Session 2009-006 with Gold Hill Elem

Application

The School

The Class

The Project

Miscellaneous

Live Session Transcript

Connected on 2009-05-08 10:45:00 from , SC, US

• 10:33am
• Bugscope Team Good Morning!
• Teacher Hi Scott and others at Bugscope
• Bugscope Team We are (you can see) setting up. A few more presets and we'll have it.
• Bugscope Team Cate is on the Console, running the 'scope.
• Bugscope Team Annie should be on soon.
• Teacher I am setting up student computers. Students are not here yet. Take your time- this is very interesting too.

• 10:40am
• Bugscope Team Annie!
• Bugscope Team Hello all
• Bugscope Team hi Annie

• Bugscope Team Hi Alina

• Bugscope Team Oops I just 'found' the pollen grain Cate had already made into a preset.

• 10:46am

• Bugscope Team hello! welcome to bugscope
• Teacher Hi Bugscopoe! Our 2 classes of students are here now.
• Bugscope Team Hi!
• Teacher Hi cate2
• Teacher Hi Scott
• Student what kind of bug is this
• Student Hi! What kind of bug is this?
  Bugscope Team we are on the cicada head. This is a pollen grain on it
• 10:51am
• Bugscope Team This is the head of a cicada, up so close we can't really tell where we are.
• Student hey guys!
• Bugscope Team so what we see now is pollen
• Student Cool!
• Student where did you find it?
• Student Where did it come from?
• Student what is this?
• Student sparkale do you like this pic?

• Bugscope Team this is a cicada that came from Annie's collection.
• Student what part of the bug is it.
• Bugscope Team Annie collected the cicada, as for the pollen grain, it could be ragweed or something similar
• Student What is it
• Student AWESOME!

• Student What is this part?
• Student scott where did she get it?
  Bugscope Team She collected it from around here, from Illinois, I think.
• Bugscope Team the cicada was so big we could only put the head on the sample stage

• Student what is this psrt?
  Bugscope Team are are on the timpanum of the cicada. It is found on the head. You can see there are a lot of hairs inbetween the ridges
• Student scot do you like this project?
  Bugscope Team Yeah this is so much fun for us.

• Bugscope Team Scott is this the cicada with the orange wing?
  Bugscope Team The Otaku might know -- she and Alina made this sample.

• Student Interesting

• Student why did you chose this bug
• Student Thisis really cool!
• Student what type of bug is it?
• Student what is this
• Student Is that hair?
  Bugscope Team yes, but on insects we are supposed to call them setae. Insects are a lot hairier then they seem!

• Student Orange wing?

• Student wat bug is this?

• Student What color is it really suppose to be?
• Bugscope Team Actually, this is called the cibarium..it is on the head. The cicada compresses it and contracts it like a bulb to suck plant juices

• Student i love this i think its cool but nasty
• Student what is that part?
• Bugscope Team This is a periodical cicada that I collected in Kentucky in 2003
• Student what are those tubes
• Student what are those tubes
• Student is that the eye?
  Bugscope Team that is the compound eye
• Student Whoa

• Bugscope Team my fault for the misidentification of the cibarium, which makes the cicada look like a Klingon
• Bugscope Team Can this eye see like a human eye?
  Bugscope Team it can see sort of like a human eye -- the brain has to assemble all of the images into a single image

• 10:56am

• Student new words in my vocabulary

• Student what kind of bug is it?
• Bugscope Team Most insects that suck plant juices have a cibarium

• Student I know I can't wait to tell my parents!

• Bugscope Team true bugs have them, they just usually arent so big

• Student It looks so big even thow it is small
• Student wow i didnt know what an insect's eye looked like this!
• Student NOW WHAT IS THAT
• Student HI
• Bugscope Team the eye is really streamlined-- plain looking
• Bugscope Team So Annie, how to do you collect these insects?
  Bugscope Team This was one of the cicadas from the big huge cicada emergences. It was impossible NOT to collect this cicadas. The were everywhere!

