More Insect Life Cycles

Previous post: Life Cycle of the House Fly

Okay, now that I've started looking into this, there are lots of great resources out there! Here are a few more insects I've found info on.

Complete Metamorphosis:

Green Bottle Fly
this fly is one of the causes of flystrike in rabbits

Mosquito Life Cycle
American Mosquito Control Association

Ant Life Cycle (PDF)
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
this is strictly a coloring page... no info

Dr. Eleanor's Book of Common Ants (PDF)
142 pages, completely free, with full color photos

All About Fireflies (PDF)
Cornell University's Naturalist Outreach

Ladybug Life Cycle (PDF)
Home Science Tools
color, cut, paste

Paper Wasp Life Cycle
NBC Environment

Antlions in the Classroom (PDF)
University of Florida Extension

Antlion Life Cycle (JPG)
UnderdoneComics.com

Dung Beetle (PDF)
Rosamond Gifford Zoo

Dung Beetle Books
A fascinating animal, this beetle makes it into lots of books! Here are a few:

A Beetle is Shy
by Dianna Hutts Aston

Time to Eat
by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page


The Beetle Book
by Steve Jenkins


I See a Kookaburra! Discovering Animal Habitats Around the World
by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page

Gradual / Simple / Incomplete Metamorphosis:

Life Cycle of the Praying Mantis (PDF)
Missouri Botanical Garden

Praying Mantis (PDF)
Oregon State Extension

Life Cycle of the Dragonfly (PDF)
Penn State University

Cicada Metamorphosis video

Return of the Cicadas video
just beautiful! skip between 3:40 and 4:30 if your child is sensitive to the animal in the documentary being eaten, since it does show a few instances

Periodical Cicadas (PDF)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
very interesting map

Life Cycle Tops

Years ago, Hearthsong or Magic Cabin sold a set of three wooden flipover tops that had the egg and larval stage of insects on them and when you spun them they flipped over to show the adult. Magical! I still have two of mine. They don't seem to be made anymore, and I'm so sad. If anyone knows a woodworker who would like to bring this product back, let me know!

It's also worth noting that in Flying Frogs and Walking Fish: Leaping Lemurs, Tumbling Toads, Jet-Propelled Jellyfish, and More Surprising Ways That Animals Move, Steve Jenkins and Robin Page specifically include two larvae (without showing the adult form). The tiger beetle larva and the dragonfly larva. Just discovered that there is also a harvest mite larva in Living Color.

UPDATE: Caddisfly larvae are featured in We Build Our Homes: Small Stories of Incredible Animal Architects by Laura Knowles. And there are lots of larvae in the newest book by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, Tiny Monsters: The Strange Creatures That Live On Us, In Us, and Around Us: pine processionary moth caterpillar, mealworm (larva of darkling beetle), water tiger (larva of great diving beetle), and maggot (larva of bluebottle fly).

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