High School
Teacher’s Guide
BIODIVERSITY
Major Sponsor:
HIGH SCHOOL | EDUCATOR | BIODIVERSITY
Introduction
Jim Louderman has been the collections assistant in the Insect Division of The Field
Museum for nearly 20 years. In addition to the work he does at the Museum, he regularly
conducts ecological assessments at various sites in the Midwest. Currently, he is
collaborating with the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation in Hanover, IL to survey the
insect population in a prairie restoration site. He is also working on a prairie restoration
project on the Museum Campus in Chicago that will increase native biodiversity in the area.
In this module your students will learn how to identify insects by order, with a focus
on beetles. They will meet Jim who will teach students how to build a carrion trap and
conduct an insect survey to assess the biodiversity in their community. Jim will talk about
different ways students can easily increase biodiversity in their area, as well as larger scale
biodiversity projects that he has worked on. After students carry out their survey, they will
be able to evaluate different solutions to increase biodiversity in their area.
Background
Arthropods are the largest phylum of animals consisting of about 83% of all known
species. Arthropods are defined by five characteristics. They have bilateral symmetry,
a segmented body, hard exoskeleton, jointed legs, and many pairs of legs. Examples
of types of arthropods include: myriapods (centipedes and millipedes), trilobites
(extinct), chelicerates (spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs), crustaceans (crabs, pillbugs,
barnacles), and insects.
Insects are a group of arthropods with the following characters: a body divided into
three segments (head, thorax, and abdomen); one pair of antennae, three pairs of mouth
appendages, three pairs of legs on thorax, and often one or two pairs of wings. Examples
of insects include: flies, moths, beetles, and ants. Contrary to popular belief, spiders are
not insects. Coleoptera (beetles) are the largest order of insects and can be found all over
the world. Beetles have the following distinguishing characteristics: chewing mouth parts;
front wings (elytra) that are hard and act as covers for the hind wings, which meet down
the middle of the back; hind wings are large, membranous, and folded beneath the elytra.
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Background (cont.)
When sorting insects, you may find a lot of bugs that look like beetles. The easiest way to
tell the difference between Coleoptera (beetles) and Hemiptera (true bugs) is that the wing
covers of beetles meet in a straight line down the middle of the abdomen when closed
(Fig. 1), whereas the bug’s wing covers meet in a diamond or overlapping shape (Fig. 2).
It is estimated that there are over 300,000 species of beetles worldwide, more than 23,000
can be found in North America. Because of their abundance, beetles are a great indicator
of biodiversity in an area. Biodiversity can refer to the genetic, species, or ecosystem
variation within an area, biome, or biosphere. A high diversity of beetles can predict a high
diversity of other organisms. Their diversity can also be monitored over time to measure
changes in biodiversity. Conversely, a high number of the same species of beetle would
indicate a low biodiversity.
As humans, we depend on biodiversity for survival. Insects, in particular, play a crucial
role in sustaining life on Earth. Not only are they the primary source of food for many
organisms, they are necessary for plant reproduction through pollination. Without insects,
fruits, nuts, and many vegetables would not be readily available for our consumption.
Additionally, insects are necessary for decomposition of organic material and climate
stabilization.
Biologist, E.O. Wilson, has coined HIPPO as an acronym for identifying the five major
human impacts on biodiversity: Habitat destruction, Invasive species, Pollution, Population
(overpopulation), and Overexploitation of resources. Other scientists have added climate
change to this list of adverse impacts. These impacts contribute to the loss of species as
serious as extinction. Extinction is the irreversible loss of an entire species.
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Implementing the Module
LEARNING GOALS
Figure 1. Biodiversity learning activities and their descriptors.
Activity 1 - Dichotomous Keys
Use a dichotomous key to
identify insects by Order.
Activity 2 - Broadcast
Activity 3 - Ecological Survey
Meet a scientist and learn how
to carry out an ecological
survey in your neighborhood.
Plan and conduct an ecological
survey to assess biodiversity in
your neighborhood.
TIMELINE
NGSS Alignment
Science and Engineering
Disciplinary Core Ideas
Constructing Explanations
and Designing Solutions
LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics,
Functioning, and Resilience
• Design, evaluate, and
refine a solution to a
complex real-world
problem, based on scientific
knowledge, studentgenerated sources of
evidence, prioritized criteria,
and tradeoff considerations.
