Essig Museum Field Trip:
Raphael Mazor
Purpose:
To show students how museum specimens can help researchers. To practice observation and recording
skills (both verbal and illustrative). To reinforce insect identification and classification skills. To learn
about mimicry. To learn about invasive species.
Concepts:
Life is diverse.
Biodiversity differs through time and space.
Local biodiversity is altered by the geographic movement of organisms.
Biodiversity is connected to abiotic and biotic conditions/phenomena.
The process of science allows us to explain and make predictions about the natural world.
Scientists categorize organisms.
Scientists measure the variation within a species.
Human activity has and continues to influence local and global biodiversity.
Skills:
Follow written instructions.
Read and comprehend directions
Work alone or in groups.
Make predictions/hypotheses.
Make observations.
Classify and identify things.
Identify and recognize: Insect groups, insect parts.
Describe and record observations.
Draw careful, detailed pictures of organisms.
Activity:
All but one of these trays (tray 1) are part of the Essig Museum’s permanent display collection (aka,
the “wow” boxes). The trays are not permanently labeled (although perhaps something can be arranged
to get permanent labels). Students form small groups and answer the questions for each tray. Tray 1 is
the most time consuming, although students should be able to complete all questions within an hour.
Tray 1 contains representatives of Agraulius vanillae in California; there is one representative of each
decade and each county in California. Although all specimens labels are legible, addition of larger
labels may facilitate this exercise.
Questions for Tray 3 focus only on Cerambycidae. To help students focus, consider
blocking non-cerambycid beetles with a piece of paper over the glass.
Essig Museum of Entomology, UC Berkeley
Name: _____________________________
BOX #1 - BEETLES
Beetles are among the largest and most species-rich insects in the world. Two families of beetles, the
Scarabaeidae and the Cerambycidae are top contenders. Beetles are also found across the globe.
1) Name 4 continents that are represented in this box.
Both families are very diverse, but there are some simple characteristics that can be used to distinguish
them from each other.
2) What characters or traits are best to use to tell the difference between these two families? Draw
these characters and explain why they might have evolved these traits.
BOX #2 - MIMICRY
Several insects often have conspicuous warning colors to alert predators of the threat of a toxin, stinger
or bite. Other insects have evolved to take advantage of this by using the same warning coloration, but
they don’t have poisons or stingers to defend themselves. They rely on false advertisement and
deception to protect them. These imitators are called mimics, and this type of mimicry is called
Batesian mimicry. (In contrast, Mullerian mimics have similar warning coloration, but they back it up
with an arsenal of poisons).
This tray is full of examples of Batesian mimicry. Examine the Euglossa bee (Hymenoptera) and the
Asilidae robber fly (Diptera) at the bottom center of the tray.
List three ways in which the fly’s appearance mimics the bee.
1.
2.
3.
List two characters that let you know that the mimic is a fly, not a bee:
1.
2.
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BOX #3 - MOTHS
Many people mistakenly believe that the difference between butterflies and moths is that butterflies are
brightly colored, while moths are drab. This box proves that moths can be among the most colorful
insects around!
Moths and butterflies make up the order Lepidoptera. The moth on the top right of the box (Urania sp.)
looks very much like a swallowtail butterfly. Like butterflies, it is brightly colored, has simple
antennae, and flies around during the day. In contrast the polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus,
top left of the tray) is mostly brown, has very elaborate antennae, and flies at night.
1) Draw the polyphemus antennae below:
2) Why do night-flying moths have such complex and large antennae?
3) Why are these types of antennae less common among day-flying moths?
4) Moths are masterful mimics. They immitate aggressive or distasteful animals to deter predators.
Write down if the specimen has warning coloration, camouflage, or mimicry (and what it might be
mimicking) for each of the labeled specimens in this box:
B. ________________________
C. ________________________
D. ________________________
E. ________________________
F. ________________________
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BOX #4 - USING MUSEUM SPECIMENS
Agraulius vanillae, the Gulf Fritillary, is native to U.S. states bordering the Gulf of Mexico (i.e.
Lousiana, Mississippi etc.). In recent years, it has invaded California. The Essig Museum has some of
the earliest records of this species in California.
1a) What year is the oldest record you can find in this box? ___________
1b) What county is it from? ________________________________
2a) What year is the newest record you can find in this box? ___________
2b) What county is it from? ________________________________
Museum specimens are often very helpful for creating range maps. We can use these specimens to
create a range map for A. vanillae.
3a) On the back of this page, shade in the counties where this species has been found in California and
list the years it was found next to each county.
3b) Do you think the A. vanillae first arrived in northern or southern California? Why?
4a) Which 2 counties were the most specimens collected in?
4b) List possible 2 reasons why they might have been collected in these 2 counties.
5a) Why is it important to have specimens pinned or preserved in different positions?
5b) What feature of A. vanillae is revealed from the specimens displayed on their side?
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Range map of
Agraulius vanillae
in California
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BOX #5 - POLYMORPHISM
There is enormous diversity of species within the insects. However, there is also a lot of diversity
WITHIN a species. Variation within a species is called polymorphism, and the traits that vary within a
species are called polymorphic.
Some of the boxes in this tray contain many specimens of a single species.
Which species is polymorphic for color? ____________________________
Describe the different colors you see in this box:
Which species is polymorphic for shape? ____________________________
Describe the different shapes you see (use pictures if necessary):
Why are these traits polymorphic? Are some variants better adapted to different situations than others?
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