Final 1 Bug's Life

Insects are some of the oldest and most diverse organisms on our planet, and are yet a very familiar and ordinary part of everyday life. As an attempt to understand the patterns of their vast diversity, this lab addresses the possibility of a link between the relationship between external anatomical structure and the wide range of ecological terrain in which they can be found. The hypothesis to be tested Is that there are in fact differences in the anatomical structure of a collection of insects from two differing terrain, namely that of land and that of water.

The desire to investigate insect anatomy comes from the fact that they are familiar and yet complex, and can provide insight into the way the living manipulate their bodies to interact with the physical world in order to survive (such as striding on the surface of water, walking on walls, flying, etc.)

The most readily available and uniquely distinguished environments that could be found to compare one sample group from land and one sample group from water were the lawn in front of Boyd Hall, and the duck pond on western campus. It is expected that it will be discovered that the nature of the insects’ physiological and anatomical differences provide logical advantages in the survival needs of their given environment.

Scientists have been studying and discovering links between anatomical features and its environmental function for centuries. One example of an observational analysis relating to this experiment is a recent article in American Scientist relating the physics of water’s surface tension and the external anatomy of a water strider in order to assess how the insect propels itself on water. They found that there is a direct link between the number of legs, length and placement of legs, their distance from the body of the insect, the insect’s weight, and the shape of the part of the leg which contacts the water’s surface which contributes to its amazing ability to walk on the surface of water. (“Walking on Water,” Robert B. Suter, American Scientist.)

There are many expectations for this lab. The class should find many similarities among the insects from each habitat. For example, the land bugs are expected to have legs closer to their bodies than water insects. This may be due to the fact that water insects that live above the water surface must have more area so they do not break the surface tension. Also, one of the obvious commonalties of insects is that they all have six legs. This is believed to be due to the fact that it is the most efficient mode of transportation on uneven terrain. Indeed, a more in-depth look at the actual mechanics shows that the legs create a tripod leaving three legs on the ground at all times, helping with speed and stability. The water-skimmer, on the other hand, uses the two front and the two back legs to direct its motion while using the longer middle legs to propel him on the water. This is one example of the numerous adaptations these insects have achieved to better survive in their given environment.

Numerous insect identifying guides, such as Colin’s Guide to Insects and The Oxford Book of Insects are examples of years of observation and research which make apparent the links between anatomical features (such as size, weight, leg number, wing number, color, shell, etc.) and the similarities in the environments from which they’ve been found (including factors such as predators, temperature, transportation needs, food obtaining needs, etc.)

Understanding the nature of these aforementioned abilities can not only provide information on the adaptation of an organism in its environment, but can also be used and mimicked in technological advancements so that technology can effectively manipulate physical laws.

The experiment consists of capturing a number of species of insects from water and land habitats. After capture, their anatomical features and adaptations to their environment will be observed and catalogued in a data table. Each group will receive a set number of insects for observation. The class will be using two field guides to identify the insects. The first book is Colin’s Guide to Insects by Michael Chinery. The second guide is The Oxford Book of Insects by John Burton. They will describe adaptations according to a list given to them and compare their findings to the instructor’s. the adaptations the students will be looking for are listed in the data table. After filling out that data chart. The students will answer questions asking them to make generalizations and assumptions about the insects. This experiment is statistically sound because it is based on the observations of the anatomy of an insect. All insects of the same species will have the same anatomical features, in general. Originally, the experiment included the students capturing their own test insects. However, after much deliberation, this idea was abandoned due to time constraints. The students will not be using microscopes because the instructor’s are only looking for general, observable features. Instead, then will be using magnifying glasses. The species of insect they will be examining will be a selection of insects from water and land habitats. This contrast was chosen because insects from these habitats will have drastically different adaptations.
Results will remain unbiased because the groups will be looking for the same adaptations from specific bugs. They will not be required to make inferences within the chart. The information collected be the class will be trustworthy because they are asked to fill out a set of specific questions based on observations of the insects.
The instructor’s collected the insects from different habitats with a cheesecloth net and plastic specimen jars. The water bugs were collected from Western Pond and the land bugs from the lawn in front of Boyd Hall. After collection, the insects were preserved in alcohol. During observation, the students will use magnifying glasses. That is the extent of the equipment necessary for this experiment.

After the class completes the experiment, the instructors’ will compare and contrast the class’s data with pre-obtained data looking for similarities between bugs of the same habitat and bugs from different habitats. The class will be asked to discuss their discoveries and possible purposes and functions for the features they have catalogues.

References

One article that was used in research was “Walking on Water” by Robert Suter. The two books the class will be using are Colin’s Guide to Insects by Michael Chinery and The Oxford Book of Insects by John

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