• Moreover, anthropogenic
changes (induced by
human activity) in the
environment—including
habitat destruction, pollution,
introduction of invasive
species, overexploitation, and
climate change—can disrupt
an ecosystem and threaten the
survival of some species.
Crosscutting Concepts
Stability and Change
• Much of science deals with
constructing explanations of
how things change and how
they remain stable.
LS4.D: Biodiversity and
Humans
• Biodiversity is increased by
the formation of new species
(speciation) and decreased by
the loss of species (extinction).
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NGSS Alignment Cont’d
Science and Engineering
Disciplinary Core Ideas
Crosscutting Concepts
• Humans depend on the
living world for the resources
and other benefits provided
by biodiversity. But human
activity is also having adverse
impacts on biodiversity
through overpopulation,
overexploitation, habitat
destruction, pollution,
introduction of invasive
species, and climate change.
Thus sustaining biodiversity
so that ecosystem functioning
and productivity are
maintained is essential to
supporting and enhancing
life on Earth. Sustaining
biodiversity also aids
humanity by preserving
landscapes of recreational
or inspirational value.
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy RST.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and
media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
WHST.9-12.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question
(including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when
appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject
under investigation.
MathMP.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
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Activity 1
After this lesson your students will be able to:
• Use a dichotomous key to identify insect specimen to Order.
MAIN IDEAS
• The biological classification of life follows
the hierarchy of: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum,
Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species.
• Each level of classification groups organisms
by shared characteristics.
• A key is used to identify organisms. A
dichotomous key gives the user a choice
between two characters to describe their
specimen that leads them to the next set of
character choices or to the identification.
PREREQUISITE
KNOWLEDGE
• Familiarity with biological classification.
Knowledge of what is and is not an
insect. How to use a key or field guide.
MATERIALS AND PREP
You will need to prepare the following materials prior to this lesson:
• Print and cut out the Museum specimen cards. TIP: Laminate them for extended use.
• Print Handout 1.1 Insect Key for your students. TIP: Make enough copies for your largest class
and laminate or place the sheets in page protectors for extended use and use outside in the final
activity.
• Practice using the key using the specimen cards.
DIRECTIONS
1. Activate your student’s prior knowledge on biological classification or taxonomy.
• How do scientists classify organisms? Answers can vary from listing the classification hierarchy, by observation, or grouping by characteristics.
2. Ask students how insects are classified.
• What characteristics do insects have? Insects have six legs, a 3-segmented body (head, thorax,
abdomen), one pair of antennae, three pairs of mouthparts, and may or may not have wings.
Students typically think of spiders, scorpions, centipedes, and millipedes as insects even though
they are not. They are, however, all part of the Phylum Arthropoda with insects.
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DIRECTIONS CONT’D
3. Introduce students to the main ideas and review the activity with your class.
4. Distribute Insect Key to students.
5. Before starting the activity, review the insect anatomy located on the top of
Handout 1.1 Insect Key.
6. Model for students how to use the key. Using an overhead projector take a specimen card and the Insect Key. Starting with statement #1, begin going through the characters. When you have gotten to an Order identification, use the reference chart at the back of the key to compare your specimen to the Order illustrations. Let students know that there are millions of species of insects and that their specimen will not exactly match the illustrations. Rather, they should check to see if their specimen has similar characteristics to the illustrations.
7. Distribute specimen cards to students. You may choose to have students work alone or in pairs depending on their abilities. 8. Circulate while students are working and probe them to point out the characteristics that they see in their specimen and ask if it matches to the statements that they have chosen on the key.
9. When students think they have identified their specimen you can check using your specimen card key. If correct, let the students try another card until the class is over.
EXTENSION
If you would like to assess your students’ ability to use a dichotomous key you can give each
student their own specimen card and have them identify it using the key. Have students write down
the card number and Order identification on a sheet of paper or notecard and turn it in.
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Activity 2
BROADCAST
After this lesson your students will be able to:
• Design a study to assess biodiversity.
• Create a carrion trap for insect collection.
• Explain how a museum uses insect collections for scientific research.
MAIN IDEAS
MATERIALS AND PREP
• Insect collections are used by museums to
understand the past, present, and make
predictions about the future of insect
biodiversity.
