Download Intro to Invertebrates training day guide here

Introduction to Invertebrates Workshop
Suzanne Bairner
www.buglife.org.uk @buzz_dont_tweet
Who is Buglife?
The only organisation in Europe concerned with the conservation of ALL
invertebrates.
AIM: To halt invertebrate extinctions and achieve sustainable populations of invertebrates in the UK.
We will accomplish our aim by protecting, improving and expanding their habitats (homes) and strengthening the respect given to bug species. We will achieve this by:‐
•Mobilising and inspiring action by others through the development and dissemination of knowledge and values.
•Undertaking practical conservation projects.
•Promoting the value of invertebrates and raising awareness about the challenges to their survival.
•Shaping the development of relevant legislation and policy.
What are Invertebrates?
• Everything without a backbone.
• Estimated global number ‐over 10 million species!!
• Over 40,000 invertebrate species in the UK.
UK examples:
• Beetles (~4,200 species) • Flies (~7,000) • Dragonflies (42)
• Spiders (660)
• Woodlice (37)
• Centipedes (44) and millipedes (~60)
• Marine invertebrates (crabs, sea‐squirts, starfish, jellyfish, anemones and many others (>1,500)
Ecosystem Services
Humans depend on invertebrates for many FREE essential services:
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Pollination
Soil management Nutrient cycling
Waste management
Control of pest species
Food for us and other animals
Insects
Abdomen
Head
Thorax
6 legs
Holometabolism
(complete) Metamorphosis
Complete Metamorphism Orders
• Coleoptera: Beetles (Coleo‐ sheath, ptera‐ wings)
• Hymenoptera: Ants, bees, wasps and sawflies (Hymen‐
membranous, ptera‐ wings)
• Diptera: True flies (Di‐ two, ptera‐ wings) • Lepidoptera: Butterflies & Moths (Lepido‐ scale, ptera‐ wing)
• Mecoptera: Scorpion flies (Meco‐ long, ptera‐ wing)
• Neuoptera: Lacewings (Neuro‐ veined, ptera‐ wing)
Beetles (Order Coleoptera)
• Over 4,000 species in UK in terrestrial and aquatic habitats.
• Modified forewings known as elytra that are hardened with chitin; hind wings (if present) used for flight. • Biting mouthparts.
• 6‐11 segmented antennae.
Long horn beetle
Ladybird
Leaf beetle
Ground beetle
Rove beetle
Click beetle
Soldier beetle
Diving beetle
Bees, wasps and ants (Order Hymenoptera)
About 7,000 species in UK.
Includes social and solitary species.
Very important pollinators.
Many species are parasitoids of other insects.
• Two pairs of wings and not all sting!
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No wasp waist
Sawfly
Bees, wasps and ants
Sawfly larvae
Bumblebee larvae
Wasp waist
Gall wasp
Sawfly
Parasitoid wasp
Social wasp
Ant
Bumblebee
Ruby tailed wasp
Solitary wasp
Solitary bee
True flies (Diptera)
• Over 7,000 species.
• Have one pair of wings; second pair have evolved into balancing organs (halteres).
• Larger eyes and most have shorter antennae than bees.
• Many are important pollinators but includes many pest species.
Marmalade hoverfly
Moustache bars on abdomen
Halteres
Butterflies and moths(Order Lepidoptera)
There are about 2,500 species in Britain. Only 59 are butterflies.
Caterpillar larvae feed on plants; many are species specific.
Adults generally drink nectar (although some species don’t feed as adults).
• Light‐trapping can be used to lure in night‐flying moth species.
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Hemimetabolism
(incomplete) Metamorphosis
Incomplete Metamorphism Orders
• Orthoptera: Grasshoppers and Crickets(Ortho‐ straight, ptera‐
wing)
• Hemiptera: True bugs (Hemi‐ half, ptera‐ wing)
• Dermaptera: Earwigs (Derma‐ skin, ptera‐ wing)
• Odonata: Dragonflies & Damselflies (Odontos‐ tooth) • Ephemeroptera: Mayfly (Ephemero‐ short lived, ptera‐ wing)
Grasshoppers and Crickets (Order Orthoptera)
Crickets: Long, thin antenna
House cricket
Bush cricket
Grasshoppers: Short antenna
Ground hopper
Common green grasshopper
True bugs (Hemiptera)
• Nearly 2,000 species in UK.
• Includes‐ shield bugs, aphids, water boatman, froghoppers, damsel bugs.
• Mandibles modified into a rostrum for piercing food and sucking up fluid.
• May be predatory or herbivores.
• Forewings are partially hardened and don’t align in the middle.
Partially thickened forewing
Rostrum
Wings don’t meet in centre
Scale insect
Grass bug
New forest cicada
Hairy shieldbug
Dock bug
Aphids
Froghopper
Water scorpion
Water boatman
Dragonflies and Damselflies (Order Odonata)
• 42 resident species in the UK, several others are vagrants.
• Dragonfly‐ wings held outstretched at rest, eyes always meet.
