Figure 5
the fuzz or bristles. Tap the brush gently to
transfer the bugs to a sheet of white paper.
Wowbugs will live for about two weeks
after emergence. This will be long enough
for most of the classroom activities listed
in the resource guide. During this time,
they don’t need food or water. They will,
however, be very intent on dispersing, so
they need secure confinement. escapees
do not pose a threat to the environment,
but it’s more than disconcerting to be
ready to use them and find them gone!
Any small bottles, securely capped, work
well for holding wowbugs; the bugs’ oxygen
requirements are low. To conserve space,
we prefer to put them into clear shell vials
with very tightly packed cotton plugs. For
orderly display, we just use poster putty or
double-sided tape to affix the entire series
of student vials to a whiteboard frame (see
Figure 5).
The wowbug life cycle
Because life cycles are a fundamental con-
cept in the biology curriculum, we hope
the bag and can be easily seen against the you’ll also consider rearing a new wowbug
white background. The bag can even be generation. This excellent illustration of
placed on an overhead projector and its complete metamorphosis takes less than a
contents projected onto a screen to share month at normal room temperatures, and
with the class. is quite easy. Detailed instructions can be
To remove small numbers of wowbugs found in both the resource manual and the
for activities, unzip the bag and reach in Web site.
with a chenille pipe cleaner or a small To complete their life cycle, female
artist’s brush; the insects will adhere to wowbugs need a host, of course. Mud
do wowbugs sting?
It’s a logical question, and we’re asked it often when people hear
that wowbugs are wasps. Many other kinds of wasps can sting, and
we’re all familiar with the social wasps that sting to defend their nests.
However, the primary purpose of most wasps’ venom is to kill or para-
lyze small caterpillars or other invertebrates to use as food for their
young.
Wowbugs use their tiny stinger only to puncture their host’s thin skin
so they can feed. They couldn’t sting through people’s tough skin, even
if they wanted to, which they don’t. Their stinger is much too small and
weak for that.
page 10 • Connect © synergy learning • 800-769-6199 • March/april 2010
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