• Insects are one of the most abundant
and diverse organisms on Earth and are
excellent indicators of ecosystem health and
biodiversity.
It is recommended that you do the following
prior to this lesson:
• Watch the Brain Scoop’s Insect Adventure
series: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=DNphZnLmUDM
• We encourage you to watch all three
videos in the series to gain a deeper
understanding of the process insect
collecting and identification.
• Read the Virtual Visits Technical Guide
• Attend the webinar test-run, link and
direction will be provided one week prior to
your visit
• Check with your IT specialist to make sure
you will have available bandwidth on the day
of your Visit
You will need the following materials:
• Computer with Ethernet connected to the
Internet
• Projector
• Optional: Scrap paper or note cards
PREREQUISITE
KNOWLEDGE
• Understand what an insect is. For
example, know what characteristics
separate them from other organisms.
• Be able to define biodiversity. Know
some examples that can cause an
increase or decrease in biodiversity in an area.
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DIRECTIONS
TIPS
Before the discussion, project the
1. Follow the Technical Guide provided to set up the
questions below on to the board
Virtual Visits broadcast.
and have students write down
2. While waiting for the broadcast to begin, review information their ideas to increase discussion
from the Main Ideas section with your class.
participation.
OPTIONAL: Provide students with a sheet of paper or note card
to record questions that they come up with during the broadcast. This will also be helpful to
follow along as the scientist calculates the biodiversity index.
3. During the broadcast the scientists will interact with classrooms by asking students a question. Please type student responses into the chat box in the broadcast window or use the
polling feature.
4. Follow-up the broadcast with a class discussion on what was learned and what students would like to investigate further.
• Ask students how they felt about the experience. What was it like to meet a real scientist? What was their favorite part? Least favorite?
• Ask students to recall the experience. What is the scientist’s job at the Museum? What does he/she study? How do scientists classify organisms? What types of projects does the scientist work on? What did he/she show us?
• If students have conflicting viewpoints, encourage them to discuss it using evidence from
what the scientist said or did.
• Ask students to explain what they learned. What is something you learned about science careers from the broadcast? What is something you learned about science from
the broadcast?
• Have students make connections from the broadcast to their life. What kind of insects have they seen in their community? Have they seen many different kinds? What do they predict is the quality of biodiversity in their community based on these observations? What did the scientist talk about that we’ve learned this year?
• Have students apply the concepts to a new idea. Can you connect citizen science to
understand or solve an issue in your community? What kinds of questions could you
answer about your community using an insect survey?
• Ask students to consider how they can apply this new knowledge in the future. What are some things that you can do to improve biodiversity in your area? What can we do as a class to improve biodiversity on school grounds??
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Lesson 3.1
After this lesson your students will be able to:
• Plan and conduct an insect survey to assess biodiversity in the community
MAIN IDEAS
MATERIALS AND PREP
• Biodiversity is the different types of organisms
that live in an area. Areas with high biodiversity
have many different species of organisms.
High biodiversity is an indicator of a high
quality habitat.
• Beetles can be found in many terrestrial
ecosystems, therefore they make a good
indicator of biodiversity.
You will need to prepare the following materials
prior to this lesson:
• Select an area near the school that will be
your study site approximately 100 x 100 ft or
smaller square.
• Purchase materials to build a carrion trap
You may choose to do one trap per class or if
you live in a more natural area you can make
one for all of your classes.
OPTIONAL: Prepare the carrion trap before class
PREREQUISITE
KNOWLEDGE
• How to identify a beetle from other insects.
• How to use a dichotomous key.
.
You will need the following materials:
• 1 qt container
• Gauze
• Propylene glycol
• Rain cover/tarp
• Chicken liver
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DIRECTIONS
1. Pick your study plot. Ask one student to pick a number between 1-100 or have a student pick
a number 1-100 out of a hat. Alternatively, you can use a random number generator online. It is
important to emphasize the ecological survey sites are chosen at random so that there is limited
bias in order to produce a representative sample.
2. If you did not choose to build the trap before class, do so now and explain your steps to the
students
EXTENSION
You can have students assess biodiversity in their backyard or favorite park and compare
biodiversity across the area. Students can do this at home and share their data on a class Google Map.
