Explore PEG: 7-20:2.2 Summer Insects

THE GARDEN POST PEG SHEET Backyard activities that link to the Columbus Botanical Garden

Listen to differences in the summer buzz: https://www.npr.org/2015/09/08/438473580/insect-sounds-telling-crickets-cicadas-and-katydids-apart Cicadas Crickets Katydids

-call during the day; some rare -are night-callers; chorus can be -are night-callers species are nocturnal heard until the first hard frost -(males) make their distinct sound -(males) sing by flexing their -(males) produce musical chirping by rubbing together their tymbals, which are drum-like sounds by running the top of one forewings, one of which is ridged organs found in their abdomens wing along the other, which has Note: They are named aptly for

Note: The sound of multiple about 50-250 teeth, in a process their call, which sounds like, “Katy cicadas vibrating in unison can known as stridulation. did.” top 100 decibels. Note: There is a direct relationship between the rate of cricket chirps -range from 0.4 to more than 2.4 -reach lengths of several inches and temperature, with the rate inches in length -have relatively large eyes/wings increasing with increasing -have antennae two or three -identified by their white, temperature. times the length of their body

Insect Choruses Insect vibrating abdomen -relative of the grasshopper Note: As cicadas grow, they shed -vary in length from .12 to 2 Note: Many species are bright their outer shell, leaving a perfect inches green, and as a result, their wings hollow model of a cicada behind. -have thin antennae, hind legs for can look like leaves when the

Summer Look for these shells on trees, jumping, and two long hind wings insect is sitting on trees. This roots, and other low-lying areas. used in flying provides great camouflage from Note: The cricket has ears on its predators. -fall into roughly two categories: legs and can detect the slightest annual = appear every year, and vibration created by your periodical = emerge once every footsteps, making them hard to decade or two catch. Note: Brood VI has a 17-year periodic life cycle; it’s next Crickets and katydids are close cousins. appearance in Georgia will take They both have long antennae, are nocturnal, place in 2034. and use similar methods to make music.

Activity: Bug Hunt Step 1: Read Angela DeTerlizzi's "Some Bugs" Step 2: Plan a walk in your backyard, garden, or into the woods, or through a local field or park. Step 3: List insects that might be seen. Ex: ant, bee, cricket, spider, butterfly, katydid, fly, cicada Step 4: Provide your child with the list (w/pictures), a clipboard, and crayon and get discovering! Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards 4-year olds (GELDS) Standard: SC1.4a Uses senses to observe, classify and learn about objects and environment.

Sources: nationalgeographic.com • britannica.com • npr.org • kiddycharts.com • karensgardentips.com • GELDS