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This kid-produced video makes a case for the arthropods among us.
From the Silk Road to your front porch, moths are everywhere, coming in a variety of shapes and sizes.
With so many recent news stories about massive honeybee die-offs, we thought we'd revisit one of our videos all about the specialized body parts of bees.
A doodlebug-like creature appears in Star Wars. Who knew? Here's more about this and other insects known as neuropteroids.
#Scistuchat: The hashtag that brings students and scientists together.
High school students blend science, art, and arthropods.
Clay, scrap materials, and a camera help kids learn about insect habitats and morphology.
Get the facts about mantids.
There's more to flies than meets the eye.
Recently we were sent a book on hoverflies to review. And it was epic.
You need a permit to keep walking sticks, but most teachers didn't get the memo.
Drop some knowledge about the insect order Hemiptera, just in time for a cicada revival.
During a recent trip to the east coast, we visited with Kristie's grandma, the first female air traffic controller at LaGuardia airport.
Last week, parts of the Middle East experienced something we've probably all heard of: a locust plague.
We may never make history, but each week we teach young women who could, particularly in the sciences.
A stylish home for our arthropod zoo in an old Ikea cabinet!
Beat the February blues and jumpstart the creative process by writing photo-inspired haikus!
We asked scientists from every discipline in entomology to describe the field in one word.
Being different isn't easy.
Kids + misunderstood animal + video camera & homemade props = AWESOME!
What better way to teach research, writing, and presentation skills than with a video production class?
Some genetic mutations are beautiful!
We wanted to thank all the readers of the Bug Chick's blog for a great year with a free digital coloring sheet of an armoured ground cricket!
A 24-hour species identification challenge in an Oregon city park shows citizen scientists the diversity of urban wildlife.
Many insects are pegged with an undeserved bad reputation. Earwigs are a great example.
What happens at a scientific conference?
During our visit to Costa Rica in March, we came across an arachnid with unexpected companions.
It’s always amazing to me that no matter the circumstance, no matter the place, kids want to talk bugs with us. All children, all over the world speak 'bug'.
The other day we caught a glimpse of an insect that's usually seen in the spring -- the mayfly! Check out this video to learn more about these short-lived insects.
What's that silver insect in your bathroom sink? A silverfish! Check out our video to learn about these ancient animals.
When a tarantula is sick and weak, what do you do? Stick it in the ICU!
'Tis the season! The kids are back in school and head lice are going to be on the forefront of parents' minds. It can be hard to find facts on these animals when internet searches provide myths, fear, and outdated remedies. But The Bug Chicks are here to teach about the insects themselves. Arm yourself with knowledge! (And a good nit comb.)
Cooler weather is on it's way, but we're not worried! We've planned some winter expeditions to find insects in the sea caves and glacial fields of Oregon.
For bug lovers, there are lots of cool events happening all over the country.
Learn about the yucca moth and the yucca plant and why pollinators are so important. In English and Spanish!
You’ve probably all seen silk webbing in the ridges of tree bark. It could be a spider’s web, or it could’ve been made by the elusive and shy insects called webspinners in the Order Embiidina.
A few weeks ago we showed you how to make a piece of insect collecting equipment called a beat sheet. In this post, we’re going to add pan traps and baited traps to your DIY collecting tools.
In this video, we teach about indirect sperm transfer behaviors of these arthropods, in a slightly different way than other entomologists. Our way involves costumes. And mustaches. Enjoy!
This podcast explores the tactile communication of ants and how they use touch to interact with their environment.
Aphids produde an alarm pheromone to defend themselves against predation.
Fleas can jump over 150 times their own body length. A house fly can beat its wings 200 times per second. How do these feats compare with those of other animals?
For Kristie, this spider is #1 on her "Top 5 Spiders To See Down Under" list. Sadly, she missed it last year while traveling in NSW but we thought we'd share this photo and take the opportunity to teach about some of the cool morphological features these spiders and their relatives have.
Cockroaches get a bad rap. Just the word makes people “ew” and “ugh”. Even though only 10% of species are pests of humans, we tend to associate all of them with filth. This video explores the biology, morphology and mythology surrounding these misunderstood animals.
For this podcast, world renowned architect Mick Pearce joins us from Zimbabwe to talk about the design of the Eastgate Center in Harare. There are no electrical AC units in the building – instead, Pearce used termite mound structure as inspiration for the ventilation system!
People always ask us how they can collect insects safely. Professional insect collecting equipment can be expensive, so we’ve decided to make a little DIY series about how to make your own insect collecting equipment on the cheap.
Call them what you want – stick insects, walking sticks or stick bugs – we call them masters of camouflage! Insects in the Order Phasmatodea look and behave like plants and hide from even the most intrepid entomologists. In this new video we created for Texas A&M University’s Department of Entomology, we take you through the morphology, biology and mythology of these fascinating creatures.
This video, created for a course called Insects and Human Society at Texas A&M University, explores the biology and morphology of dragonflies and examines them through the lens of cultural entomology. Also, we explain mating and courtship behaviors dressed up as giant dragonflies.
We paid tribute to one of the most famous scenes from Star Trek's The Wrath of Khan. Disclaimer: No earwigs (or Bug Chicks) were injured during the filming of this segment.
In this video, we explore the different ways that animals get around their environment. It's perfect as a lesson for kids in grades K-2 (and it corresponds with national curriculum standards!), but it's fun for "kids" of all ages!
Morphology is the study of the structure and function of an animal’s body. And sometimes, learning all the bits and pieces can get really intense! This video goes in-depth on bee morphology. We had a ton of fun creating larger-than-life body parts out of common household goods like hair combs, pipe cleaners, and toilet brushes!
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