blisters which could lead to abdominal
cramping and vomiting.
It's not known how exactly the cantharidin is
synthesized, but experiments suggest that it is
produced and stored within accessory glands of the
male Spanish fly's sexual organs and some is
transferred to the female during mating. The female
will then use the compound to cover her eggs in order
to protect them from predators.
"One of the most traditional ways to improve and increase sex drive
in women is through the use of Spanish Fly."
-Spanish Fly website
Aphrodisiac
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Spanish flies and cantharidin have been used as
an ingredient in sexual stimulants for hundreds
of years and is considered the world's oldest
aphrodisiac.
The beetle is dried and crushed into a powder
When the powder is consumed, the body
excretes cantharidin in the urine. It causes
burning and inflammation in the urogental
tract.
Scientists now synthetically create cantharidin
for this use to avoid causing drastic side effects
The Jumping Bean Moth
Cydia deshaisiana
Inside the bean?
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These insects get their name from the habits of the larvea (Kimber)
In the summer, they burrow into the seed pods of a shrub, mainly found in Mexico
(Kimber)
They burrow in the seed pod and jump around to avoid the heat. They make the
seed “jump”, making it seem like they have a life of their own (Kimber)
“The jumping bean ‘jumps’ because it is trying to either move to a cooler spot of is
responding to sounds and light. (“MyPetBeans.com”)”
It pushes off of the web it’s woven inside the seed pod. This force of energy makes
the seed “jump”. (“MyPetBeans”)
When it’s coming out
• About 2 or 3 months after the larva burrows into the
seed, the seed will stop 'jumping' when the insect
goes into the pupa stage. (“MyPetBeans”)
• About six months later, if the larva survives, a moth
will emerge. (“MyPetBeans”)
• It is common for most larva to die in the seed pod.
(“MyPetBeans”)
After it comes out
• The Jumping Bean Moth will not eat anything
because it got all the food it needs while in
the seed pod. (“MyPetBeans”)
• Its purpose is to only lay eggs – however, only
in its native home of Mexico. (“MyPetBeans”)
Fun facts
Jumping Beans have even been featured in cartoons. For example, “Jumping
Beans” from 1922. And were a popular topic in other films until 1950.
(“Jumping Beans” and “Mexican Jumping Beans”)
They are also commonly sold in toy shops as novelty toys. ()
Video
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ45se_3T
KA
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YouTube. YouTube. BBC Worldwide, 30 Jan. 2009. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ45se_3TKA>.
Name and Classification
• Triatoma infestans is an insect that
is more commonly known as the “kissing
bug”, because it gives people the kiss
of death. It is mainly found in South
America, and is referred to by its
Latin American name Vinchuca.
• The order is Hemiptera, which contains
50,000-80,000 different insect
species.
• Some of these species are the cicada
and the aphid.
Interaction with Humans
• The Kissing Bug’s most common
interaction with humans is through a
disease known as Chagas disease. This
bug carries a parasite called
Trypanosoma Cruzi, which is what
causes Chagas disease.
• Early symptoms are usually small and
range from fever to allergies caused
by the bite. Long term infection can
lead to swelling of the heart and
heart failure.
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR-Wx5ysYCA
Stenaptinus Insignis
Also known as…
• Also called the bulls eye beetle or the African
bombardier beetle.
• Gets its name from its unique defense
mechanism.
Ammunition
• It can aim and spray a very hot
(100 degrees Celsius) toxic fluid
at predators.
• The boiling hot, toxic fluid lets of a bang and a
cloud of smoke.
• The beetle is able to can spray in virtually any
direction and hit the target with extreme
accuracy.
• This is one of the most remarkable defense
mechanisms in the natural world.
Possible Self Destruction
• The fluid is made up of hydrogen peroxide and
hydroquinone.
• These chemicals are stored separately inside the
abdomen.
• There is also an inhibitor fluid prevents the
chemicals from blowing
himself up.
Evolution
• Scientists argue that
this beetle could not
have gone through
evolution, supporting
the idea of creationism.
• A transitional beetle
going through evolution
would have either blow
itself up or carried
useless baggage.
Predators
• Ants are its biggest predators
• They are very vulnerable on the ground, due to their ladybuglike wings (elytra).
• The defense mentioned before helps it because it cannot get
airborne as quickly as a fly or butterfly due to the time it takes
to unfold its wings.
• The dischargeable glands buy the creature time to get
airborne and escape danger.
Short Video
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbxBqMK
JsS4