Ander- Red
Mary Katherine- Blue
In The Infested Mind by Jeffrey Lockwood he mentions how humans react to insect in four ways: fear, disgust, love or fascination. After reading through the book and after handling insects I think I am fascinated by insects. At first, I was fearful of them because let's be honest who isn't? I was scared to hold or touch them. In chapter five Lockwood explains that fear and disgust "entangled together" but they are different as well (Lockwood, 70). He uses an example of having a spider crawl across your cookies and tea. If you have a fear of insects more than likely you would just eat the cookies and not think twice about it. If insects disgust you then more than likely you would not touch the cookie and either throw them our or get someone else to dispose of them for you. I would not consider insects to disgust me but I may have had a fear of them. As of now, I think my fear turned into fascination because now I will pick them up and touch them. At the beginning of the class I would not have picked them up in a million years. After learning about them and being around them I honestly think they are cool.
In chapter eight Lockwood discusses how to overcome your fear or disgust of insects. He talks about how you can decrease your anxiety about insects by focusing on the "task itself rather than the larger context (Lockwood,127). He uses an example of the fire fighter checking all four corners of a bedroom for a child rather than worrying that it is smokey and he could die. Another example he talks about is practicing your fears so that it becomes second nature to you and you do not have anxiety when something fearful really does happen to you. He also discusses fascinations in this chapter as well. He talked about a male named Dick who loved bees since he was a young boy. He was fascinated with them and instead of being scared of them he wanted to get close and study their nest and characteristics. I would like to say i am fascinated with insects but not to the point where i would go and study a bee's nest. I am still fearful of most insects but i am gradually changing my perspective from fear to fascination.
I read an article about a man who was fearful of cockroaches because of an experience he had or saw when he was four years old. He goes on to talk about his fear of them and how they invade our house and other examples of cockroaches and why he has this fear of them. Then he starts to explain that his fear has lead him to be fascinated and interested in them. He started researching and reading information about cockroaches. He talks about how it does not make sense to fear cockroaches when we should fear other things that can harm us or hurt us. Lockwood talks about this concept as well in his book. He talks about how cockroaches could hurt us worst by giving us food poison where as you could walk through a park and get malaria yet we are not scared of mosquitos. It is a weird concept but both Lockwood and the man who wrote this article both discuss and explain it. His article is rather long and goes into great detail but he mentions Lockwood in his article and discuss the same types of discussion topics as Lockwood does, which was cool. At the end he sums his article up by talking about how people need to research and find information on their phobias to overcome them because more than likely they should be scared of something else.
The book The Infested Mind by Jeffery A. Lockwood discusses how humans react to bugs. Lockwood writes that their are 4 ways. These are fear, love. disgust, and fascination. Prior to this class I had a fear of bugs. I did not like them at all. When I saw a spider I would freak out and look for a shoe to kill it (usually not my shoe because I like my shoes to be clean). I really just hated the thought of bugs. I had a fear of bugs rather then disgust because I was not disgusted about bugs. For example Lockwood talks about a bug walking over a cookie and how for some people that may be disgusting (Lockwood,70). If I were in this predicament I would not be disgusted by the bug. I would be scared of what the bug could have done to the cookie and because of this I would not eat it. However after finding out more information on bugs I have grown to like them and become fascinated with them. Although I am fascinated with them to an extent I still do have fears about them. At this point I like learning more about bugs, but not to a point where I would like to have a job on bugs. I am fascinated with how they can adapt to their environment and many other things about bugs everyday life. Similar to the cockroach story when I was growing up I was extremely scared of wasp. This was because my brother is allergic to them and so he and the rest of my family would always freak out when they saw a wasp. For example one time a wasp stung my brother and he was rushed to the hospital. This was a very scary experience for me and since then I have been scared of wasp even if they were already dead. Earlier today I overcame that fear by touching a dead wasp.
Sources:
The Infested Mind, Jeffrey Lockwood
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140918-the-reality-about-roaches
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Ruffler Mountain
Ander- Red
Mary Katherine- Blue
Today we went to Ruffler Mountain Nature Center. It was a little cold and damp but it was very fun and interesting. We hiked up to the top and stopped along the way to search for some insects and look at the view. It was challenging finding bugs just because of the weather conditions. Ander and I turned over many logs and rocks trying to fins some insects. When we came to the second search area we found a Junebug. It was under a huge rock. The rock was halfway under the ground and halfway above the ground. The Junebug was burrowing facedown in the bug. Ander grabbed him by the abdomen and pulled him out. He wasn't moving very well and looked as if he was almost dead. A junebug are named Junebugs because adult Junebugs are most common in the month of June. June bugs are in the Scarabaeidae family and in the Coleoptera order. They can be classified in many different genuses depending on the species or type of the Junebug. The Junebug was the most interesting insect we found today at Ruffler Mountain. It was different from all of our other insects that we have found so far.
