Invertebrate Classification

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Invertebrate Classification

• An up-close look at several species of
  invertebrates near the Evans Branch of the Rouge
  River on the campus of Lawrence Tech

Presented by Catherine Charnawskas Margaret
Milligan BIO 6173 July 7, 2004
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Map of the Area
University Technology and Learning Center
General Area of the Evens Branch of the Rouge
River on the LTU campus
Rouge River Facts

• 126 River Miles composing 4
• branches the Main, Upper,
• Middle, and Lower.
• 50 of the watershed is urbanized
• while 25 is undeveloped.
• The Rouge River has a population
• of 1.5 million.
• Well known River system because
• of the amount of pollution.

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Evans Branch of the Rouge River
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Rotting Log
Ant Colony
Pill Bug Nest
Slug
Earthworm
Location of Invertebrate Specimens
Rotting log found on LTU campus off the Evans
Branch of the Rouge River
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Field Study Data
Date June 28th Time 1 pm Weather Conditions
Upper 60s/Low 70s (Fahrenheit), overcast, light
breeze
Description of the area Flood plain of the
Evans Branch of the Rouge River. Dense ground
cover, Maple and ash trees in area around river,
grasses in lower area with small bushes and trees
on the steep incline that is west of the river
area, the low lying area near the rotting log is
covered with litter both natural and man made,
obvious signs of vertebrate life include a
crayfish mound, white tail deer tracks, and
raccoon tracks. Description of the log The
log is a maple variety that appears to be a
recent addition to the forest floor. There is no
visible fungus growing on the lower region of the
log. All of the organisms collected came from
the southern end of the log (closest to the
river).
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The Pill Bug
Classification of the Pill Bug Kingdom
Animalia Phylum Arthropoda SubPhylum
Crustacea Class Malacostraca Order
Isopoda Family Armadillidiidae Genus
Armadillidium Species vulgare
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The Life of the Pill Bug

• What do Pill Bugs eat?
• Feed on humus and
• fungi.
• Pill Bugs are scavengers
• Pill Bugs are omnivores
• Will eat both plants
• and animals.
• Where can I find a Pill Bug?
• Pill Bugs have gills and are
• restricted to areas that
• are humid.
• Look under rocks, rotting
• logs, in litter, or in
• crevices.
• Length of Specimen 1.4 cm

• Interesting Pill Bug Info
• Females have pouches
• to hold developing eggs.
• Roll into a ball when
• threatened.
• Over a 100 species in
• N. America.
• Terrestrial Isopod cousin
• to crabs and lobsters.

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Feeling Slugish?
Classification of the Slug Kingdom
Animalia Phylum Mollusca Class
Gastropoda Order Systellommatophora Family
Limacidae Genus Species
Great Grey Slug
Common Garden Slug
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How to live like a Slug

• Where can I find a Slug?
• Need a moist or humid
• atmosphere so their body
• doesnt dry out.
• Look under rocks, rotting
• logs, in litter, or in
• crevices.

• What do Slugs eat?
• Feed on strawberries,
• tomatoes, and hostas.
• Prefer fresh growth of
• many types of plants.
• They are omnivores.
• Feed at night.

• Interesting Slug Info
• Are hermaphrodites and will
• mate with themselves if no
• other slugs are available.
• Can stretch up to 20X their
• original length.
• 40 species in N. America.
• Vinegar will remove the
• slime trail left by the slug.
• Length of Specimen 2.9cm

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Earthworms
Classification of the Earthworm Kingdom
Animalia Phylum Annelida Class
Oligochaeta Order Haplotaxida Family
Lumbricidae Genus Species
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The life of the Worm

• Where can I find a Earthworms?
• Can be found in both
• fresh and salt water.
• Look under rocks, rotting
• logs, in litter, or in
• crevices.

• Interesting Earthworm Info
• Are hermaphrodites and
• can not mate with themselves
• if no other earthworms
• are available.
• 2700 species in N. America.
• Valuable in soil by loosening soil for
• root growth and fertilization.
• Length of Specimen 6.2 cm

• What do Earthworms eat?
• Eats dirt. Will digest the
• plant and animal matter,
• expelling the rest.
• The waste produced helps
• to fertilize the soil.

