Comumgohn
Ro ouse
Woodl
e
l
i
F
t
c
a
F
s
e
r
u
t
a
e
F
e
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t
Crea
I speed up leaf
decomposition,
which returns
nutrients to the
soil
My Family name
is Formicidae.
I can squirt formic
acid when threatened
by predators
Hard Cases
Beetles
1
4
Beetle Line Up
We have
compound eyes.
What does this
mean?
Stag
Beetle
Chafers
/Dung
Beetle
Weevil
Leaf
Beetle
Millipede
Has many feet
but doesn’t trip
over because legs
are different
lengths
Flexible
Friends
e
I like to
eat plants
and rotting
material
5
Millipede means
1000 feet but they
don’t have 1000!
3
2
• Unusual crustacean
as lives on land
?
Body made up
of 13 segmented
plates
• If they dry out they suffocate,
so they avoid dry places
• Breathe through air holes
in back legs
• Can secrete repellent fluid
in self-defence
• Pill woodlice can roll into a
ball, known as “Billy Buttons”
Adult Woodlouse
Length: 17mm
How strong
do you think
I am?
3 body parts,
head, thorax and abdomen
Cardinal
Beetle
Spider
Beetle
Click
Beetle
Soldier
Beetle
Ground
Beetle
Rove
Beetle
Carrion
Beetle
We have
6 legs
?
• Omnivores
ail of smells
• They leave a tr
ts to food
to lead other an
ilk’ aphids and
• Some ants ‘m
honeydew
drink the sugary
that is produced
pectancy
• Average life ex
45 – 60 days
e underground
• Female ants liv
of thousands.
in large colonies
Ladybird
• 25% of all known life
forms are beetles
?
• Beetles can be carnivores,
herbivores or scavengers
Black Ant
Length: 3-5mm
Queen Ant 8-9mm
• Ladybirds are beetles and are
good for garden pest control
as they eat aphids.
Two pairs of
wings but only
use hind wings
for flying
D
when you are
e information you need
th
all
d
fin
n’t
ca
u
yo
• If
s and look them
note of your question
minibeasting, make a
e a key or
e Internet. You can us
th
on
or
ok
bo
a
in
up
at
guide) to work out wh
identification guide (ID
k!
something is. Good luc
Have two stomachs-one
for them and the other
to share with colony
D
d some
easts you find and spen
nib
mi
r
he
ot
e
th
t
ou
• Start thinking ab
able to spot
ok closely and you’ll be
Lo
o.
to
em
th
g
tin
iga
e
time invest
us, good at camouflag
ces. Are they dangero
en
fer
dif
d
an
ies
t
rit
jus
ila
sim
to discover…you
are lots of great facts
or easy to catch? There
t!
need to seek them ou
They have
7 pairs
of legs
I am related
to Lobsters
and Crabs
Ant
s
D
ng features
gallery, full of fascinati
re
tu
fea
re
atu
cre
r
ou
Welcome to
easts.
and facts about minib
ite likely to find
and beasts you are qu
gs
bu
for
ing
rch
sea
• If you go
only be known as
. Some might also comm
res
atu
cre
ese
th
of
me
so
out a backbone.
es, which means with
insects, or invertebrat
out.
to be found out and ab
res
atu
cre
re
mo
ny
ma
• There are many,
a few to tell
re so have picked out
he
on
all
em
th
fit
n’t
We could
atures have and
azing features these cre
am
e
th
at
ok
Lo
t.
ou
ab
you
the same
them. Some belong to
t
ou
ab
re
mo
en
ev
t
try and find ou
ent groups.
, some belong to differ
res
atu
cre
of
p
ou
gr
c
scientifi
tell which are related
which? How can you
are
ich
wh
ow
kn
u
yo
Do
and which are not?
Weight
lifting champs!
Not to scale
Top Recycler!
1
Beetle
Length: Up to 40mm
I can stop
others eating
me by secreting
fluid that tastes
horrid
• Don’t confuse me with
a centipede…
• Centipedes have flatter
bodies than millipedes
and longer legs that stick
out sideways
• Millipedes have two pairs
of legs per segment and
Centipedes have one.
?
Common Millipede
Length: 25-30mm
D
High
Jump Stars r
Grasshopper
Long back legs
for jumping
We can all spin
silk, but we don’t
all make webs. Our
silk is stronger
than steel
6
• Spiders are Arachnids
• They have 8 legs
?
• The pattern of eyes
depends on the family
r eats
• The Woodlouse spide
es
woodlice, but what do
the Wasp spider eat?
s
• The Wasp spider ha
moved into Suffolk,
er
spreading from warm
places, possibly due to
n be
climate change. It ca
ke.
found at Needham La
You can find us
anywhere, even in
water. Have you
found us in a pond
before?
abdomen,
head
Have 2 body parts
Garden Spider
Length: 8-12mm
7
Our antennae
are much shorter
than crickets’
I can see
almost 360
degrees around
We like to
bask in the sun
to warm up
7
D
Photo credits : Photos 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 9 © www.northeastwildlife.co.uk; Photo 4 © Denis Greenough;
Photo 8 © Thornham; All line illustrations Jem Seeley www.wearedrab.net.
Can have between
2 and 4 pairs of eyes.
Butterfly
Metamorphosis
Experts
Club-like
antennae –
used to
detect smells
8
False eyes
on Peacocks
to fool
predators
We
communicate
by singing. Our
songs vary from
species to
species
Their colour provides
good camouflage in
their habitat
ich
• Order Orthoptera, wh
means straight wing
?
• Particularly common
in southern Britain
ridulate)
• To communicate (st
back
grasshoppers rub their
cases.
legs against hard wing
nt
Crickets rub their fro
wings together.
D
Grasshopper
Length: 13-24mm
• Insect with 3 body parts
• Order: Lepidoptera,
which means scale wing
Wings are used for
flying, controlling
temperature and
courtship displays
?
• They have six legs, which
are also used for detectin
g
vibrations from predators
• Butterflies taste with
their feet. Imagine if
you did that!
Trail Blazers
Slug
Breathes and poos
through the same hole
I’ve got 4
tentacles, 2 for
seeing with and
2 for smelling
you with
9
:
• Scientific classification: Phylum
,
oda
Mollusca, Class: Gastrop
which means belly foot
• Mucus helps them move,
prevents drying and acts
as a sticky defence
Thousands of tiny
teeth on belly for
eating plants
• Largely nocturnal
D
Small Tortoiseshell
Length: 46-53mm
• They wait until the rain
has stopped before
coming out to play
?
• Birds, hedgehogs and
frogs eat slugs
• Average lifespan is 2 years.
Slug
Length: 25-150mm
D
© Mid Suffolk District Council 2009. Designed by Drab Ltd. www.wearedrab.net
Spider
Silk Spinners