Another interesting adventure was going down into the cave. It was very interesting looking at limestone and learning how it was molded together. Dr. Van Zandt explained to how the cave was made from the leftover limestone after all the water evaporated. He told us that overtime the water would eventually make the cave bigger and wider. It was amazing just being down in the cave. Another interesting fact I learned was how the cave will stay around 50 degrees all year round. It was freezing yesterday (at least I though so) and when we went down in the cave it felt warmer than the outside temperature. Summers in Alabama can get really hot and to know that temp stays 50 degrees was very interesting. I made the comment that I would stay in the cave if I was an insect because it was warmer there but Dr. Van Zandt informed me that there is not much food in caves because of the lack of sunlights and other factors that play into it.
Today we had our first off campus adventure. We went to Ruffler Park. I was excited to encounter new insects and to see the beautiful view that I had heard so much about. Once we arrived at Ruffler Park we began our journey up the trail. This trail seemed like it would never end. Finally we took a pit stop and began looking at walnuts on the ground. Some of the walnuts had insects inside of them. However just with my luck we did not find any insects in the walnuts that we picked up. After this we continued our hike up the trail. We then stopped at our second stop. Where I found a bunch of rocks and logs. I began to pick up them and finally found a bug. The insect I found was a Junebug. I was excited because this was a bug that we had not found yet. After this we continued on the trail which led us to a cave. Dr. Van Zandt asked if anyone wanted to go inside of it. Normally I would say no and be a little freaked out about entering a cave, but for some reason I will follow Dr. Van Zandt through anything. Overall this adventure at Ruffler Park was a great experience I wish I would of found more insects, but still had a great time
Sources:
http://www.everythingabout.net/articles/biology/animals/arthropods/insects/beetles/june_bug/
http://daynoid.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html
http://www.softschools.com/facts/rocks/limestone_facts/370/
http://www.fsu.edu/news/2011/12/02/going.underground/
http://www.getintravel.com/veliko-tarnovo-bulgaria/fragment-of-the-limestone-rock-in-balkan-mountains/
Mary Katherine- Blue
Today we went to Ruffler Mountain Nature Center. It was a little cold and damp but it was very fun and interesting. We hiked up to the top and stopped along the way to search for some insects and look at the view. It was challenging finding bugs just because of the weather conditions. Ander and I turned over many logs and rocks trying to fins some insects. When we came to the second search area we found a Junebug. It was under a huge rock. The rock was halfway under the ground and halfway above the ground. The Junebug was burrowing facedown in the bug. Ander grabbed him by the abdomen and pulled him out. He wasn't moving very well and looked as if he was almost dead. A junebug are named Junebugs because adult Junebugs are most common in the month of June. June bugs are in the Scarabaeidae family and in the Coleoptera order. They can be classified in many different genuses depending on the species or type of the Junebug. The Junebug was the most interesting insect we found today at Ruffler Mountain. It was different from all of our other insects that we have found so far.
Another interesting adventure was going down into the cave. It was very interesting looking at limestone and learning how it was molded together. Dr. Van Zandt explained to how the cave was made from the leftover limestone after all the water evaporated. He told us that overtime the water would eventually make the cave bigger and wider. It was amazing just being down in the cave. Another interesting fact I learned was how the cave will stay around 50 degrees all year round. It was freezing yesterday (at least I though so) and when we went down in the cave it felt warmer than the outside temperature. Summers in Alabama can get really hot and to know that temp stays 50 degrees was very interesting. I made the comment that I would stay in the cave if I was an insect because it was warmer there but Dr. Van Zandt informed me that there is not much food in caves because of the lack of sunlights and other factors that play into it.
