Asma's Journal Entry - Lab 2

The species I chose to locate on OneZoom's phylogenetic tree is Melanoplus bivittatus, or Two-striped Grasshopper. It is in the kingdom Animalia, phylum Arthropodia, and class Insecta, the latter of which characterizes our project's theme. Further, it is in the order Orthoptera, family Acrididae, subfamily Melanoplini, which has 406 species, and genus Melanoplus, one of two "two-striped grasshopper" species in addition to the Round-winged Spur Throat Grasshopper.
One adaptation common to many observed species in our group project is bright coloration. This is seen from the Red-banded leafhopper, which is laden with neon yellow, blue, and red patterns, to the Goldenrod leaf beetle and Common Eastern Bumblebee, which display bold yellow and black vertical stripes, to the Spotted lanternfly, whose wings flash a bright red colour when fully opened, to the bright orange Monarch butterfly. The purpose of coloration in insects is to act as a warning to potential predators, namely birds, who may associate the unusually bright colours with toxicity and bad taste, thereby not eating the insect and allowing it to survive.
One unique adaptation seen within an observation is the development of markings resembling eyes, displayed in Gypsy moth larvae. These caterpillars are fitted with uniform red dots along the length of their bodies. These markings allow the larvae to survive not only because of their bright, cautionary colour, but because predators may mistake the markings for the eyes of a potentially dangerous organism (i.e. another predator) observing their every move and posing a threat.

Posted on September 18, 2020 12:28 AM by asmaaak