You see a bug with a cool green body skittering across a picnic table. It stops and seems to be staring at you.
The first thing out of your mouth is:
A. Eww! A bug!
Or
B. Oooh! A bug!
If you are the kind of kid who thinks bugs are cool, summertime was made for you. In summer, bugs are most active. You can learn a lot about bugs by capturing them and studying them for a while before letting them go.
What Is a Bug?
True bugs have mouths like beaks or straws to suck up their food. Two examples of true bugs are Stink Bugs (Harlequins) and the Giant Water Bug. But most people use the word for any kind of insect, and that is how we are using it here. A June Bug is not really a bug. It is a beetle and related the scarab beetles found in Egypt.
Good Bugs (and Beetles) to Know
- Lightning Bugs: also known as Fireflies. They are fun to catch and release on a summer night. Recommended read-alongs: Goodnight, Firefly and When Lightning Comes in a Jar
- Ladybugs: also known as Lady Birds. Most kinds feed on garden pests and are very pretty. Recommended read-alongs: Gail Gibbons' Ladybugs and Spotted Beetles: Ladybugs in Your Backyard
- Praying Mantis: they eat other insects but can also eat small frogs, snakes, and fish. Recommended read-alongs: Mary Ann, by Betsy James, and Praying Mantises: Hungry Insect Heroes
Capture More Bugs in the Library
Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!
A lovely, rhyming picture book about bugs that’s perfect for storytime.
Bug Hunter
Want to study bugs? This fascinating book has projects and activities to get you started.
Bug Out!
“…features some of the most disgusting, far-out bugs on the planet. Learn how a scorpion uses its poison, discover how the jumping spider hunts, marvel at the weight of the giant wetapunga (three times heavier than a mouse), and so much more in this book that will have everyone itching for more!”
A Level 2 beginning reader.
Crafts for Kids Who Are Learning About Insects
“…find out more about insects while making 22 low-cost or no-cost projects. So come discover a world filled with creeping cockroaches, buzzing bees, and fluttering butterflies!”
I Love Bugs!
A rhyming picture book about a backyard explorer and his quest to find many different bugs.
Living Lights
Learn all about these beautiful bugs of summer.
Pest Fest
In beauty, talent, and skills, the housefly can't compete with other bugs. But, as a pest, he is a winner. This book introduces the beetle, the firefly, the cricket, the cicada, the housefly, and the spider. A picture book.
Want to learn more about bugs? Check out the Bug Facts site. Click here for storybooks about bugs and here for books that are all about bug facts that you can check out from the library.
