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1、www.readinga-Giant InsectsGiant InsectsA Reading AZ Level V Leveled BookWord Count:2,167Visit www.readinga- for thousands of books and materials.Written by Mary ReinaLEVELED BOOK VWritten by Mary ReinaGiant InsectsGiant InsectsLevel V Leveled Book Learning AZWritten by Mary ReinaAll rights reserved.
2、www.readinga-CorrelationLEVEL VR4040Fountas&PinnellReading RecoveryDRAPhoto Credits:Front cover:Patrick Landmann/Photo Researchers,Inc.;back cover:Theodore Liasi/Alamy;title page:Gerry Ellis/Minden Pictures/National Geographic Stock;page 4:Juliet Photography/123RF;page 5:Jon Baldur Hlidberg/Minden P
3、ictures;page 6:iS Johnson,page 7(both):Pierre Deviche;pages 8,9(top),22:The Natural History Museum/The Image Works;page 9(bottom):The Natural History Museum/Alamy;page 11(top):John Mitchell/Photo Researchers,Inc.;page 11(bottom):Mcpics/D;pages 13(top),17(bottom):Papilio/Alamy;page 13(center):Mirosla
4、v Hlavko/D;page 13(bottom):Juniors Bildarchiv/Alamy;pages 14-15:Sinclair Stammers/Photo Researchers,Inc.;page 14(inset):DK Images;page 15(top):Redmond O.Durrell/Alamy;page 16:Theo Fitzhugh/Alamy;page 17(top):Anthony Aneese Totah Jr./D;pages 18,19(bottom):Louise Murray/Alamy;pages 19(top),23(bottom r
5、ight):Mark Moffett/Minden Pictures/National Geographic Stock;page 21(top):DEEPU SG/Alamy;page 21(inset):Colin Keates/Dorling Kindersley,Courtesy of the Natural History Museum,London;page 21(bottom):iS Ming Wong;page 23(top left):George Grall/National Geographic Stock;page 23(top right):WILDLIFE GmbH
6、/Alamy;page 23(bottom left):Kazuo Unno/Minden PicturesFront cover:titan beetleBack cover:atlas mothTitle page:stick insectwww.readinga-34Table of ContentsInsects Are Everywhere!.4Giant Darner Dragonfly:The Speed Demon.6Titan Beetle:The Pencil Breaker.8Giant Water Bug:The Toe Biter.10Goliath Beetle:T
7、he Heavyweight.12African Driver Ant:The Ultimate Army.14Madagascar Hissing Cockroach:The Noisy Pet.16Wetapunga:The God of Ugly Things.18Queen Alexandras Birdwing Butterfly and Atlas Moth.20Chans Megastick:The Hidden Wonder.22Glossary.24Insects Are Everywhere!Every time you step outside your door,you
8、 marvel at the idea that you probably look right past hundredseven thousandsof insects.You know that scientists estimate that there are around ten quintillion(10,000,000,000,000,000,000)insects alive on Earth at any given time.So far,scientists have identified over 900,000 different insect speciesab
9、out 80 percent of all the worlds species of animals.They think that two to thirty million more species remain undiscovered or unidentified.When you think about this,youre glad most insects are small.You know this wasnt always the case,though.Hundreds of millions of years ago,before dinosaurs walked
10、on Earth,insects were already buzzing around.Using fossil evidence,you know that these insects were similar to modern insectsthey each had three body sections,six legs,and often two sets of wings.They were a bit different in other ways,thoughthese guys were titans!Giant Insects Level V56Giant Darner
11、 Dragonfly:The Speed DemonYour journey starts by a slow-running stream in the southwestern United States where you can hear the buzzing of a giant darner dragonfly.It uses its 5-inch(12.7 cm)wingspan to zip through the warm air at speeds of over 35 miles per hour(56.3 kph).These insects are so good
12、at turning that they can completely shift direction in a split second,which is when you catch a glimpse of one.This insects speed and ability to move come in handy as it hunts mosquitoes and other small insects.The dragonfly lands on your arm,but you have nothing to worry about.The giant darner drag
13、onfly is harmless.You look at it just long enough to see the shimmering wings and black,blue,and green 5-inch(12.7 cm)body before it takes off again.As you walk through the tall grass on your way to your next destination,you see flashes of other dragonfliesgiant darners and their smaller cousinsand
14、wish them good hunting.The prehistoric Meganeura looked like a dragonfly but had a wingspan of well over 30 inches(72.2 cm).Youve learned that scientists believe insects grew so huge partly because back then,Earth had a higher amount of oxygen in the air.Over hundreds of millions of years,as the amo
15、unt of oxygen decreased from about 35 percent to todays 21 percent,the insects adapted,evolved,and became smaller.A few insects,however,have remained the giants of their world.These are the beasts youve really wanted to studyand you finally have your chance.You feel your excitement building because
16、this time when you walk outside your door,youll be taking your first step on a giant insect safari.Youll pass by billions of smaller insects on your hunt around the globe for these massive monsters.Youll finally have the chance to see them with your own eyes and find out if everything youve learned
17、is really true.Prepare your pack,because youre about to head out.This drawing shows what a Meganeura might have looked like.Giant darner dragonflies live near streams like this one in the southwestern United States.Giant Insects Level V78Titan Beetle:The Pencil BreakerWhen you arrive in the steamy A