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SAMPLE PLOT GRID
1
100
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Lesson 3.2
After this lesson your students will be able to:
• Calculate the biodiversity index of an insect sample by sorting beetle species from
a carrion trap.
• Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities
on the environment and biodiversity.
MAIN IDEAS
MATERIALS AND PREP
• Biodiversity is the different types of organisms
that live in an area. Areas with high biodiversity
have many different species of organisms.
High biodiversity is an indicator of a high
quality habitat.
• Beetles can be found in many terrestrial
ecosystems, therefore they make a good
indicator of biodiversity.
You will need to prepare the following
materials prior to this lesson:
• Collect the carrion trap
PREREQUISITE
KNOWLEDGE
You will need the following materials:
• Magnifying glass
• Slotted spoon
• Forceps
• Paper plates
• Calculators (optional)
• How to identify a beetle from other insects and
use an insect key. Mathematical addition and
division.
• Morphology is a branch of biology that studies
the similarities and differences of structures in
living things.
• Morphospecies is the identification of a species
by grouping individuals with similar morphology.
• How to calculate biodiversity index.
• An index close to 1 has high biodiversity; close to
0 has low biodiversity.
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DIRECTIONS
1. Each student should receive a two paper plates, magnifying glass, and forceps.
2. Each student will receive a “scoop” of sample from the carrion trap onto his or her paper plate.
3. First, students will individually sort the beetles from the rest of their sample using the forceps onto
the second plate. Once they have removed the beetles from the sample they will sort the beetles
by morphospecies. Sorting by morphospecies is simply grouping beetles by the way they look.
If they look the same, they are the same morphospecies. If they look different they are different
morphospecies. 4. Once the whole group has removed and grouped the beetles from their sample they can work
together to combine their beetles and group all of them by morphospecies.
5. After the group has identified their beetles to morphospecies they can begin to calculate their
biodiversity index.
6. Have each group calculate their biodiversity index and write on the board. After all groups of have
reported their index, take the average to estimate the biodiversity index of your sample area. The
closer the index is to 1 the higher the biodiversity.
7. Have a discussion with your class about the results.
• Is the index “good” or “bad”?
• What can we do to increase or maintain the biodiversity in the area?
8. To meet NGSS performance expectations, challenge your students to evaluate their solutions by
asking them what scientific, economic, and social considerations they must make when planning
carrying out their solution:
• According to Jim Louderman, what we have learned about ecosystems and biodiversity? Is your solution supported by science to effectively increase/maintain biodiversity?
• Is your solution cost effective? Who is paying for the solution? How will they pay for it? Can they afford to maintain your solution?
• Does your solution impact the daily lives of people in the community? If so, how?
EXTENSION
You can challenge your students to identify the beetles to genus by using a field guide.
As a class, come up with a solution to reduce the human impacts on biodiversity in your community such as planting a butterfly
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Beetle Reference Guide Key
1. Platydrachus, maculosus
2. Ontholestes, cingulatus
3. Necrophorus, tomentosus
4. Necrophila, americana
5. Phaneus, vindex
6. Onthophagus, hecate
7. Geotrupes, splendidus
8. Geotrupes, splendidus
9. Geotrupes, splendidus
10. Deltochilum, gibbosum
11. Canthon, chalcitos
12. Glischrochilus, obtusus
13. Mycetophagus, punctatus
14. Ischalia, costata
15. Tropisternus, collaris
34. Libellula, luctuosa
35. Megaloptera, Corydalidae, dobsonfly
36. Trichoptera, caddisfly
37. Diapheromera, femorata
38. Orthoptera, grasshopper
39. Orthoptera, Gryllidae, cricket
40. Vespa, crabro
41. Enallagma, aspersum
42. Parcoblatta, pennsylvanica
43. Tenodera, sinensis
44. Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, katydid
45. Tibicen, linnei
46. Collembola, springtail
47. Isoptera, termite, this especially is a soldier
48. Thysanoptera, thrips
16. Saprinus, pennsylvanicus
17. Dermestes, lardarius
18. Scarites, subterraneus
19. Pasimachus, elongatus
20. Lebia, viridis
21. Galerita, janus
22. Chlaenius, sericeus
23. Hymenoptera, Apidae, bee
24. Neuroptera, Chrysopidae, lacewing
25. Dermaptera, earwig
26. Ephemeroptera, mayfly
27. Ephemeroptera, Ephemeridae, mayfly
28. Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Camponotus,
carpenter ant
29. Panorpa, helena
30. Hemiptera, Pentatomidae, stink bug
31. Psorophora, ciliata
32. Hypercompe, scribonia
33. Eurytides, marcellus
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High School
Student Handouts
BIODIVERSITY
Major Sponsor:
HIGH SCHOOL | STUDENT | BIODIVERSITY
NAME
CLASS
DATE
Insect Dichotomous Key
Adapted from http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/bug%5Fclub/bug%5FID/
Starting with part 1, determine which statement (a or b) describes your specimen. Follow
the directions at the end of that statement. Once you think you have identified your
specimen, check the reference chart to see if it is similar to the examples.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
a. Has 8 or more legs
This is not an insect.