Today we had our first off campus adventure. We went to Ruffler Park. I was excited to encounter new insects and to see the beautiful view that I had heard so much about. Once we arrived at Ruffler Park we began our journey up the trail. This trail seemed like it would never end. Finally we took a pit stop and began looking at walnuts on the ground. Some of the walnuts had insects inside of them. However just with my luck we did not find any insects in the walnuts that we picked up. After this we continued our hike up the trail. We then stopped at our second stop. Where I found a bunch of rocks and logs. I began to pick up them and finally found a bug. The insect I found was a Junebug. I was excited because this was a bug that we had not found yet. After this we continued on the trail which led us to a cave. Dr. Van Zandt asked if anyone wanted to go inside of it. Normally I would say no and be a little freaked out about entering a cave, but for some reason I will follow Dr. Van Zandt through anything. Overall this adventure at Ruffler Park was a great experience I wish I would of found more insects, but still had a great time
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| Junebug |
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| Limestone Rock |
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| Limestone Cave |
Sources:
http://www.everythingabout.net/articles/biology/animals/arthropods/insects/beetles/june_bug/
http://daynoid.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html
http://www.softschools.com/facts/rocks/limestone_facts/370/
http://www.fsu.edu/news/2011/12/02/going.underground/
http://www.getintravel.com/veliko-tarnovo-bulgaria/fragment-of-the-limestone-rock-in-balkan-mountains/
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Being A Cold Bug
Ander- Red
Mary Katherine- Blue
Being a cold bug sounds miserable. I absolutely hate being cold. If I had to choose which life stage to overwinter in I would pick to overwinter as an adult butterfly. It is hard for butterflies to survive waters because their temperatures drop to the temperature of their surrounding. Although, I would hibernate in a tree hole where it blocks the cold wind chills and rain. I would try to find an old tree that had a hole in it that I could fly high up in. I would not want to want the tree to because I would need it to be strong and sturdy and not have any chances of falling over in storms. It would stay dry in the tree and no snow or rain would be able to creep in, at least at the top of the hole. Another strategy I would use is I would use my natural antifreeze to secrete my body so I would have some sort of protection against the harsh winters. The antifreezes are all natural and come from small molecules like glycerol. This helps prevent me from crystallizing and dying. This also helps me survive the lowest temperatures that come my way. I cannot wait till the spring to come out of hibernation because I will be one of the first insects to come out of hibernation because of how I hibernate. I will be able to come out during the warmer weather of the spring. It is truly amazing how we, butterflies, hibernate and how we can survive freezing winters. If we did not have the antifreeze characteristic we would not be able to survive the winter. Most people do not know this fun fact about us and never have really thought about our survival strategies.
Sources:
http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmnh/buginfo/winter.htm
http://www.naturemuseum.org/the-museum/blog/where-do-butterflies-go-in-the-winter
I am a cold bug, but what bug am I?
I am small...red...and an insect...but what am I?...To be continued
There are many different life stages of insects that overwinter, and multiples of different strategies insects use to survive. Insects very unique in the way that they are able to avoid freezing during the winter. If I was an insect during the Winter time and I was faced with the predicament of finding a strategy to help me survive the cold I would choose to a fallen tree bark or a firewood. An example of this are lady bugs. This particular insect chooses to overwinter under tree bark or a firewood because this creates a protective environment for the insect. Ladybugs also overwinter in herds, which is something that was very interesting to me. The life stage that I would choose is as an adult. As an adult the ladybugs are together in herds when they overwinter, which is something that I liked.
It is amazing learning the unique ways that insects adapt to their environment in order to survive. I do not think that if I were put in a similar situation as insects that I would find a way to survive in the cold conditions.
Sources:
http://www.hmrprint.com/helensphotos/LADYBUGS.html
(Source:http://web.extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/homeowners/071213.html)
Mary Katherine- Blue
Being a cold bug sounds miserable. I absolutely hate being cold. If I had to choose which life stage to overwinter in I would pick to overwinter as an adult butterfly. It is hard for butterflies to survive waters because their temperatures drop to the temperature of their surrounding. Although, I would hibernate in a tree hole where it blocks the cold wind chills and rain. I would try to find an old tree that had a hole in it that I could fly high up in. I would not want to want the tree to because I would need it to be strong and sturdy and not have any chances of falling over in storms. It would stay dry in the tree and no snow or rain would be able to creep in, at least at the top of the hole. Another strategy I would use is I would use my natural antifreeze to secrete my body so I would have some sort of protection against the harsh winters. The antifreezes are all natural and come from small molecules like glycerol. This helps prevent me from crystallizing and dying. This also helps me survive the lowest temperatures that come my way. I cannot wait till the spring to come out of hibernation because I will be one of the first insects to come out of hibernation because of how I hibernate. I will be able to come out during the warmer weather of the spring. It is truly amazing how we, butterflies, hibernate and how we can survive freezing winters. If we did not have the antifreeze characteristic we would not be able to survive the winter. Most people do not know this fun fact about us and never have really thought about our survival strategies.
Sources:
http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmnh/buginfo/winter.htm
http://www.naturemuseum.org/the-museum/blog/where-do-butterflies-go-in-the-winter
I am a cold bug, but what bug am I?