18、mazon rainforest,its dark,and you can hear the tapping of rain on the leaves overhead.Something flies through the beam of your flashlight,and at first you think its a bird.You look closer and see its a 7-inch(17.8 cm)titan beetlethe biggest beetle in the world.This nocturnal creature was attracted t
19、o your light.As you watch it crawl its way through the dead leaves and dirt,you see the thick mandibles on its head.Theyre strong enough to snap through a pencil.Youre tempted to find a stick to see if the titan beetle can break it.When you get near,though,it hisses and you back off.Like many beetle
20、s,this one has only a few weeks to live as an adult.It doesnt have time to mess with youit needs to find a mate.Though it can fly,its too heavy to take off from the ground.It uses its powerful,spiny legs to climb a tree and launch itself from a branch.You duck as it flies toward your face.Laughing,y
21、ou continue your journey.female giant darner dragonflymale giant darner dragonflytitan beetle5 inches(12.7 cm)United StatesNWhere they liveGiant Insects Level V910Giant Water Bug:The Toe BiterThe afternoon in Thailand is hot and humid.You stop to look into a clear,cool-looking freshwater pond.The id
22、ea of dangling your aching feet in the water is tempting,but then you see the giant water bug.You recognize it because this insect is found in bodies of fresh water all around the world.About 5 inches(12.7 cm)long,it clings to an underwater plant while holding a minnow in its powerful front legs.It
23、eats by using its strong jaws to inject the struggling fish with digestive fluids and then sucking out the remains.You see a few other giant water bugs.One must be a male,as it has round eggs stuck on its back.After mating,the female giant water bug glues the eggs there for safety until they hatch.A
24、nother giant water bug tries to catch a tadpole and misses.These bugs will eat pretty much anything they can overpower,including frogs,snakes,and even baby turtles.While their bite isnt dangerous to people,you remember one of the local people saying that it has one of the most painful bites of all i
25、nsects.She said this just before taking a big,crunchy bite out of a grilled giant water bug.The water may look perfect,but you decide not to stop.titan beetle taking off from a branch7 inches(17.8 cm)South AmericaNWhere they liveGiant Insects Level V1112Goliath Beetle:The HeavyweightYoure back to wa
26、lking through a rainforest,which doesnt surprise you since most of Earths insects live in rainforests.This time youre in central Africa.The rainy season has made the air feel heavy and thick.You hear a shuffling sound and find a female goliath beetle using its wedge-shaped head to dig in the soil.It
27、s making a safe place to lay her eggs.You take a moment to examine the patterns on her shell.Another beetle buzzes by and lands on a tree.Its a male goliath beetle;you can tell by the Y-shaped horns on the front of its head.Its almost 5 inches(12.7 cm)long(the female is smaller).These beetles didnt
28、get their name for their length;they earned it for being the heaviest insects in the world.This one looks as if it will weigh in near the top of the range at over 3.5 ounces(100 g).The goliath beetle is big but harmless,eating the waste that falls to the forest floor.You think about getting the male
29、 to climb on your arm,but you change your mind when another male shows up.If you wait,the two males might fight each other using their impressive strength and horns.The smaller male flies away quickly,though,which means its time for you to move on,too.male giant water bug with eggs on its backPuttin
30、g the Bite on Insects:People have been eating insects since prehistoric times.Over 1,000 types are eaten in many parts of the world.They include water bugs,cockroaches,ants,dragonflies,and grasshoppers.The practice of eating insects is called entomophagy.5 inches(12.7 cm)NWhere they liveGiant Insect
31、s Level V1314African Driver Ant:The Ultimate ArmyYoure about to leave the African rainforest when you come upon what looks like a dark stream running across the ground.You move closer,but not too close.Millions of African driver ants march along the ground.In the center,you see the small worker ants
32、,which arent much bigger than the ants you see at home.Along the edges,the soldier ants,each almost 1 inch(2.5 cm)long,form a wall.Their large mandibles point outward to protect the ants within.These insects are on the hunt,so theyre very dangerous.Though blind,these ants find their way easily using
33、 touch,smell,and chemical signals.Colonies can have over twenty-two million ants(the largest colonies of any insect on Earth),and theyre all hungry.Millions upon millions of ants swarm in search of food,which can include pretty much any animal they can overpowerincluding people.female goliath beetle