b. Has 6 legs
Go to #2
a. Has wings
Go to #3
b. Does not have wings
Go to #22
a. 1 pair of wings
Order Diptera
b. 2 pair of wings
Go to #4
a. Both wings have the same texture
throughout
Go to #5
b. Front wings have thicker texture than
hind wings for all of part of the area.
Go to #13
a. Wings have scales on all or part of the
area; mouthparts in the form of a “tongue”
Order Lepidoptera
b. Wings without scales, although the may
have tiny hairs
Go to #6
a. Wings long, narrow, veinless, and all 4
Order Thysanoptera
are of equal size and have fringes with long
hairs; small insects about 1/10 in. long; tarsi
1- or 2-segmented
b. Wings do not match the above
description
Go to #7
a. Mouthparts composed of a beak arising
far back on the underside of the head near
the front legs; wings held roof-like over the
body, the hind pair smaller than the front
pair
Order Hemiptera
b. Mouthparts not in the form of a back,
although the front of the head may be
prolonged into a long snout; wings not
held roof-like over the body; usually the
hind pair wings are about the same size as
the front pair OR the abdomen has 2 or 3
long, thread-like tails
Go to #8
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NAME
8
CLASS
DATE
Go to #9
a. Wings have many (more than 15) crossveins in each wing
9
b. Wings have few cross-veins, or the veins
are indistinct
Go to #18
a. Antennae about as long as the head and
thorax together, or longer
Go to #10
b. Antenna short and bristle-like, about as
long as head alone or shorter
Go to #21
10 a. Abdomen ending with 2 short tails
b. Abdomen without tails
11 a. Head prolonged into a snout; the tip
of the abdomen sometimes resembles a
scorpion tail
b. Head not prolonged into a snout
12 a. Both pairs of wings have forked veins
along wing margin
b. Lack forked veins along wing margin
and hind wing has a lobe at base
13 a. Front wings hard or leathery in texture
throughout and almost always meeting in a
straight line down the center of the back
b. Front wings parchment-like or leathery
throughout or on the basal half only – they
do not meet in a straight line down the
center of the back. In the lace bugs, the
entire top of the insect resembles lace
14 a. Front wings short, leaving much of the
abdomen exposed; a pair of pincher-like
appendages extend from the end of the
abdomen
Order Plecoptera
Go to #11
Order Mecoptera
Go to #12
Order Neuroptera
Order Megaloptera
Go to #14
Go to #15
Order Dermaptera
b. Front wings usually cover all of
the abdomen never with abdominal
appendages
Order Coleoptera
15 a. With a jointed beak; basal part of the
Order Hemiptera
wing thickened and the tip membranous.