I am small...red...and an insect...but what am I?...To be continued
There are many different life stages of insects that overwinter, and multiples of different strategies insects use to survive. Insects very unique in the way that they are able to avoid freezing during the winter. If I was an insect during the Winter time and I was faced with the predicament of finding a strategy to help me survive the cold I would choose to a fallen tree bark or a firewood. An example of this are lady bugs. This particular insect chooses to overwinter under tree bark or a firewood because this creates a protective environment for the insect. Ladybugs also overwinter in herds, which is something that was very interesting to me. The life stage that I would choose is as an adult. As an adult the ladybugs are together in herds when they overwinter, which is something that I liked.
It is amazing learning the unique ways that insects adapt to their environment in order to survive. I do not think that if I were put in a similar situation as insects that I would find a way to survive in the cold conditions.
Sources:
http://www.hmrprint.com/helensphotos/LADYBUGS.html
(Source:http://web.extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/homeowners/071213.html)
Monday, January 12, 2015
A Closer Look At Insects
Ander- Red
Mary Katherine- Blue
Last Wednesday we began exploring insects more in depth that previously. Each member of the class chose an insect to examine under a microscope. There were a vast amount of insects to choose from. After looking through the collection, I chose to examine a big shiny black beetle. Our assignment in class was to not only look at the chosen insect in the microscope, but to also draw a portrait of the insect. This was a struggle for me because I am a terrible artist. My art starts and stops at stick figure drawings. For this reason I will not be posting my picture of the beetle that I drew. Although my drawing was a failure the assignment helped me obtain a better understanding of the beetle's body and forced me to examine the insect closer than I usually would. The first thing that I noticed when examine my beetle under the microscope was how shiny its body was. The next thing that I noticed was the amount of lines it had on it. It was very interesting to see the great detail on the beetles body and I never would have realized any of this without this activity.
On a side note this weekend we found a wasp, which will be adding to our collection. This was exciting because I remember when I was growing up I was scared of wasp. This was because my brother is allergic to them so every time we would see a wasp we would both freak out. The wasp is the sixth insect that we have in our collection. Tomorrow we are going on our first field trip of the class and hopefully we will find something new.
Until next time from yours truly Ander (Going to bed thinking about catching an insect in my kill jar)
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| Cricket (Mary Katherine) |
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| Cricket (Mary Katherine) |
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| Mary Katherine attempted drawing of cricket |
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| Beetle (Ander) |
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| Beetle (Ander) |
Monday, January 5, 2015
Initial thoughts on insects
Ander Galfsky-Red
Mary Katherine Catanzaro-Blue
Blog Post 1:
I do not know much about bugs. I thought I knew what some types of bugs were that we see in our everyday life but after talking in class today, I think I would be wrong on my guesses. After watching the
video on insects I was surprised how little I knew about bugs and insects. I found out several things
I did not know and how to characterize insects from bugs. I now know the five
main characteristics of insects, just from watching that fie minute video. There is still tons of information to learn about bugs. I want to know which bugs are dangerous and
which bugs are not. I want to know which bugs are poisonous and can harm you
rather than the bugs that are not poisonous. I want to know how you can figure
out if they are poisonous or how to tell whether or not they can be dangerous.
I want to know how you determine which bug family the bug belongs in. I am very
curious about bugs and how the different parts of the bugs can help you
identify them. I never really knew how complicated identifying bugs would be until after today's discussion. To be honest, I am a little bit afraid of bugs. I do not really care for them rather than being afraid of them. If I knew which bugs could hurt me and which bugs could not hurt me, I would not be as scared. I have always thought of bugs in negative terms. I just always thought they could harm you by stinging you or some other way. So I am excited to learn which bugs are not harmful and which to be afraid of. I look forward to being able to tell which bug is which and have a better understanding of bugs.
To be honest I do not really know much about bugs. The extent
of my knowledge on bugs is that I can distinguish between the bugs that one
would see on an everyday basis. However after watching the video today in class
I know more of the basics than I did before. I now know how to tell insects and
bugs apart. It is interesting because last week when I was talking to my
friends about this class none of us new the real difference between bugs and
insects. There are a lot of things that I hope to learn about bugs from
this class. I want to know the difference between the different kinds of bugs
and what they can do. Whether or not a specific bug can hurt me or what their
purpose is. I am not afraid of bugs, but I do not like having them around me.
When I see a bug in my room I freak out a little bit and then try to kill it.
The bugs that I am around the most are ants. Early this year my roommates
room was infested with ants. Also in my basketball locker room there were ants
as well. Hopefully by the end of this class I will know more about bugs and be
able to tell them apart.
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