Unit 3 FNR 240

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Insect class

Insecta

Insect phylum

Arthropoda

Insect body segments

Head, thorax, abdomen

Number of insect legs

Six legs (three pairs)

Adult insect wings

Usually two pairs

Coleoptera

Beetles

Lepidoptera

Butterflies and moths

Diptera

True flies

Hymenoptera

Bees, wasps, ants

Hemiptera

True bugs

Importance of insects

Pollination, decomposition, food webs

Primary food for terrestrial birds

Insects

Primary insect food for bird chicks

Caterpillars

Percent of birds needing insects to raise young

About 96%

Percent of flowering plants dependent on pollinators

About 80%

Insect Armageddon

Widespread global insect decline

Insect biomass decline

Over 75% decline in some regions

Major insect threats

Habitat loss, climate change, pesticides, invasives, disease

Why specialist insects decline faster

They rely on specific host plants

Best homeowner action for insects

Reduce lawn size

Why lawns are ecological deserts

Low biodiversity and food resources

Best native trees for insects

Oaks and willows

Nocturnal migrants

Songbirds (passerines)

Why birds migrate at night

Cooler air, less predation, calmer winds

Radar used to study migration

NEXRAD weather radar

What radar detects in migration

Density, direction, timing of birds

Migration pulses

Most birds move on few nights

Percent of migration on 10% of nights

About 54%

Nocturnal flight calls

Short calls made during night migration

Purpose of flight calls

Orientation and cohesion

How flight calls are studied

Acoustic monitoring

Night navigation cues

Stars, magnetic field, polarized light

Phototaxis

Attraction to artificial light

Why light pollution is dangerous

Disorients birds and causes collisions

Best conservation action during migration

Turn off unnecessary lights at night

Critical migration seasons

Spring and fall

Aeroconservation

Protection of wildlife in aerial habitats

Near-term ecological forecasting

Predicting movement to guide conservation

Dynamic conservation strategy

Action only on high-migration nights

Fixed window strategy

Action during historical time periods

Which strategy is more efficient

Dynamic forecasting

Major threats to migrating birds

Buildings, light pollution, wind turbines

Why forecasting reduces mortality

Targets action when birds are present

Reptiles are

Ectothermic vertebrates with scales

Why reptiles digest slowly

Ectothermy and lack of chewing

Cranial kinesis

Independent movement of skull bones

Why snakes evolved cranial kinesis

To consume large prey

Venom definition

Modified saliva

Venom functions

Immobilize prey and begin digestion

Types of venom

Neurotoxins, hemotoxins, cytotoxins

Heat-sensing pit organs

Detect infrared radiation

Pit organ species

Pit vipers and some boas and pythons

Number of fish species

Over 32,000

Percent of vertebrates that are fish

Over 50%

Common fish traits

Gills, fins, backbone, no digits

Agnatha

Jawless fishes

Examples of Agnatha

Hagfish and lampreys

Chondrichthyes

Cartilaginous fishes

Examples of Chondrichthyes

Sharks, rays, skates

Placoid scales

Tooth-like shark scales

Why sharks must keep moving

No swim bladder

Osteichthyes

Bony fishes

Actinopterygii

Ray-finned fishes

Sarcopterygii

Lobe-finned fishes

Importance of Sarcopterygians

Ancestors of tetrapods

Anadromous fish

Live in ocean, breed in freshwater

Example of anadromous fish

Salmon

Catadromous fish

Live in freshwater, breed in ocean

Example of catadromous fish

Eels

Lateral line function

Detects movement and pressure

Swim bladder function

Maintains neutral buoyancy

American Robin

Gray-brown bird with red breast

Northern Cardinal

Red bird with crest and thick bill

Blue Jay

Blue bird with crest and loud calls

American Goldfinch

Small yellow finch with black wings

Red-tailed Hawk

Large hawk with red tail

Mourning Dove

Slim gray bird with long pointed tail

Downy Woodpecker

Small black-and-white woodpecker

Red-winged Blackbird

Black bird with red shoulder patches