• Student hello

• Student How can you tell if its boy or girl
  Bugscope Team We are not going to be able to tell if it is a boy or a girl from here. The females have a big long ovipositor and are fatter. But, we only have the head on the stub today

• Student hi jo
• Student im not sure
• Bugscope Team good job :)
• Student HOW DO YOU FIND THE INSECTS?
  Bugscope Team There was a huge mass emergence of cicadas in Kentucky in 2003 and they were EVERYWHERE, in big huge piles on the sidewalk and at the bottom of trees.
• Student hi
• Teacher we want to see the compound eye structure
  Bugscope Team With the cicada it is hard to see the ommatidia very clearly.
  Bugscope Team it isn't very easy to see on this cicada. We could try on a different insect though

• Student HELLO?
  Bugscope Team Hi Spike!
• 11:01am

• Student what are those bumps on the eye
  Bugscope Team those look like pieces of dirt or something similar
• Student How big is the eye

• Student HOW do you tell the gender?
  Bugscope Team The female cicadas have a long pointy ovipositor on the abdomen
• Bugscope Team You will notice that we don't always get to answer all questions 'cause they go by so fast.
• Student what are those bumps?
• Student What kind of incect do you think this is ?
  Bugscope Team Panthers this is a cicada.
• Student i do not know

• Student do we have this dirt on ower eye?
  Bugscope Team No we don't because we have eyelids as well as moisture that can help fend off dirt and other particles. Insects can't close their eyes and they can only really clean them with their legs\

• Student is this still the eye?
  Bugscope Team Guy we have left the eye and are a little lost right now, looks like.
• Bugscope Team if you get lost take the mag down lower to see where you are, or you can click on a preset
• Student is that still the eye
• Student How close dose the scope go
• Teacher ok- whose going to drive now?
• Student how close is the eye
• Student were are we
• Student ok
• Bugscope Team Would you like us to give control to one of your students?
• Bugscope Team Click on a preset to get back in action
• Teacher we want you to drive for now

• Student whats that?
• Bugscope Team this is on a dog tick, this is a claw
• Student what is this
• Bugscope Team Ticks are actually related to spiders; they're not insects.
• Student whats that?
• Student what is a dog tick
  Bugscope Team It is a very common large tick. It's genus and species is Dermacentor varabilis
• Bugscope Team ticks suck blood, right?
  Bugscope Team part of their head, called the capitulum, sticks into your skin
• Bugscope Team Ticks, when they are young, may have six legs, but when they get older they have eight.
• Student what is this?
• Student i think so
• 11:07am
• Student what part of a tick is that?
• Student what do ticks eat
  Bugscope Team they drink blood from mammals
• Student can you show us its head?
• Student how big is this
  Bugscope Team Smaller than a pencil eraser

• Student can you show us the head

• Student can you show us the head?
  Bugscope Team We're driving over to it now

• Student hi
• Student is that the head
  Bugscope Team this is the head- more specifically its mouthparts

• Student is that the leg

• Student how doses a tick suck blood?

• Student what is this

• Student is it tiny in real life
  Bugscope Team yes it is very small -- from a few mm to several mm across, until it gets full
• Student what body part is this
• Student that looks asome
• Student how long is a tick
• Student ewwwwwww.........
• Student what are the things on its head
• Student can they suck blood from people?
  Bugscope Team yes and they can transfer diseases to us like lyme disease
• Bugscope Team this is the head, and it is kind of yucked up today
• Student can you zoom in more?
• Student what are the spikes on its head?
  Bugscope Team the v-shaped things in the middle are what hold it into your skin
• Student do they have hair
  Bugscope Team yes the small spikes you see are hairs
• Student can we see the eye
  Bugscope Team they don't reallty have eyes -- they have eyespots that are on the other side of the head where we can't se them
• Student can we see the eye
• Student can we see the eye
• Student what are the things on its head for
• Student how many x is this
  Bugscope Team we are at 510x magnification right now
• Student zoom in please
• Student can we see the eye

