Metamorphic Development

1. Metamorphic Development

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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)

6. 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

7. 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

9. 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.

10. SUMMARY OF DATA KEPT IN 6TH GRADE JOURNALS IN 2005

13. 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.

14. LIFE CYCLE PICTURES BY 6TH GRADE

15. 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