Insects Honor

Nature Study

Requirements

1. What are the main characteristics of insects?

   Answer: Insects have a body in three parts (head, thorax, abdomen), six jointed legs, an exoskeleton of chitin, a pair of antennae and generally two pairs of wings. — Insects form the class Insecta, with more than 1 million described species — about 75% of all known animals. The chitin of the exoskeleton is the second most abundant natural polymer on Earth, after cellulose. Antennae serve to detect smells, sounds and touch.

2. Do one of the following (moths and butterflies will not be accepted in this Honor):
   • Assemble an insect collection with 20 different species, containing species from at least 6 different orders. Under each species place a label, which must be placed below the first one, identifying the order and family of each collected specimen. (When fulfilling this requirement, make sure you are not violating any law in your country).
   • Make colored drawings or paintings of 20 insect species, containing species from at least 6 different orders. The drawings or paintings must be life-size or larger, to show the details of small insects and in their natural coloring. Identify the order and family of the depicted specimens.
   • Take photographs of 20 insect species, containing species from at least 6 different orders. Each image must be in focus and properly identified, including the location and date where the photo was taken and the order and family of the photographed specimen.

   Answer: Choose one of the three options: 1) A physical collection of 20 dried insects on pins, labeled with order and family. 2) 20 colored drawings at life size or larger. 3) 20 sharp photographs with location, date, order, and family. — The 6 orders can be: Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (flies), Hymenoptera (bees, ants), Hemiptera (true bugs), Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets), and Odonata (dragonflies). Butterflies (Lepidoptera) are excluded because they have their own Honor.

3. Give the names of 5 species of beneficial insects and what benefits they bring.

   Answer: Five beneficial insects: the bee (pollinates and produces honey), the ladybug (controls aphids), the praying mantis (hunts pests), the silkworm (produces silk), and the dung beetle (decomposes organic matter and aerates the soil). — Bees pollinate 75% of the world's food crops, according to the FAO. Without them, agriculture would collapse. An adult ladybug eats up to 50 aphids per day. The silkworm has fed the luxury textile industry since ancient China, for more than 5,000 years.

4. Give the names of 5 species of harmful insects, what damage they cause, and explain how to control them.

   Answer: Five harmful ones: the dengue mosquito (transmits dengue/zika), the cockroach (contaminates food), the flea (parasitizes pets), the desert locust (devastates crops), and the termite (destroys wood). — Aedes aegypti was reintroduced into Brazil in 1976 and today causes millions of dengue cases per year. Termites consume about US$5 billion annually in structures worldwide. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the modern approach, combining biological, chemical, and mechanical methods.

5. Cite 3 examples of insects that can be considered both beneficial and harmful.

   Answer: Three examples: 1) Bee — benefits through pollination but can hurt with its sting. 2) Wasp — controls pests but also attacks beehives. 3) Ant — aerates the soil and removes debris, but can invade the kitchen and attack crops. — Predatory wasps such as Polistes versicolor reduce caterpillars by up to 50% in crops, but if irritated they attack in a group. Leaf-cutter ants carry leaves to the fungus they cultivate — destructive to crops but vital to natural ecosystems. The balance depends on the quantity and the habitat.

6. Tell 2 Bible stories in which insects played an important role.

   Answer: Two stories: 1) The plagues of Egypt (Exodus 8 and 10) — flies and locusts were sent as plagues to force Pharaoh to free Israel. 2) John the Baptist in the wilderness (Matthew 3:4) — he fed on locusts and wild honey, living simply while preparing the way of the Messiah. — In Exodus, the plagues demonstrated God's power against the Egyptian gods. The locusts of the plague (Schistocerca gregaria) still today form clouds that devastate crops in Africa. In Matthew, locusts were permitted for consumption according to Leviticus 11:22 — survival food in the desert.