• Damselfly‐ wings held along length of abdomen at rest, eyes never meet.
Other invertebrates to look out for…
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Arachnids‐ Spiders, Harvestman, Mites, Pseudoscorpions
Crustaceans‐ Woodlice, Freshwater shrimps
Myriapods‐ Centipedes and Millipedes
Molluscs‐ Snails and Slugs
Worms
Leeches
Spiders (Order Araneae)
• About 660 species of spider in Britain.
• Only a few can be identified in the field.
• Have 2 main body parts and 8 legs unlike Harvestman (Order Opiliones) with one main body part and 8 legs. Abdomen
Cephalothorax
Garden cross spider
One body part
Horned harvestman
Spider Anatomy
Spiders Anatomy
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Roberts 1995
Spider Anatomy
Spiders Anatomy
♂
© Bernhard
A. Huber
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♀
© Arno Grabolle
Roberts 1995
Collecting Invertebrates
• Don’t need much to begin with.
• Butterfly net, pots, pooter, hand lens....
Sampling Terrestrial Habitats
• Moth traps
• Pitfall traps
• Sweep nets
• Bumblebee or butterfly transects
• Beating traps…
Moth Traps
Light
Traps
© Craig Macadam
Moth Traps
Not only moths….
Chafers (Serica brunnea)
Craneflies
Carrion beetles (Nicrophorus investigator)
Caddisflies
Wasps
Pitfall Traps
Can be lethal or non‐lethal!
© Craig Macadam
What to expect in a pitfall trap
Ground beetles
Common blackclock (Pterostichus madidus)
Wolf spiders
Violet ground beetle (Carabus problematicus)
Horned harvestman (Phalangium opilio)
Beating Trays
© David Pryce
Things to expect
Seed bugs
Leaf beetle
Ladybird
Spiders
Leafhopper
Caterpillars
Sweep Net/Butterfly Net
© David Pryce
Not just butterflies….
6 spot burnet (Zygaena fillipendulae)
Froghopper
Common blue damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
Small copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
Green veined white (Pieris napi)
Also…..
Bumblebees
Solitary bees Hoverflies
Bugvac
Malaise Trap
Aquatic Sampling Techniques
• Kick Sampling
• Water sweeping
• Dredging
Kick Sampling‐ Rivers
© Craig Macadam
Invertebrate Nymphs
Alderfly
Mayfly
Caddisfly
Stonefly
Look out for the adults too…
Mayfly
Alderfly
Caddisfly
Stonefly
Water Sweeping‐ Pond/Vegetation
© Craig Macadam
Things to look out for
Dragonfly nymph
Whirligig beetle
Damselfly nymph
Water hoglouse
Ramshorn snail
Invertebrate Surveys
• How many visits?
• General guide ‐ monthly visits between May and September for most things
• Specialist visits may be needed e.g. Craneflies‐ May and October as minimum, Spiders‐ early spring and September.
• Ponds
‐ April/May and September/October
‐ Adult Dragonflies: June/July
Identifying invertebrates
• Field Study Council fold out guides‐ a great way to start identifying some commonly seen species e.g. butterflies, day flying moths, harvestman, bees, shield bugs etc.
• Plenty of books and free id guides online (although some are very old and require a microscope). See handout.
Importance of recording
• Send in your records to Environmental Records Information Centre (ERIC) North East (www.nwt.org.uk/eric‐north‐east)
• If looking for confirmation about species identification try iRecord: www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/ or Wild about Britain: www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ or iSpot
http://www.ispotnature.org/
• Add your data to support research and decision making at local and national levels.
• Everyone can contribute to science and conservation!
• Recording schemes can help (see handout)!
• Very important to send in records even if just casually recording!
Any Questions?
Insect anatomy
Wings
Ocelli
Thorax
Compound
eye
Antenna
Abdomen
Head
Coxa
Femur
Tibia
Tarsus
Diagrams adapted from Chinery, M. Insects of Britain and Northern Europe
Lamellate
Plumose
Aristate
Filiform
Moniliform
Legs
Antennae
Elbowed
Mole Cricket
(digging)
Ground Beetle
(running)
Water Scorpion
(grasping)
Bush-cricket
(jumping)
Diagrams adapted from Chinery, M. Insects of Britain and Northern Europe
Head
compound eye
‘ocellus’
antennal socket
frons
gena
clypeus
labrum
labial palps
mandible
labrum
maxillary palps
Mouthparts
Chewing mouthparts
(beetles and others)
Diagrams adapted from Chinery, M. Insects of Britain and Northern Europe
Mouthparts
house-fly
butterfly
bug
Diagrams adapted from Chinery, M. Insects of Britain and Northern Europe
Wing Venation
Diagrams adapted from Chinery, M. Insects of Britain and Northern Europe
Any Questions?
www.buglife.org.uk Tel: 01786 446504 @buzz_dont_tweet
Buglife is a registered charity at Bug House, Ham Lane, Orton Waterville, Peterborough, PE2 5UU
Registered Charity No: 1092293, Scottish Charity No: SC040004, Company No: 4132695