This
week's Magic Mailbox idea:
Ever wonder what kind of animal a
cricket is? Crickets are insects, just like ants. That means
they have 6 legs and 3 body parts. Crickets are jumping insects, but
they also have wings. Grasshoppers, katydids and cicadas are insects
like crickets. Ever wonder where crickets live? Crickets are
usually found in grassy areas, like meadows and pastures. This is
true for grasshoppers, too. Cicadas live close to trees, and
katydids live near leafy plants. Unlike ants, these insects don’t
build their homes; they just find safe places to rest. Ever
wonder how crickets and other bugs make noise? Insects do not
make noises in their throats like humans and many other animals do.
Instead, they use parts of their body to make noise. Crickets and
katydids make noise by rubbing their forewings together.
Grasshoppers make noise by rubbing their back legs together, or by
rubbing a leg against a wing. Cicadas make noise by moving drum-like
organs called tymbals. (This is very similar to tapping a metal lid
many times in succession.) Ever wonder why these insects make
noise? Insects make noise to communicate. Usually only the male
makes sounds, and usually it is to attract a girlfriend! Insects
will also make noises to scare other animals away, to warn others
about danger, or to mark their territory. Ever wonder how these
noisy insects hear each other? Crickets, grasshoppers, katydids,
and cicadas don’t have ears like we do. They hear with a body part
called the “tympanum” – which is located on their leg or belly!
Ever wonder why insects seem to be louder in late afternoon, and
toward the end of the summer? Insects are cold-blooded and need
heat to “warm up” their noise-makers. That’s why you hear more and
more bugs during the day, until they reach their noisiest point
early in the evening. Late summer is the time of year when insects
most use their noise-makers to attract friends and start a family!
Postcard Picture: Print this page,
or download this .pdf,
or right click on the picture to copy and paste it into a Word
document and print. Cut out and tape to your little
scientist's postcard.
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