• Student how big is a ticks head
  Bugscope Team Very small about 3-5 mm across

• Student how do they taste things?
  Bugscope Team Like all arthropods they taste with setae that detect chemicals
• Student is that the eye
• Student frend
• Student what are those bumps?
  Bugscope Team These are little setae that help the tick to "taste" its host
• 11:12am
• Bugscope Team this is one of the palps, on the side portions of the head
• Student what is this on the eye
• Student if it is the eye
• Student why don't they have eyes
  Bugscope Team they don't need them - they use their sense of smell and the ability to sense heat and perhaps CO2 -- your breath -- to find you
• Student hi
• Bugscope Team hod do they know where they're going without eyes?
• Student what are those pointy things
• Student whit is this?
• Student scot what is that
  Bugscope Team that is one of the palps on the side of the head that let the tick smell things
• Student what are those pointy things?
  Bugscope Team these are special setae (which are insect hairs) that allow the tick to smell/taste things
• Student what are those things sticking out of thier head
• Student what are those
• Student where do ticks live
  Bugscope Team Ticks live in forested and grassy areas all over.
• Student how do you remove a tick
  Bugscope Team I have been taught that you should grip the tick as close to the base of its head as possible and firmly pull it out with tweezers. You want to avoid any of the head breaking off in your skin because it can cause an infection

• Student what is that
• Student what is that
• Bugscope Team here is a better view of a compound eye, this time on a fruit fly
• Teacher student asks, where do ticks mostly aim for?
  Bugscope Team They don't discriminate...they will grab on whereever they can. I usually find them on my shoes or socks
• Student what is that\
• Student what is that?

• Student whats that?

• Student how do ticks jump so high
  Bugscope Team ticks climb to high places and put their arms out so when you pass by they can cling on
• Student what is that white sticking out
  Bugscope Team the white things are setae or bristles that stick out of the compound eye of the fruit fly
• Student Is that its body part

• Bugscope Team ticks will climb up long grass and cling to them with their hind legs in the air to grab onto your clothing or animal's fur
• Student how to ticks live?
  Bugscope Team they have a kind of complicated lifecycle; they often go through a couple of molts before they finally lay eggs and start the cycle over again
• Student I dont know.....
• 11:17am
• Student do ticks walk fast
  Bugscope Team Nope, they creep very slowly
• Student does it hurt
  Bugscope Team Ticks don't hurt at all when they bite you. They bank on you not being able to feel them. A tick bite can be very itchy, especially if you pull a feeding tick out. TIck bites can also get infected
• Student how does a tick get on you/
  Bugscope Team ticks have little hooks where you would think their underarm would be, and they can fit those over leaves so that when you go by they can use their arms to cling onto you

• Student do ticks live on blood?
  Bugscope Team Yes they do

• Student is that dirt?
• Student Yes......
• Student what are those gray balls in the middle
  Bugscope Team not sure what those are. we usually call them juju when we know they are matter that don't belong, like dirt or dust
• Student do ticks live on blood?
• Bugscope Team what's that little blab in the center?
• Student do they stick to humans

• Student who many live on it's eye?

• Student do they just suck blood?
  Bugscope Team Yup that is all they eat
• Student thats the compound eye right
  Bugscope Team that was the fruit fly's compound eye

• Student how far can the jump

• Teacher can we see praying mantis part?
• Bugscope Team Good idea!
• Bugscope Team this is the small praying mantis
• Bugscope Team here is our smaller praying mantis

• Student what are those hairs?
• Student what do those little hairs do
• Student how long will this prayinmantis live
  Bugscope Team It will hatch from its egg in the spring, about this time of year and it will die in the fall when it frosts.
• Bugscope Team see the mouthparts? they are pretty complicated
• Student can tou go closer?
  Bugscope Team sure!
• Bugscope Team and see its compound eyes?
• 11:22am

• Student how big can they get
  Bugscope Team A large female Chinese mantis can get about 5 inches long. Pretty big. Carolina mantises are smaller, about 3-4 inches maximum

• Student what do they use those things that look like anemones for?
• Student why does its head look so puld apart
  Bugscope Team the mouth, especially, is just strange-looking -- it looks like it's laced together

• Student cn you go closer to the eye?
• Student can you zoom in?

• Student WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Student COOL

• Student what is the white stuff?
• Student Why is the eye so dirty
• Student Im back
• Bugscope Team what are those spots?

• Student What part is this of the praying mantis?
  Bugscope Team Pork Chop this is the eye, up close.

• Student is that dirt

• Student cool!