34、a column of African driver antsmale goliath beetle5 inches(12.7 cm)African driver ant queen2 inches(5.1 cm)NAfricaWhere they liveGiant Insects Level V1516You decide to follow the ant column to see if you can find the nest.Against a large rock,you see a dark wall of movement.The ants have formed a bi
35、vouac(BIH-vuh-wak)a temporary nest made out of living ants.As you watch,the bivouac begins to break up.They must have exhausted the food supply of the area.The ant column carries away food,millions of eggs,and the queen.At over 2 inches(5.1 cm)long,she is the largest ant on Earth.She can lay up to t
36、wo million eggs each month.Despite the amazing sight,you start to notice a few ants crawling in your direction and decide its probably best to get out of there.Madagascar Hissing Cockroach:The Noisy PetIts a lovely day in tropical Madagascar as you walk through the forest.You decide to sit down on a
37、 log beside a slow-moving stream.When you do,the log movesand something hisses.You look down to see youve upset a colony of Madagascar hissing cockroaches.Each about 2 to 3 inches(5.17.6 cm)long with a shell of black and dark orange,they crawl back into the shade of the log.Its too early for them to
38、 be out.At night,this colony would be crawling along the forest floor,looking for fallen fruit and dead plants.Unlike most species of cockroaches,the Madagascar hissing cockroach cant fly,and the females give birth to live young instead of laying eggs.You reach out and touch a cockroacha male,by the
39、 look of the long horns on its head.It hisses,pushing air out through small holes along its body,and then spits.You laugh because these insects are gentle and harmless.In fact,you have a friend who keeps a number of them as pets.Youd like to stay and watch,but your friend is waitingbesides,you can w
40、atch your friends cockroaches.larger soldier ants protecting the smaller worker antsa pet Madagascar hissing cockroachNAfricaWhere they live1 inch(2.5 cm)Giant Insects Level V1718Wetapunga:The God of Ugly ThingsOn Little Barrier Island off the coast of New Zealand,you hunt through the trees in searc
41、h of the endangered wetapunga,or giant weta.These strange cricketlike insects name means“the god of ugly things”in the native Maori language.They have lived on these islands for millions of years.Over the last few hundred years,however,they have almost been wiped out due to the introduction of rats
42、and mice,which eat the slow wetapunga.As the Sun begins to set,you find a wetapunga hiding among the leaves of a tree.It looks like a cross between a cricket and a grasshopperonly much bigger.The largest ever found was about 4 inches(10.5 cm)long and 2.5 ounces(70.9 g),and this one looks to be almos
43、t that big.It crawls slowly along the branchit will spend almost its entire life in treesnibbling on the leaves.You could catch it if you wanted,as these insects cant fly or jump,nor do they kick or bite.You decide to leave it be as you have to run back to town.A group that is trying to bring back t
44、he wetapunga population plans to release a number of them into the wild,and you want to be there.a colony of Madagascar hissing cockroachesgiant weta23 inches(5.17.6 cm)NAfricaMadagascarWhere they liveGiant Insects Level V1920Queen Alexandras Birdwing Butterfly and Atlas MothIn a rope chair high abo
45、ve the ground,you look around at the forest canopy of Papua New Guinea.Lush green surrounds you for miles.Then you see a flash of blue rise up.Its a male Queen Alexandras birdwing butterfly,flapping its shimmering blue-green and brown wings,which span almost 8 inches(20.3 cm).You look around for a f
46、emale,which would be larger,with a 12-inch(30.5 cm)wingspan of a lighter shade of brown,but dont find one.Other than in zoos,this rare species can only be found in the wild in Papua New Guineaand only in the forest canopy.You watch in awe as the male feeds on a flower and flutters away.On your way d
47、own,something else catches your eye.You stop and pull yourself closer to a branch where an atlas moth sits,its wingspan 11 inches(27.9 cm)wide.The hooks on the ends of its wings remind you of this moths other name:the snake head moth.Unlike the Queen Alexandras butterfly,which lives up to three mont
48、hs or more and feeds regularly,the atlas moth lives only a few weeks and never feeds.Youve seen this species before,as its fairly common throughout Southeast Asia,but its still an impressive sight.female giant wetapunga4 inches(10.5 cm)NAustraliaNew ZealandLittle Barrier IslandWhere they liveGiant I
49、nsects Level V2122Chans Megastick:The Hidden WonderYour final stop brings you to the London Natural History Museum.You have come to view the worlds longest insect:Chans megastick.One of only six found in the world so far(all of them in Borneo),this one is the longest.The whole insect,with its legs e
50、xtended,stretches 22 inches(55.9 cm)under the glass.The body alone is 14 inches(35.6 cm)long.It really does look like a plain old stick,which might explain why scientists didnt discover it until 2008.Like other stick insects,this species is believed to hide within the forest canopy while it feeds on