Common Insects

• These are study notes on various insects, including their characteristics and behaviors, with their Czech names provided.

Grasshopper

• Makes sound by rubbing their leg against a wing.
• Can fly, but prefers to hop.
• Can devastate food crops.
• Czech name: Kobylka

Wasp

• A pollinator.
• Only females can sting.
• Lives in colonies.
• Czech name: Vosa

Strawberry Seed Beetle

• It is found in dark places.
• Eats strawberry seeds.
• Releases a toxin when touched.
• Czech name: Hnojník jahodový

Red-brown Longhorn Beetle

• Exhibits sexual dimorphism.
• Can digest wood.
• Lives in forests.
• Czech name: Tesařík obecný

Housefly

• Has compound eyes.
• Reproduces fast.
• Has fast reflexes.
• Czech name: Moucha domácí

Peacock Butterfly

• Wing patterns confuse predators.
• Makes a hissing sound when in danger.
• Eats nectar.
• A pollinator.
• Czech name: Babočka paví oko

Green Rose Chafer

• Eats flowers and nectar.
• A detritivore.
• Makes a lot of noise.
• Performs a slow-motion-like dance when attracting a female.
• Czech name: Zlatohlávek zlatý

Violet Ground Beetle

• An active predator.
• Eats other insects and slugs.
• Lives in gardens and meadows.
• Czech name: Střevlík fialový

Common Yellow Swallowtail

• Eats nectar.
• Helps in pollination.
• Undergoes indirect development.
• Wing patterns confuse predators.
• Czech name: Otakárek fenyklový

Ringlet Butterfly

• A pollinator.
• Caterpillars feed on grass.
• Females lay eggs by ejecting them into the air.
• Wing patterns confuse predators.
• Czech name: Okáč prosíčkový

Greater Stag Beetle

• Feeds on wood and tree sap.
• Lives in forests.
• Males use their jaws to impress females.
• Czech name: Roháč obecný

Colorado Potato Beetle

• Can destroy potato crops.
• Females can lay over 500 eggs in a single session.
• Hard to control.
• Czech name: Mandelinka bramborová

House Cricket

• Chirps by rubbing their wings together.
• Considered a symbol of good luck.
• Good source of protein.
• Czech name: Cvrček domácí

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

• Releases a smelling chemical as a defense mechanism.
• Considered being invasive.
• Often invades homes in fall to hibernate.
• Czech name: Kněžice mramorovaná

Dragonfly

• Can fly backwards and change direction rapidly.
• Among the first insects to evolve wings.
• Eat mosquitoes.
• Live near water.
• Czech name: Různokřídlice

Cockroach

• Can survive a week without their head.
• Are fast.
• Can hold their breath up to 40 minutes.
• Czech name: Švábi

Hummingbird Hawk-moth

• Hovers like hummingbirds.
• Eats nectar.
• Can remember flowers they've already visited.
• Active during daytime.
• Czech name: Dlouhozobka svízelová

Tethea Or (Poplar Lutestring)

• Larva feed on poplar.
• Attracted to light.
• Has wing patterns that help it camouflage.
• Czech name: Můřice obecná

Ladybug

• A natural pest controller.
• Its bright colors warn predators.
• Considered good luck in folklore.
• Czech name: beruška

Pale Giant Horse-fly

• Females feed on blood.
• Bites can hurt but are harmless.
• Large eyes help detecting prey.
• Czech name: Ovád hovězí

Dock Bug

• Releases a smelling liquid.
• Feeds on the sap of plants and seeds of docks.
• Found in dense vegetation.
• Czech name: Vroubenka smrdutá

European Mole Cricket

• Uses its front legs to dig underground.
• Males sing songs at night to attract females.
• Looks scary, but harmless to humans.
• Czech name: Krtonožka obecná

Violet Carpenter Bee

• Solitary.
• Makes nests from dead wood.
• A gentle pollinator, rarely stings.
• Has compound eyes.
• Czech name: Drvodělka fialová

Earwig

• Hides in dark places during the day.
• Protects their eggs and young nymphs.
• Has pincers called cerci.
• Czech name: Škvoři

European Hornet

• The largest wasp in Europe.
• Less aggressive than smaller wasps.
• Builds nests from chewed wood fibers - paper-like structures.
• Czech name: Sršeň obecná

Honeybee

• Communicates with dancing.
• Produces honey.
• Plays an important role in pollination.
• Czech name: Včela

Yellow Mealworm Beetle

• Mealworms are used as a source of protein.
• Adults can adapt to dry environments.
• Undergoes complete metamorphosis.
• Czech name: Potemník moučný

Ant

• Can carry items up to 50 times their body weight.
• Communicates using pheromones.
• A social insect.
• Czech name: Mravenec

Desert Locust

• Can form massive swarms.
• Lives in deserts and dry areas.
• Can be aggressive and destroy vegetation.
• Czech name: Saranče pustinná

Study notes on common insects. Includes information about grasshoppers, wasps, strawberry seed beetles, longhorn beetles, houseflies, peacock butterflies, and green rose chafers. Notes on insect characteristics and behaviors are provided.