• Student Can it hear

• Student now what are those spunge things

• Student is this the eye?
  Bugscope Team yes we are on the eye right now
• Teacher How about beetle head?
• Bugscope Team this is the eye -- we don't know what the stuff is on it, though
• Student can you zoom out some?
• 11:27am
• Student can it hear
• Student are those spoug thing duart

• Student is this a betl?
• Student what animal is this?
• Student what are those hairs for?
  Bugscope Team the setae help the beetle to sense its environment
• Student CAN IT HEAR
  Bugscope Team They can sense vibrations with specialized hairs all over its body. I am not sure if any beetles are know to have "ears" or specialized ear-like organs.
• Student is this a betle head?
• Student can it smell?
  Bugscope Team you can see the small parts sticking up, that is a palp and it has special hairs that allow it to taste/smell
• Student what are the dots on the thing?
• Bugscope Team this beetle is a tad bit dirty as well
• Student what kind of bettle is this?
• Bugscope Team this is copied from a paper about the mantis ear: Most praying mantids have a single ear located in the ventral midline of the metathorax. It comprises an auditory chamber, two tympana, and four sensory organs. Mantids have sensitive hearing for frequencies >20 kHz.
• Student were did you find it
• Student can it make noses?
  Bugscope Team Many beetles do make noises...they squeak or hiss if the are harassed
• Teacher can we zoom into mouth?

• Student can we see the eye

• Student what are those dots

• Student can it hear?

• Bugscope Team we can't see them right now though
• Bugscope Team yuck we can see what it was eating

• Student can it smell?
  Bugscope Team It smells with specialized setae that are concentration on the antennae and mouth, but that may be located elsewhere
• Student what are those hairs do?

• Student what does it eat?
  Bugscope Team I am not sure what kind of beetle this is, but species of beetles eat almost everything. They eat garbage, they eat dead animal bodies, plants, wood, other insects.

• Bugscope Team concentrated

• Bugscope Team can't spell

• Student what is the chiped of part?
  Bugscope Team that is where the palp opens up to these setae that are like tastebuds
• Bugscope Team this is analogous to the features we saw on the tick
• Student what are the bumps
• Student what are those cracks?
• Student were can find this dug
• Student is the betle big or small?
• Student can it smill?
• 11:32am
• Teacher what are YOUR jobs?
  Bugscope Team I train and help people with our electron microscopes that we have. I also help with the sample preparation involved. Scott runs everything in our microscopy suite

• Student is it color blined
  Bugscope Team Most likely, this beetle can not see in color, probably just in black and gray and white
• Student how do you know all this stuff????
  Bugscope Team Some of us have done Bugscope for 10 years, and we have learned a lot during that time. I also have a graduate degree in entomology, so I cheated and didn't just learn it from Bugscope

• Student Why is it black and white
  Bugscope Team it's black and white because we are using electrons rather than light to get these images -- the image comes to us as signal rather than light
• Bugscope Team this is the mondo bigboy Daddy Praying mantis
• Student what tipe of bug is this?
  Bugscope Team this is a praying mantis -- another one in the 'scope
• Student can we see the moth
  Bugscope Team i'm sorry but we dont have a moth in the microscope today
• Student can you zoom in at the eye?
• Student we just learned about electrons
• Student what is this insect?
• Bugscope Team Alina is showing us what the inside the vacuum chamber looks like -- those are the samples!
• Bugscope Team This is the inside of the microscope
• Student that is cool
• Student thank you alot
• Bugscope Team at the top is the cone that the electrons come from, and to the right top is where the secondary electrons are collected
• Teacher ok - I hate top break this up - but students have to go now
  Bugscope Team Noooo...
• Bugscope Team Thank You for connecting with us today.
• Bugscope Team oh we are sorry to hear that, but please reapply for bugscope again!
• Bugscope Team and thank you all for all your great questions
• Bugscope Team :(:(::(
• Bugscope Team Thank you all
• 11:37am
• Teacher Thank you so much for a great session!
• Bugscope Team this is where you can go to see your images and the chat: http://bugscope.beckman.illinois.edu/members/2009-006/
• Bugscope Team Thank You!
• Teacher great! we will post it on the wiki website that we make for this project
• Bugscope Team Annie is logging out...on to the next project. Thank you all.
• Bugscope Team Thanks Annie!
• Bugscope Team Thank you Rob!
• Bugscope Team I guess that's it, good job!
• Bugscope Team Rob we will put you on the mailing list for Bugscope if you want.