Summer study of bugs and insects.

We are currently taking a look at bugs and insects.  It just seems like a summery thing.  We learned that there is a difference between a bug and an insect.  Bugs are a type of insect but not all insects are considered true bugs.  Here is an except from eHow explaining the difference between a true bug and an insect.  

"True bugs" have a mouth that is shaped like a straw or needle, which is called a stylet or rostrum. They also have a very specific membranous wing, which is thick and darkly colored where it connects to the body, but becomes thin and almost transparent toward its end. Insects that do not have a rostrum mouth or membranous wings, such as ants, termites, butterflies, mosquitoes, fleas and lice (just to name a few) would not be considered "true bugs" as they do not have one or both of these features.  (From eHow)

According to Wikipedia,  insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax, and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae.

Are you confused yet?

Here are a few of the learning tools we used and a few pictures of both bugs and insects from our yard.

This is some of our buggy stuff.

It looks like this guy did not do too well.  We could not find the rest of him.

Is this a bug or an insect?

This is, I believe, a hummingbird moth.  It looks like a bumblebee but acts like a hummingbird.  (You can click on the picture to enlarge it, I think.)

Another shot of the hummingbird moth.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtails.

The bugs in the above picture and the last 2 pictures are courtesy of my husband.  He found out we were studying bugs and insects and dug up a few surprises for us by the garden.

An exoskeleton is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body.  (Wikipedia)

These are grubby!

Well, we are officially all bugged out!  I had to go with bugged out because insected out made no sense!