What makes a beetle a beetle? How does a beetle behave? And what on Earth does a beetle have in common with a lobster? These activities can help your students develop an understanding of arthropods and learn techniques for observing arthropods in the field. They are designed will inspire budding entomologists and help squeamish students learn to appreciate the world's largest group of animals.
Collecting specimens is necessary for studying and documenting new species—making responsible collecting all the more important. Find out how you can practice it.
Can you name the mystery arthropod named for its hundred-some legs? More important, do you know what physical and behavioral characteristics it shares with a shrimp or honeybee?
Answer: This arthropod may not be welcome at picnics, but it does help clean up the world by eating dead insects. Question: What is an ant? Turn your arthropod knowledge into a game of Jeopardy.
At a loss for words when it comes to explaining your biodiversity findings in the classroom, field, or lab? Increase your vocabulary—and observation skills—with this guide to gathering clues.
What's the best way to catch an arthropod in the field—aerial netting, beating, or pitfall trapping? Actually, the answer is choosing the right collection method for your site's terrain and specimens.
Identifying arthropods is a challenge—even for someone who spends his days identifying Australian ground spiders at the museum. Get tips for making the sorting process easier.
Because dragonfly wings tend to lose their iridescence soon after they are killed, hazardous chemicals are sometimes used to "fix" the colors before they fade. But there are safer alternatives.
Learn how to turn a soda bottle, plastic shoe box, or small aquarium into spiffy guest quarters for tarantulas, milkweed bugs, butterflies, ants, and other arthropods.
From metamorphosis and types of antennae to the parts of a spider and a grasshopper, take an illustrated look at arthropod morphology with this collection of guides.