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Feeling Antsy?
Classification of the Ant Kingdom
Animalia PhylumArthropoda Class Insecta Order
Hymenoptera Family Genus Species
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Its A Bugs Life

• What do Ants eat?
• Eats wood, plants, honeydew from aphids, and
  other insects.
• Ants leave a scent trail for others to follow to
  find food.
• Many herd aphids and scale insects like cattle.

• Interesting Ant Info
• The world ant population (lb for lb) outweighs
  the world human population 121
• 10,000 species in
• N. America.
• Only king and queen ants have wings during mating
  times in spring and summer. Once they mate they
  lose their wings (males die after mating).

• Where can I find an Ant?
• Any wooden structure.
• Will make their nests in wood that has been
  exposed to moisture.
• Colonies most commonly found in rotting logs,
  stumps,
• or adjacent soil.

Length of Specimen 0.4 cm
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Make your own Ant Farm

• Materials Need
• 1 gallon jar
• 1 quart jar w/ lid
• Clean playground sand
• Spray bottle
• Distilled water
• 3 plastic soda bottle caps
• 4 to 6 cotton balls
• Chopped crickets or mealworms
• Honey
• Grass seed
• Newspaper or Construction paper
• Tape
• Cheesecloth or pantyhose
• Heavy-duty rubber band
• 50 to 75 Ants

Cant find enough ants? Check out Carolina
Biological Supply for materials.
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Make your own Ant Farm (cont)

1. Fill 1 gallon jar with sand.
2. Soak cotton balls in honey. Place cotton balls
   throughout the sand.
3. Place bottle caps upside down in the sand. Press
   down until the top is level with the sand. This
   makes a natural bowl for food.
4. Place chopped mealworms, grass seed, and water in
   separate caps.
5. Decorate outside of jar as desired with
   construction paper and tape.
6. Find ants (or buy ants) and add to the jar.
   Additional ants can be stored in the quart jar.
7. Place cheesecloth or pantyhose over the top of
   the jar and secure with rubber band.

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Invertebrate Info Online

• Earthworm Dissection
• http//sps.k12.ar.us/massengale/earthworm_dissecti
  on.htm
• Collecting Data with Pill Bugs
• http//www.glencoe.com/sec/science/biology/bscs/ww
  wlinks/biolabpro.shtml
• Carolina Biological Supply Pill Bug Kit
• https//www2.carolina.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servle
  t/ProductDisplay?jdeAddressIdcatalogId10101sto
  reId10151productId41204langId-1
• Enchanted Learning Animal Diagrams
• http//www.enchantedlearning.com/coloring/
• Slug Lesson Plans (Elementary)
• http//www.auburn.wednet.edu/homepages/ilalko/Slug
  Les1.htmtop
• The Amazing Ant
• http//www.wgby.org/edu/lessonplans/ntti/1999/amaz
  ingant.html

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Text References

• Borror, Donald and Richard White. Insects
  Peterson Field Guides, Boston, MA Houghton
  Mifflin Company, 1970. pages 318-319
• Brusca, Richard and Gary Brusca. Invertebrates,
  Sunderland, MA Sinauer Publishers, 1990. page
  700
• Cottam, Clarence and Herbert Zim. Insects A
  guide to familiar American insects., New York,
  NY Golden Press, 1956. pages 138-140
• Evans, Arthur. Ants Theres Strength in
  Numbers Reptiles Magazine, March 2004 Volume
  12, Number 3. pages 58-61
• Levi and Levi. Spiders and Their Kin, New York,
  NY Golden Press, 1990. pages 152-153

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Internet References
Col, Jeananda Enchanted Learning Animal
Coloring Enchanted Learning 1997. 30 June 2004.
http//www.enchantedlearning.com/coloring/ Day,
Eric. Carpenter Ant Insect Identification
Laboratory, Virginia Tech June 1999. 30 June
2004. http//www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology
/factsheets/carpants.html Unknown. Earthworm
30 June 2004. http//www.mcwdn.org/Animals/Earthwo
rms.html Unknown. Isopod, Pillbug, Sowbug
Information Center for Insect Education
Outreach, The University of Arizona 1997. 30
June 2004. http//insected.arizona.edu/isoinfo.htm
Unkown. Sex and the Garden Slug Infrequently
Asked Questions. 30 June 2004
http//ifaq.wap.org/sex/sexandgardenslug.html