DOT Magazine Volume 22 / insects

Dragonflies Found by rivers or ponds, dragonflies have four wings. They have huge eyes that help them to be excellent hunters. Moths Moths travel long distances using the Moon to help them find their way. Mosquitoes Mosquitoes can carry deadly diseases, but they are also a bird’s favourite dinner. Butterflies Butterflies taste with their feet. If one lands on you, it means they are checking whether you could be a tasty dinner! Wasps Wasps are a gardener’s best friends, as they like to eat lots of pests, such as cockroaches. Ladybirds Ladybirds have four pairs of wings. The two with dots on them are used to warn off any predators. The other two underneath are for flying.…

Cicadas Cicadas are well-known for their buzzing sounds, which the males make to attract ladies. Ants Ants are small but strong. If you were an ant, you could lift a whole car by yourself! Millipedes Millipedes can grow up to 200 feet, which makes them nature’s most ticklish insects! Grasshoppers Grasshoppers travel in many different ways; they can crawl, hop and even fly! Termites Termites live together in huge colonies that look like mini-mountains. They build them day and night, as they never sleep. Beetles Dung beetles love to munch on other animals’ poop. They turn it into a ball and roll it in their underground nests.…

Insects live everywhere. Spot some by lifting a large stone or by looking inside the cracks of a tree bark. Insects are delicate. Handle them gently and always put them back once you have studied them. Insects can be busy. Ants and bees have a lot of work to do, so observe them but do not disturb them. Insects are here all year round. You can spot bugs during the Winter or in the Summer. Insects love a good dinner. You can help insects to feed by leaving bread crumbs or dead wood in a pile outdoors. Insects help our planet. It is good to love them as much as we love our friends because they make our planet a happy place to live in.…

Happy had decided that today was a good day to go dancing! Happy was full of energy. Grumpy was getting tired just watching Happy. Happy was in a good mood. Grumpy, not so much. Happy was excited because dancing is a lot of fun. Grumpy wasn’t sure. Happy was determined to get Grumpy involved. Grumpy was having vertigo up there. Happy was growing more confident with his moves. Grumpy had no idea Happy could dance so well. Happy was unstoppable. Grumpy was wondering when this lesson would be over. Happy knew exactly how to wake Grumpy up: ice cream time!…

herbs coriander Coriander is also known as cilantro. It is delicious in salads, stews or curries. It is one of the oldest herbs ever grown. Its seeds are delicious. parsley Parsley comes either with flat or curly leaves. It goes well sprinkled over a potato salad. It grows best during the Spring. It was used in Ancient Greece to make crowns. basil Basil goes well with tomatoes. It needs lots of sun to grow. It is found on pizzas. It is believed to help with insects bites. chives Chives belong to the same family as garlic. They grow to 30cm, which is longer than your arm. They go well with soft cheese. Their flowers are edible too.…

…a ladybird salad You will need: 1 tomato salt 1 black olive Teeny tiny cubes of cheddar cheese A few cooked brown lentils 1 lettuce leaf A teaspoon of olive oil First, start with the body by cutting a tomato in half lengthways. Place the half on a lettuce leaf. Add 4 or 5 lentils on top of it to make the dots. Take the black olive, cut it in half and place it at the top of the ‘body’ to turn it into a head. For the eyes, cut the cheese into two teeny, tiny bits of cubes and place them on the ‘head’. Drizzle the ladybird with the olive oil. Now … eat! why not… make a giant ladybird salad with a big tomato for the body and a cherry tomato for the head? replace the lentils with sesame seeds? have the ladybird sit on a slice…