Welcome To Glenn's Microscopic World

Black Ant BLACK ANTThere are about a kazillion ants in the world! There are over 40 species just in Hawaii. There are ants in all kinds of habitats; some are scavengers, some are carnivorous (eat other animals), some eat only plants, and some are omnivorous (eat just about anything). The ones in your kitchen may be looking for sugar, for fats, or for meat. Or maybe just water. Most ants have well-developed jaws and can bite when disturbed. Ants live in colonies, which may include as few as a dozen or many thousands of members. You may see ants following one another in trails. Ants can leave a chemical signal on most surfaces that other ants can follow by chemoreception (smelling), using the tiny hairs on their heads and feet.

House Fly HOUSE FLYThis is a house fly, Musca domestica. The mouthparts of the fly (the proboscis) are complex structures specially adapted for sucking up fluids.

Honey Bee HONEY BEEHoney bees (Apis mellifera) are important as pollinators of many flowering plants and are thus important for many kinds of crops. They also provide us with honey and beeswax. Honey bees collect nectar and pollen as food for their colonies, and pollinate plants as a consequence of their activities. Nectar is stored in the bees special "honey stomach", which is in front of their true stomach. The nectar is passed from worker to worker bee, water is lost, and it changes to honey. It is then stored in cells in the hive and fanned by the bees so that is evaporates further and becomes thicker, then it is sealed in with a wax cap. I used to keep bees, and to harvest the honey I cut the caps off the honeycomb and let the honey drip out. The empty honeycomb can then be returned to the beehive to be filled again. Bees use several senses to locate nectar, find their hive again, and communicate with each other, and they are capable of learning.

Hawaiian Fruit Fly FRUIT FLYTwo families of flies are called fruit flies; larger flies with colorful wing patterns, and the smaller vinegar flies in the family Drosophilidae, which are those used in genetic studies. Flies usually have large compound eyes, which help them to see well and in many directions at once. If you have ever tried to sneak up on a fly, you know how well this sense works!

Mosquito MOSQUITOThink there are a lot of mosquitoes in your neighborhood? There are 3450 species of mosquitoes! They can live just about anywhere in the world, from the tropics to the Arctic, from mines below sea level to elevations of 5500 meters (about three miles high). They are pests, not only because they have that annoying whine and bite on still summer evenings, but because they transmit various diseases. Some of the nasty diseases they carry are malaria, yellow fever, dengue, filariasis, and encephalitis.

Bedbug BEDBUGIf you don't keep your house clean, one of the insects that would like to move in is the bed bug! They would like to hang out on your bed and bite you at night while you sleep. They are true "bugs", about 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch long. They have tiny eyes and no wings. They have a proboscis (kind of a long beak) that they keep folded under until they are ready to swing it forward to puncture your skin. They spit an anticoagulant into you to keep your fluids from coagulating, and then they suck your blood. YUCK!

CatFlea FLEAFleas are wingless insects that are found all over the world as parasites of warm-blooded animals. They are flattened from side-to-side, have claws on their feet, and have powerful jumping hind legs, making them ideal for escaping through hair and fur. Fleas can jump up to 150 times their own body length! Fleas eat by piercing the skin with their mouthparts and sucking blood. They have been known to be carriers of diseases such as typhus and bubonic plague. Some pets and humans are allergic to fleas. Fleas are attracted by certain skin secretions and carbon dioxide, so some people are more attractive to fleas than others! Here in Hawaii the most common flea is the cat flea -- even on dogs! This image of a flea shows the eye (red), antenna (green), genal comb (looks like a moustache), and palps (sticking forward off the front). The Hawaiian called fleas uku lele, or jumping bug. The musical instrument ukulele was named after the fast jumping movement of the fingers used to play it.

Cockroach ROACHThere are many types of cockroaches, but the ones everyone knows and hates are the ones which invade humans' homes, where they are a serious pest. These creatures are very active, usually at night, and are able to eat almost anything. They are capable of spreading dirt and diseases. They leave behind foul-smelling pheromones wherever they go. They may be as important as dust mites in triggering allergic reactions in people. Unfortunately, I can't think of much really good to say about cockroaches. Except that their physiology is useful for scientists to study, and "Joe's Apartment" is a really cool, funny movie! Go rent it - if you have the stomach for it!

Aphid APHIDAphids are insects that are parasites on the roots, leaves, and stems of plants. Aphids have a proboscis which contains four sharp stylets which is used to pierce plant tissue and suck out the nutritive juices. Horn-shaped tubes at the rear end of the aphid are called cornicles, and they secrete a waxy substance. Aphids also secrete a sweet substance called honeydew, and some kinds of ants actually hide and keep aphids to "farm" them for this "candy".

Head Louse LICEEEEEWWWWWW, Cooties! They are known here in Hawaii as "ukus". These tiny, wingless insects have small eyes and short antennae, but well-developed claws and sucking mouthparts designed to help them hang on and bite!

Jumping Spider JUMP SPIDERSpiders are eight-legged arachnids (technically not insects) with no antennae and with fangs that have poison glands to stun or kill their prey. Most spiders have four pairs (= eight) eyes. Not all spiders spin webs; some actively hunt their food. Hunting spiders ususally have larger eyes, while spiders that spin the most elaborate webs have smaller eyes. Jumping spiders, such as this one, lurk in ambush for their prey, then jump out to catch their meal. They have well-developed eyes to detect movement. There are some small jumping spiders living in our electron microscope lab, and you can tell that they watch what we do! They follow our movements very well.

Cigar Beetle BEETLEThis critter is probably Lasioderma serricorne, a cigarette beetle. It is very small, about a sixteenth of an inch in length. Like most anobiids, the head is deflexed and concealed by the hoodlike pronotum. It can be a household pest, infesting dry foods and spices. It is particularly fond of tobacco products.