Transcript TITLE

Metamorphic Development
Metamorphic Development of the Corn
Earworm through the Eyes of Sixth
Graders
Presented
By
Amanda Gough, Hannah Kovar, Josef Orsak, Kimberly Wheeler
Snook Secondary School
Snook, TX
Ms. Pamela Romi Donald—Teacher
Mr. Robert Reyes—Principal
Mr. Jim Copeland—Superintendent
Egg, Larva, Pupa, Moth What
Else?
This year the sixth graders at Snook I.S.D. studied and
worked with corn earworms. The scientific name for the
corn earworm is Helicoverpa zea or Heliothis zea. The
corn earworm is also known as the tomato fruitworm, the
sorghum headworm, vetchworm, and cotton bollworm.
You can see corn earworms in four stages egg, larva, pupa,
and moths.
These four stages take many days and even weeks to go
through. All you need is a bit of patience to raise some
corn earworms.
EGG
•
•
•
•
•
•
First stage of corn earworm
metamorphosis.
Are yellow at first then turn a gray
shade of color, but turn a pale green
color when about to change into the
larva.
Shape can vary from slightly-dome
shape to a flattened sphere.
Usually laid individually, but in
groups of 500 to 3,000 eggs per
female moth.
Hatch in about two to ten days
depending on the temperature.
About half the size of a pinhead.
The sixth graders at Snook didn’t find
out much about the corn earworm egg
but some of my peers did take some
pictures of the corn earworm egg.
Materials
Corn Earworm larva
Digital Blue Computer
Microscope
Dissecting microscopes
Hand Lens
Paper Towels
Plastic cups with lids
Special Diet
String
Sugar
Two liter bottles
Water
Dentist wick(cotton)
LARVAE
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Second stage of the corn earworm
Goes through many different colors
If left in a container with another corn
earworm, the bigger worm will eat the
smaller one
Sheds at least five skins, will eat first four if
not taken out
Will grow long and then when ready to turn
into the pupa stage it will shrink
Will start to flip when ready to turn into a
pupa
Will bury itself under food when ready to
turn into pupa
Feeds on many different foods
• Emits a black liquid that will form the
cocoon
Pupa
• Third stage of the corn earworm
• Goes through several different
color changes as it matures
• Is a non-feeding immobile stage
• Tissue changes from that of a
larva to that of an adult
• When first transformed the
pupa is a pearly white color. As
it matures it changes to a darker
and darker brown
• When it is soon to emerge from
the cocoon it turns a dark black
Moth
•
•
•
•
The moth is a cream color
and has scattered dark spots
on its wings.
The moth will normally lay
500-3000 eggs.
Moths normally migrate in
late May.
The moth will cost farmers
millions of dollars in damage.
SUMMARY OF DATA KEPT IN 6TH GRADE JOURNALS IN 2005
Larvae Pupae
Aracely
22
11
Darius
15
29
Tyree
18
19
Kim W.
14
15
Kerry
17
11
Jenny
16
17
Nathaniel
22
10
Amber J.
14
16
Melanie
15
17
Briana
26
4
Kim H.
15
16
Hannah
21
16
Macy
13
11
Nichole
15
18
Bellamy
14
24
Omar
4
15
Amber B.
25
17
Maranda
17
18
Ashley
14
21
Harley
17
14
Maria
14
22
Sam
20 na
Josef
16
16
Lionell
17
8
AVERAGE 16.7 15.9
Moth TOTAL LIFE SPAN
0
33
1
45
1
38
16
45
0
28
12
45
13
45
15
45
13
45
15
45
14
45
7
44
20
44
9
42
0
38
22
41
1
43
10
45
10
45
9
40
13
49
na
na
9
41
na
na
11.1
42.3
Stages of a Corn Earworm Metamorphosis
Student Research Scientist
AVERAGE
Josef
Maria
Ashley
Amber B.
Larvae
Pupae
Moth
Bellamy
Macy
Kim H.
Melanie
Nathaniel
Kerry
Tyree
Aracely
0
10
20
30
40
Number of Days
50
60
Percentage of Days Spent in Each
Stage of Metamorphosis
25.4%
38.2%
Larvae
Pupae
Moth
36.4%
**This data represents only the Larvae, Pupae & M oth stages of M etamorphosis
Observing the corn earworm is a delicate
process but if you are careful you can have
a lot of fun. If you are observant enough,
you can learn things you never thought were
possible.
From the Snook I.S.D. Sixth Graders,
thanks for inviting us to participate.
LIFE CYCLE PICTURES BY
6TH GRADE
Acknowledgements
Dr. Craig Wilson
Ms. Pamela Donald
Teacher
Mr. Jim Copeland
Superintendent Snook ISD
Mr. Robert Reyes
Principal Snook Secondary School
Mr. Selwyn Smith
Technology Coordinator Snook ISD
Ms. Laura Oehler
Research Scientist
Parents of
Amanda Gough
Hannah Kovar
Josef Orsak
Kimberly Wheeler
Snook ISD Sixth Graders