Antennae with 5 or less segments
b. With chewing mouthparts; front wings
parchment-like throughout; antennae with
many segments
16 a. Hind legs adapted for jumping
b. Hind legs not adapted for jumping
Go to #16
Order Orthoptera
Go to #17
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NAME
CLASS
17 a. Front legs adapted for capturing prey
(i.e. praying mantids)
DATE
Order Mantodea
b. Front legs not adapted for prey; body
Order Blattodea
flattened from top-to-bottom; head hidden
from above by thorax
18 a. All four wings long, narrow, equal-sized,
without distinct veins; wings about twice
the body length
b. Wings do not fit the description above
19 a. Wings are hairy; antennae thread-like
and usually as long or longer than the
body; mouthparts indistinct; front and hind
wings nearly equal in size
Order Isoptera
Go to #19
Order Trichoptera
b. Wings not hairy; chewing mouthparts
Go to #20
present; hind wings noticeably smaller than
the front wings
20 a. Tarsi 2- or 3-segmented; small insects
less than 1/8 in. long. Never constricted
between the thorax and the abdomen
b. Tarsi 4- or 5-segmented; size variable;
most are constricted between the thorax
and the abdomen
21 a. Hind wings much smaller than front
wing; occasionally, hind wings absent;
abdomen ending in 2 or 3 long, thread-like
tails
b. Front an hind wings nearly equal in size;
no abdominal tails
22 a. Without legs, eyes, or antennae; living
under a waxy or cottony covering and
occurring in colonies firmly attached to
tree twigs, fruit, or leaves
b. Legs, antenna, and (usually) eyes
present
23 a. Abdomen ending in three long, threadlike tails; antennae long
b. Abdomen without long tails; antennae
may be long or short
Order Psocoptera
Order Hymenoptera
Order Ephemeroptera
Order Odonata
Order Hemiptera
Go to #23
Order Thysanura
Go to #24
24 a. Antennae are shorter than the head, and Go to #25
not easily seen; body flattened from sideto-side or from top-to-bottom
b. Antennae longer than head, easily seen
25 a. Body flattened from side-to-side;
legs long and able to jump; has sucking
mouthparts
Go to #27
Order Siphonaptera
b. Body flattened from top-to-bottom; legs Go to #26
short and not able to jump
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NAME
CLASS
26 a. Abdomen sac-like and without distinct
segments; eyes visible; tarsi 5-segmented;
about 1 cm long
DATE
Order Diptera
b. Abdominal segments distinct; eyes small Order Phthiraptera
or absent; tarsi 1- to 2-segmented; less
than 1/8 in. long
27 a. Body constricted between the thorax
and abdomen
b. Thorax and abdomen broadly joined,
not constricted
28 a. Body scaly; a coiled tongue sometimes
visible
b. Body not scaly
29 a. Has a sucking beak; the beak of some
may seem to come from between the front
legs
b. Beak absent, has chewing mouthparts
30 a. With 2 tube-like projections near
the end of the abdomen; soft-bodied,
antennae long; beak arises near the front
legs
b. Without tube-like projections on
abdomen; beak arises from front of head
31 a. Tarsi either 5-segmented or the hind
legs adapted for jumping
b. Tarsi with less than 5-segments and the
hind legs not adapted for jumping
32 a. Hind legs adapted for jumping
b. Hind legs not adapted for jumping
Order Hymenoptera
Go to #28
Order Lepidoptera
Go to #29
Go to #30
Go to #31
Order Hemiptera (i.e. aphids)
Order Hemiptera
Go to #32
Go to #34
Order Orthoptera
Go to #33
33 a. Body flattened from to-to-bottom, head Order Blattodea
hidden from above by thorax
b. Body stick-like, not flattened; head not
hidden by thorax
34 a. Ant-like appearance, except with soft,
white bodies; 4-segmented tarsi; eyeless;
antennae resemble string of round beads;
thorax and abdomen are broadly joined
b. Not fitting the description above; eyes
usually present and visible
Order Phasmatodea
Order Isoptera
Go to #36
VIRTUAL VISITS FROM THE FIELD
S4
HIGH SCHOOL | STUDENT | BIODIVERSITY
NAME
CLASS
35 a. Has a forked tail near the end of the
body; may be folded under the body
b. Does not have a forked tail
DATE
Order Collembola
Go to #36
36 a. Oval-shaped and lous-like in
