Fly on the Wall
The Biology portion of the Fly on the Wall Project involved catching a bug of our choice: arachnid, crustacean, or arthropod. As part of the project, we learned safe ways to capture bugs. After we captured them, we brought them into class and refrigerated them for ten minutes. The cold temperatures slowed the bugs down, which made it easier for us to photograph them. The English side (which you can find under 11th grade tab above) involved writing stories from the perspective of our bugs. I chose to catch a moth. You can see it in the picture to the left.
What we learned in Biology for this project:
In the end, we all had really interesting images of a huge range of different insects. It was challenging to photograph my insect as it moved around a lot despite being refrigerated in advance. It even flew away once, but I successfully recaptured it. Regardless of these challenges, my favorite part of the project was photographing my moth (who I named Lassiter).
Here are some facts about my moth:
Scientific name: Erinnyis Lassauxii (Lassaux's sphinx)
What it eats: Nectar
Life cycle: Egg, larva (caterpillar), chrysalis (cocoon), moth (adult/imago)
Life span: 12-15 days
Niche: Pollinator
Where it’s found: Multiple Nations (Origin: USA)
Migration: They don’t live long enough
Hibernation: They don’t live long enough
Description of bug: I caught my moth on the porch at my house late at night. It was near our porch light. My moth has a brown head, thorax, and abdomen. It is a very dark brown. It is about an inch long. Its wings and legs have a brown and dull yellow coloring.
What we learned in Biology for this project:
- Different kinds of insects
- How to catch insects (traps)
- Learning how to photograph them (slowing them down by putting them in freezer for a few minutes)
In the end, we all had really interesting images of a huge range of different insects. It was challenging to photograph my insect as it moved around a lot despite being refrigerated in advance. It even flew away once, but I successfully recaptured it. Regardless of these challenges, my favorite part of the project was photographing my moth (who I named Lassiter).
Here are some facts about my moth:
Scientific name: Erinnyis Lassauxii (Lassaux's sphinx)
What it eats: Nectar
Life cycle: Egg, larva (caterpillar), chrysalis (cocoon), moth (adult/imago)
Life span: 12-15 days
Niche: Pollinator
Where it’s found: Multiple Nations (Origin: USA)
Migration: They don’t live long enough
Hibernation: They don’t live long enough
Description of bug: I caught my moth on the porch at my house late at night. It was near our porch light. My moth has a brown head, thorax, and abdomen. It is a very dark brown. It is about an inch long. Its wings and legs have a brown and dull yellow coloring.