Connected on 2011-01-07 10:00:00 from Palm Beach Gardens, FL, US
- 8:01am
- Bugscope Team sample is being coated...
- Bugscope Team sample is now pumping down
- 9:03am
- 9:09am
- 9:15am
- 9:21am
- 9:26am
- Bugscope Team presets are done
- 9:49am
- Bugscope Team Hello Ed!
- Bugscope Team Our session is scheduled to start at 10 our time. Please let us know if you have any questions in the meantime.
- 9:55am
- Bugscope Team hi Paul!
- Bugscope Team Welcome to Bugscope!
- Bugscope Team Please let us know when you have questions about the samples, or the microscope, or anything else -- about the setup..
- 10:00am
- Bugscope Team Paul you have control of the microscope whenever you would like to 'drive.' If you click on the lefthand arrow the screen will slide to the right and you can see the presets for today's session. You can click on any one of those, and the microscope will move to that position on the stage.
- Bugscope Team Hi Marni!
- Bugscope Team Welcome to Bugscope!
- Bugscope Team Please let us know if you have any questions.
- Teacher When can we start
- Bugscope Team you can start anytime you are ready
- Teacher Are these cyc;ical
- 10:05am
- Bugscope Team I don't know what type of caterpillars these are
- Teacher Are they phenophase
- Bugscope Team you mean do they come around again every year? they do in temperate zones like this.
- Teacher it is a puss
- Bugscope Team this is one of the phases of the lifecycle of this butterfly or moth, yes
- Teacher They do sting whar precautopns can we take
- Bugscope Team yeah you have to be careful with those
- Bugscope Team Marni we were not able to include the one puss caterpillar because it was too 'juicy' to go into the microscope
- Bugscope Team people can get bad reactions to their stings
- Bugscope Team the puss caterpillar was the furry one
- 10:11am
- Teacher We are having problems with seeing other parts
Bugscope Team can you see the arrows to the left and right of the screen with the image on it?
- Teacher Are they poisonois
Bugscope Team the spines under the hair on the puss caterpillars are poisonous
- Teacher Yes
- Bugscope Team so if you click on the lefthand arrow the screen to the left will move to the middle position, and you will be able to see the presets
- Bugscope Team you can click on any one of the presets and the microscope will move to that place
- Teacher How long is their cycle of development
Bugscope Team they life for around a year. They go into a cocoon over the winter and emerge in the late spring
- Bugscope Team the presets are thumbnail images of places we selected for the microscope to go, so that you can see everything that is on the stub
- Teacher Is that for Flotida
- 10:16am
- Bugscope Team now we are on part of the leaf that you included
- Bugscope Team this is one of the stomates -- the little breathing pores that leaves have. they are like spiracles -- the breathing pores that insects have
- Bugscope Team this one has a mold spore on one of its 'lips'
- Bugscope Team actually there are a few mold spores; this is one of the spikey-looking ones
- Teacher CAn we go back to the bug
- 10:21am
- Teacher Are they dangerous for Rabbits the puss
Bugscope Team i would think that if the rabbit was chowing down on a pant on the ground that the caterpillar was on, the rabbit's nose would be most susceptible to the sting and it could be quite bad for the rabbit
- Teacher What are the bumps are its back
- Teacher What species of trees do they invade
Bugscope Team They can be found on oaks, elms, citrus and other trees, and many garden plants such as roses and ivy.
- 10:26am
- Teacher Are there any natural predators
Bugscope Team tachinid flies lay their eggs in puss caterpillars and the larvae feed on them. so those particular flies do not have a problem with them
- Teacher What happen to the fur
Bugscope Team this is not a puss caterpillar. the puss caterpillar was too juicy to go into the microsope chamber, wihch is under vacuum
- Teacher What does it eat
Bugscope Team they are garden pests
- Teacher What type is this
Bugscope Team this is another caterpillar, and I am not sure what kind it is
- Bugscope Team these are the tiny claws on the 'prolegs' of the unidentified caterpillar we are looking at now
- 10:31am
- Teacher Any puss on file
Bugscope Team I am sorry -- we do not have any puss caterpillars in the Bugscope database
- Teacher Are there related species
Bugscope Team the saddleback caterpillar, stinging rose caterpillar, hag moth are in the same category of slug like caterpillars that sting
- Bugscope Team Most encounters with stinging caterpillars result from accidently brushing against leaves on which they are feeding. The chances of running into these insects are relatively low, but occasionally one species may be very abundant. Also the more time spent in wooded areas, the greater the opportunity for contact. Most of these caterpillars are distinctly marked or brightly colored. This can allow you to see and avoid them. If you find one on yourself, don't brush it off or slap it with a bare hand. Use a stick or other object to remove it carefully. Hollow spines may break off in clothing or gloves.
- Bugscope Team not too many natural predators other than the one scot mentioned. The poisonous hairs make it hard for birds and lizards to eat
- Teacher Does it have eyes
Bugscope Team they have simple eyes- i think about 5 on each side. We can see 4 bumps here
- Teacher Can we discourage them
- 10:36am
- Teacher If you cut apiece off-would it die
Bugscope Team yes most likely it will bleed out and slowly die at best
- Teacher How can you tell
- Bugscope Team it's easier to tell with adults. let me check and see if I can find somewhere in my book about caterpillars
- Teacher It is male or female
Bugscope Team there is no way to tell a caterpillar is male or female unless you cut them open.
- Teacher Are they dangerous even if they are dead
Bugscope Team yes the hairs on the caterpillars could still contain some poison so if you touch the hairs, you could sting yourself essentially
- Bugscope Team with adults, the males are often more colorful and have a slit at the tip of the abdomen
- 10:42am
- Teacher Can we go to the mouth
Bugscope Team I'm afraid the mouth is not seen today because it is facing down. Sorry
- Bugscope Team caterpillars do have big fat jaws that open like a gate
- Teacher Can they burrow into fur
Bugscope Team I suppose they could- and that would be dangerous too. But they will most likely slide off the animal before burrowing (at least I hope they would!)
- Bugscope Team the holes you see around the bumps here are where the spines (the caterpillar hair) fell off
- Teacher Can we stop them in any way
Bugscope Team to get them away use a stick and brush them away. That would be the best. Otherwise for killing, you may have to use pesticides
- 10:49am
- Teacher In the future could we try a puss
Bugscope Team yes that would be very feasible. I have the 2 you sent, and I can keep them until you have another session with us
- Bugscope Team there are hairs that are probably from the puss sticking to one of the cocoons you sent
- Teacher Awesome
- Teacher Thank you so much
- Teacher We are changing classes thank you a ton
- Bugscope Team these should be from your puss
- Bugscope Team caterpillar
- Bugscope Team sweet. these look like urticating hairs from a spider
- 10:54am
- Bugscope Team it's the same deal- the poison is in the spines of the hair
