Mounting Insects

SCIENCE CONCEPT:

The study of insects takes on a broader dimension when one can actually touch the creatures and see up close the parts of their structure.

STUDENT OBJECTIVE:

When an insect dies, such as a butterfly and the student finds it, the insect can be mounted. In this way a student can get a hands on approach to understanding the wonder of the delicate butterfly. There is a joy one experiences in watching a butterfly fly. And viewing the beauty of the butterfly up close has no words. Your reading experience of such a creature takes on a perspective and dimension when seeing it up close.

OVERVIEW:

Before the students take on the task of mounting the insects, and especially butterflies, it is important to point out that they are delicate and the parts can fall off easily. Also, the students are to be careful not to seek out live butterflies to mount. There are plenty of other insects that can be mounted that they will find that have died.

PREPARATION TIME:

20 minutes.

LESSON TIME:

30 minutes.

TEACHER PREP:

Gather books with pictures of butterflies that you can share with the class before you start this project.

WORDS TO KNOW:

migration

thorax

proboscis

TEACHER TEXT:

Upon touching a butterfly's wing, you will find a fine dust will come off on your fingertips. This dust comes from row upon row of tiny scales that cover the wings. It is these scales that make the lovely designs of color and light. The butterflies and moths number 140,000 species, exceeded only by the beetles. In size, butterflies and moths vary more than any other insects. The owlet moth is a foot across, But size is not necessary for strength. The monarch butterfly can migrate more than 2,000 miles yearly.

Butterflies as well as birds are fine fliers. They can perform aerial acrobatics that a stunt flier would love to copy. But would you believe that these light and graceful creatures can cover long distances? Some species of butterflies migrate in search of warmth. The lovely orange and brown monarch butterfly leaves Canada every fall to fly thousands of miles southward. They often stop for a month in Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz (Northern California). Great swarms of them reach the Gulf of Mexico and even farther south. They spend the winter resting quietly in the sun. The migrating butterflies travel in huge numbers. Sometimes millions of them fly together.

Web Hosting Provided By The National Business Aviation Association.

Explore Space ... Not Drugs!
Hear what astronauts have to say about staying drug-free.
Last modified: Sat Nov 15 13:13:26 PST 1997