appearance; antennae long, thread-like
b. Body narrow
Order Psocoptera
Order Thysanoptera
Insect Reference Guide
forewing
hindwing
eye
head
antenna
tarsi
thorax
abdomen
INSECT ANATOMY
VIRTUAL VISITS FROM THE FIELD
S5
HIGH SCHOOL | STUDENT | BIODIVERSITY
2
1
Order Collembola
Entomobryomorpha
3
Order Thysanura
Silverfish (Lepismatidae)
Order Collembola
Symphypleona
5
4
6
Order Ephemeroptera
Mayfly (Ephemeridae)
Order Odonata
Damselfly (Zygoptera)
Order Odonata
Dragonfly (Anisoptera)
9
7
8
Order Orthoptera
Cricket (Gryllidae)
10
Order Phasmida
Walking stick (Diapheromeridae)
Order Orthoptera
Grasshopper (Romaleidae)
Order Orthoptera
Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
12
11
Order Mantodea
Praying mantis (Mantidae)
Order Blattaria
Cockroach (Blattidae)
VIRTUAL VISITS FROM THE FIELD
S6
HIGH SCHOOL | STUDENT | BIODIVERSITY
13
Order Isoptera
Termite worker (Rhinotermitidae)
14
15
Order Dermaptera
Earwig (Forficulidae)
Order Isoptera
Termite male (Rhinotermitidae)
17
16
Order Plecoptera
Stonefly (Perlidae)
18
Order Psocoptera
Booklouse (Liposcelidae)
19
Order Psocoptera
Barklouse (Psocidae)
20
21
Order Phthiraptera
Body louse (Pediculidae) or - Horse louse (Haematopinidae)
Order Hemiptera
Water strider (Gerridae)
Order Hemiptera
Stink bug (Pentatomidae)
24
23
22
Order Homoptera
Cicada (Cicadidae)
Order Homoptera
Leafhopper (Cicadellidae)
Order Homoptera
Mealybug (Pseudococcidae)
VIRTUAL VISITS FROM THE FIELD
S7
HIGH SCHOOL | STUDENT | BIODIVERSITY
25
Order Homoptera
Aphid (Aphididae)
28
Order Neuroptera
Lacewing (Chrysopidae)
26
27
30
29
Order Coleoptera
Ground beetle (Carabidae)
31
Order Coleoptera
Rove beetle (Staphylinidae) or - Blister beetle (Meloidae)
- Firefly (Lampyridae)
32
Order Coleoptera
Weevil (Curculionidae)
33
Order Mecoptera
Scorpionfly (Panorpidae)
35
Order Diptera
Midge (Chrionomidae)
36
34
Order Diptera
Mosquito (Culicidae)
Order Neuroptera
Dobsonfly (Corydalidae)
Order Thysanoptera
Flower thrip (Thripidae)
Order Diptera
House fly (Muscidae)
Order Siphonaptera
Flea (Pulicidae)
VIRTUAL VISITS FROM THE FIELD
S8
HIGH SCHOOL | STUDENT | BIODIVERSITY
NAME
CLASS
DATE
38
39
37
Order Trichoptera
Caddisfly (Limnephilidae)
Order Lepidoptera
Butterfly (Papilionidae)
40
Order Lepidoptera
Moth (Noctuidae)
42
41
Order Hymenoptera
Paper wasp (Vespidae)
Order Hymenoptera
Honey bee (Apidae)
Order Hymenoptera
Ant (Formicidae)
VIRTUAL VISITS FROM THE FIELD
S9
HIGH SCHOOL | STUDENT | BIODIVERSITY
Biodiversity Assesment
PROCEDURE
1.Sort out all of the beetles from your sample. You can use the dichotomous key to help
determine what is and is not a beetle.
2.Count and record the total number of beetles.
3.Sort the beetles by morphospecies. You can use the beetle reference guide to help
differentiate between species of beetles.
4.Count and record the number of groups of species.
5.Calculate the biodiversity index.
BIODIVERSITY DATA
1. Total number of beetles:
2. Number of species groups:
number of species groups total number of beetles=Biodiversity Index
3. Biodiversity Index:
4. Does your sample have a high or low index? Explain your reasoning.
5. A healthy area of grassland in Illinois has an index of 0.7, how does your sample compare?
Use examples to explain the similarities or differences.
VIRTUAL VISITS FROM THE FIELD
HIGH SCHOOL | STUDENT | BIODIVERSITY
6. What are some human activities that could have decreased biodiversity in your sample area?
7.What are some human activities that could have improved biodiversity in your sample area?
8.Brainstorm a list of ideas on how to reduce the impacts of human activities on biodiversity in
your area.
9.Select one of your ideas from above. How would you be able to test if it actually improved
biodiversity?
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
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17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
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HIGH SCHOOL | STUDENT | BIODIVERSITY
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
VIRTUAL VISITS FROM THE FIELD