Myths
This butterfly characteristic or feature is falsely tied to their ability to fly
Wing scales / powder
The inactive, non-feeding stage between larvae and adults in a butterfly
Pupa or chrysalis
This type of feeder eats a wide variety of foods, usually both plant and animal tissue
Omnivore
An iconic group of butterflies that live in the Rocky Mountains and migrate to the California coast in the fall to overwinter
Monarchs (specifically Western monarch butterflies!)
The number of legs as insect has
Six
In a popular myth you swallow an average of 8 of these in your sleep each year
Spiders
The process of shedding the exoskeleton to allow for growth
Molting (formally called ecdysis)
The formal name of an organism that feeds on dead or decaying organic matter
Detritivore
The official California state insect
The California Dogface Butterfly
The hard external skeleton that provides support and protection
Exoskeleton / cuticle
A group of very diverse and largely harmless insects commonly found in urban areas that are treated as significant pests
Cockroaches
The type of metamorphosis where the juvenile looks like a miniature adult
Incomplete metamorphosis (formally termed hemimetabolous)
The piercing-sucking mouthpart used by mosquitoes to draw blood
Proboscis
A massive, metallic blue insect that hunts tarantulas in the Southern California deserts
Tarantula hawk (wasps in genus Pepsis)
The three main body regions of an insect (in order)
Head, thorax, abdomen
Centipedes and millipedes are incorrectly referred to as this group of animals
Insects or bugs
The main source of daily energy for mosquitoes
Plant nectar and other sugar sources; blood feeding is used for egg production
Endoparasite
This non-native, sap feeding insect is a vector of Peirce's disease and has devastated grapevines across California
Glassy-winged sharpshooter
A set of paired appendages near the mouth that are generally used for handling and feeling food rather than for locomotion
Palps
This spider is incorrectly thought to occur in California and is regularly identified as a source of bad bites
The brown recluse
The hormone responsible for triggering molting in insects
Ecdysone
The specific term for insects that feed on vertebrate blood
Hematophagous
The common name for an order of aquatic nymphs that are commonly used as bio-indicators in Sierra Nevada streams
Stoneflies (Plecoptera) / mayflies (Ephemeroptera) / caddisflies (Trichoptera)
The modified wing of flies that are used for proprioception and function similarly to gyroscopes
Halteres