Insect Life Cycle - Springfield Public Schools

Insect Life CycleA Reading A–Z Level L Leveled BookWord Count: 607Written by Chuck GarofanoVisit www.readinga-z.comfor thousands of books and materials.www.readinga-z.com

Photo Credits:Front cover, back cover, pages 3, 4, 7, 13, 15 (top): Brand X Pictures;title page, page 11: Kenneth Keifer/123RF; page 5: Eric Isselée/Dreamstime.com; page 6: Mike Abbey/Visuals Unlimited, Inc.;page 8: Richard Williams/123RF; page 9: Oxford Scientific/Peter Arnold;page 10: Anthony Bannister/Gallo Images/Corbis; page 12: DennisJohnson; Papillo/Corbis; page 14: 123RF; page 15 (bottom): ArtTodayWritten by Chuck GarofanoInsect Life CycleLevel L Leveled Book Learning A–ZWritten by Chuck GarofanoAll rights lationLEVEL LFountas & PinnellReading RecoveryDRAK1820

Table of ContentsFlower beetleIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4What Are Insects? . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Egg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Larva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10LadybugPupa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Tropical antAdult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Nymph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16IntroductionWhen you were born, your bodywas shaped a lot like it is now.It was smaller, of course, but youhad a head, legs, arms, and a torso.When you grow up, your bodyshape will be about the same.But some baby animals look nothinglike the adults they will become.Insect Life Cycle Level L34

These animals have a different kindof life cycle. A life cycle is the seriesof changes an animal goes throughduring its life. Insects havefascinating life cycles. Some insectshave a four-stage life cycle. Theinsect lives as an egg, larva (LARvuh), pupa (PYOO-puh), and anadult. Others have a three-stage lifecycle. The insect is born as an egg,hatches as a nymph (NIMF), andchanges into an adult.What Are Insects?There are more than 800,000different kinds of insects. Theyinclude butterflies and beetles, fleasand flies, crickets and chiggers.Although they come in almost everyshape, most insects have a fewthings in common.FleaWalking stickInsect Life Cycle Level L56

Blue waspMoth eggs on a leafEggBeetleAll insects have six legs. Their bodiesare divided into three parts. Mostinsects have wings and can fly. Mostinsects also wear their skeletonsoutside their bodies as hard shells.And all insects begin as eggs.Insect Life Cycle Level L7You can find insect eggs everywhere,if you know where to look. Mostinsects lay their eggs near the foodthey like to eat. Moths and butterflieslay eggs underneath leaves. Dungbeetles lay eggs in balls of animalpoop. Many flies lay eggs on meat.Some insects even lay eggs on otheranimals.8

Many insects make special cases toprotect their eggs. One insect putsfoam around its eggs. You may haveseen this “cuckoo spit” in tall grass.Many insects lay eggs in pools,ponds, or streams. Others lay theireggs underground. Rarely, a femaleinsect keeps the eggs inside herbody. The eggs hatch, and the youngare born alive.A femalefruit flylaying eggsInsect Life Cycle Level L9LarvaMost eggs hatch into a worm-likestage called a larva. Caterpillars,grubs, and maggots are larvae(LAR-vee). They have long bodiesand many legs. Almost all larvaeare eating machines. A larva caneat more than its own body weightin one day.Newly hatched moth larvae on a leaf10

PupaOnce the larva has grown, it musttotally change its shape. And itmust protect itself while it does so.Many larvae spin cocoons out ofsilk or grow hard shells. The pupadoes not eat and does not movemuch. But inside, the insect is verybusy changing shape. This changeis called metamorphosis (MET-ahMORF-oh-sis).Larva of a black swallowtail butterflyMany larvae can destroy crops.Some larvae suck sap from croproots. Others devour the leaves.Others eat fruits or vegetables.Beetle larvae can weaken and killtrees. Some moth larvae eat woolclothing. On the other hand, thesilkworm, a moth larva, makessilk thread.Insect Life Cycle Level LPupa of a black swallowtail butterfly1112

AdultAfter the metamorphosis iscomplete, the pupa hatches as anadult. The adult insect has wings,six legs, and three body parts.Many larvae thatlived in water willhatch into adults thatlive on land. Larvaethat lived undergroundwill hatch abovethe soil.Comet mothA stink bug nymphAdult insects will findmates, and the females will lay eggs.Sometimes, this is all the adults do.Mayfly adults live for only one day.Most other insects have longer adultlives. They eat, fly, hunt, and work.Insect Life Cycle Level L13NymphIn the three-stage life cycle, eggs donot hatch as larvae. They hatch asnymphs, which look like small adults.Some nymphs do not have fullwings. Others, such as the dragonflynymph, may live underwater.14

Nymphs do not turn into pupae.Instead, they shed their skin as theygrow. Each time they shed theirskin, they look more like an adult.Slowly, the nymph transforms intoan adult.Indexadult, 4, 5, 13–15cocoon, 12egg, 5, 7–10, 13, 14four-stage life cycle, 5larva, 5, 10–14life cycle, 5metamorphosis, 12, 13nymph, 5, 14, 15Adult dragonflypupa, 5, 12, 13, 15three-stage life cycle, 5, 14Shed skin from a dragonfly nymphInsect Life Cycle Level L1516

Insect Life Cycle Level L 5 6 These animals have a different kind of life cycle. A life cycle is the series of changes an animal goes through during its life. Insects have fascinating life cycles. Some insects have a four-stage life cycle. The insect lives as an egg, larva (LAR-vuh), pupa (PYOO-puh), and an adult. Others have a three-stage life