Outreach
Insect Ambassadors
Classroom Resources

Insect Ambassador Classroom Resources

Insect Identification Links

Insect Based Citizen Science Projects Links

Insect Books

  • Eyewitness Books: Insects. Discover their behavior, anatomy and important role in Earth’s Ecology. Random House, Inc. New York. ISBN 0-679-80441-2. ($19)
  • Megabugs. The Natural History Museum Book of Insects (great pictures and text about how insects survive, what they eat, locomotion, and why they are so small). Barnes and Noble Books, New York. ISBN 1-56619-951-4.
  • Butterfly Book. The complete guide to butterfly gardening, identification, behavior and life cycle. Little Brown and Company, New York. ISBN 0-316-81780-5. ($13)
  • Ranger Rick’s Incredible Insects. Fun outdoor activities and indoor activity sheets about insects. Learning Triangle Press, New York. ISBN 0-07047102-9. ($13)
  • The Practical Entomologist. An introductory guide to observing, collecting and understanding insects. A Fireside Book, New York. ISBN 0-671-7495-2. ($15)
  • The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook. How to cook grasshoppers, ants, water bugs, spiders and more. Ten Speed Press, California. ISBN 0-89815-977-6. ($13)
  • The Icky Bug Alphabet Book. Great pictures and facts for young kids. Charlesbridge Publishing, Massachusetts. ISBN 0-88106-450-5. ($7)

Insect Activities: Home and Classroom

Amazing Insect Facts

  • Three out of four creatures on the planet are insects; they outnumber all other creatures.
  • Insects would outweigh all creatures if they were put on a scale. (insects vs. all animals)
  • There are more kinds (species) of insects than any other kind of creature.
  • They have been around a long time. Fossil records show that they began to inhabit the earth 150 million years before dinosaurs.
  • Ants can lift over 50 times their weight.
  • Fleas can jump the equivalent of a human jumping a football field.
  • Insects have adapted to live and survive among all groups of organisms: mammals (flies, mosquitoes), plants (bees, butterflies, true bugs), fungi,  (fungus beetles and fungus-farming ants), arthropods (aphid-farming ants).
  • Insects have adapted to live in all types of habitats: desert, arctic, marsh, prairie, streams, lakes, deciduous forest, conifer forest, residential areas, cities, rain forests, caves, and even the ocean.
  • Humans eat insects – the practice of Entomophagy is common all over the world. Insects are a great source of sustainable protein for both people and livestock.
  • The mayfly (Ephemoroptera) has one of the shortest life spans as an adult. Adults only live for a few hours after emerging from the water.
  • The queen termite is one of the longest-lived adult insects: 10-15 yrs! Some beetles may live even longer in their larval stage, hidden within logs.
  • Fun Facts about Insects (PDF)

Miscellaneous Resources