原版英语RAZ 教案Goliath Beetles - Giant Insects.pdf

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1、WritingWrite an essay explaining the pros and cons of studying Goliath beetles in the wild.ScienceDesign a habitat for the Goliath beetle.Use facts from the book to create your habitat.Connectionswww.readinga-GIANTS OF THEANIMAL WORLDVisit www.readinga- for thousands of books and materials.LEVELED B

2、OOK YLEVELED BOOK YWritten by Cheryl Reifsnyder,PhDGoliath Beetles:Giant InsectsA Reading AZ Level Y Leveled BookWord Count:1,492Goliath Beetles:Goliath Beetles:Giant Insects Front cover:A Goliath beetle uses its claws to scale a tree in a rainforest in Africa.Title page:A Goliath near the roots of

3、a fig tree in Guinea,West AfricaPage 3:Male Goliath beetles have Y-shaped horns used for fighting.Photo Credits:Front cover:E.R.Degginger/Science Source;cover icon:Elena Belyakova/iStock/Thinkstock;title page:Piotr Naskrecki/Minden Pictures;page 3:Pascal Goetgheluck/;page 5(left):Lightboxx/D;page 5(

4、center):Pablo Yoder/D;page 5(right):F.Teigler/Blickwinkel/age fotostock;pages 6(top left),8:Mauro Fermariello/Science Source;page 6(top center):Francisco Martinez-Clavel Martinez/Alamy;page 6(top right,bottom left):Pascal Goetgheluck/Science Source;page 6(bottom right):Marcouliana/D;page 9:The Natur

5、al History Museum/Alamy;page 15(top left):Biosphoto/Biosphoto/Superstock;page 15(bottom right):Bruce Davidson/NPL/Minden Picturescaptivitycirculatory systemselusiveentomologistslarvalmetamorphosismodifiednaturalistspupalscarabsolitaryspeciesWords to Knowwww.readinga-Written by Cheryl Reifsnyder,PhDW

6、hat characteristics enable the Goliath beetle to survive in the wild?Focus QuestionGoliath Beetles:Giant InsectsGiants of the Animal World Level Y Leveled Book Learning AZWritten by Cheryl Reifsnyder,PhDAll rights reserved.www.readinga-Goliath Beetles:Giant Insects CorrelationLEVEL YT4040Fountas&Pin

7、nellReading RecoveryDRA34Table of ContentsThe Worlds Biggest Beetle .4What Kind of Beetle?.6The Scarab Family.9An African Home .11The Cycle of Life .13Fleet and Fascinating .15Glossary .16How Big Is It?How Big Is It?Goliath beetle larvalength:5 inches (12.7 cm)weight:3.5 ounces(99.2 g)Human handleng

8、th:7.44 inches(18.89 cm)width:3.3 inches(8.4 cm)Goliath beetlelength:4.33 inches (10.99 cm)weight:1.7 ounces(48.2 g)The Worlds Biggest BeetleThere are about a million species of known insects in the world,and nearly half of them are beetles.Goliath beetles may belong to the most common insect catego

9、ry on the planet,but dont let that fool youthese beetles are anything but common.Goliaths are swift-moving and solitary insects.We are still learning a lot about them because they can be challenging to find and study.We do know that Goliath beetles are more than two thousand times as large as their

10、ladybug cousins and are even bigger when they are younger.Developing Goliaths(larvae)weigh nearly twice as much as adults,so its no wonder these beetles are the heavyweight champs of the insect world and all-around amazing insects.Goliath Beetles:Giant Insects Level Y56Fossils from three hundred mil

11、lion years ago show evidence of mammoth centipedes and dragonflies with gigantic,hawk-sized wingspans.Earths atmosphere contains less oxygen now than it did millions of years ago,and insects and other animals with less advanced circulatory systems cant deliver oxygen throughout their bodies efficien

12、tly.Goliath bodies,therefore,simply cant grow as large as they did in prehistoric times when there was more oxygen in Earths atmosphere.A few present-day beetles out measure the Goliath beetle.The Hercules beetle can grow to 7 inches(18 cm)long,including 4 inches (10 cm)of horn.The rhinoceros beetle

13、 is 6 inches(15.24 cm)long,with most of its length also attributed to the enormous horns growing on its head.In comparison,the Goliath beetle is about 4 inches(10 cm)long,but other beetles cant compete with the Goliaths hefty body weight a whopping 1.7 ounces(48.2 g)!What Kind of Beetle?The name Gol

14、iath beetle encompasses six separate,related types of beetles,but telling them apart can be challenging.Even within a single Goliath beetle species,no two beetles markings are identical.In fact,individual beetles can look so different from one another that early naturalists mistakenly named over two

15、 dozen varieties,thinking each was a separate species.They actually discovered that these“unique specimens”were different examples of the six types of Goliath beetles.Six Types of Goliath BeetlesSix Types of Goliath BeetlesBeetles come in all shapes and sizes,but Goliath beetles are the heavyweight

16、champs!Rhinoceros beetleHercules beetleGoliath beetleGoliathus goliatus(go-LY-uh-thus go-LY-uh-tuhs)Goliathus regius(go-LY-uh-thus REJ-ee-us)Goliathus cacicus(go-LY-uh-thus KA-sih-kus)Goliathus albosignatus(go-LY-uh-thus al-bo-SIG-nuh-tuhs)Goliathus orientalis(go-LY-uh-thus or-ee-en-TAH-lis)Goliathu

17、s“atlas”(go-LY-uh-thus AT-luhs)Goliath Beetles:Giant Insects Level Y78Early British naturalists named Goliath beetles“zebra beetles”because of the striking black-and-white stripes and other markings on the beetles bodies.Scientists suspect that the bold patterns might actually make it difficult for

18、enemiesand researchersto spot Goliath beetles in the wild.The markings break up the outline of a beetles body,making it harder to detect against a leafy background.All beetles share certain physical characteristics,including two pairs of wings.The hind wings,or flying wings,are dark in color;they lo

19、ok leathery but are actually thin and membranous.The hind wings are surprisingly powerful and can support a beetles full body weight in flight.Beetles front wings,called elytra,are smaller,harder,and stronger than the flying wings and form protective“armor”that completely covers the folded hind wing

20、s when not in use.In many beetles,the elytra help protect the body as well.Some insect species have mouths that have adapted for different ways of eating and drinking.Goliath beetles do drink sap;however,their mouths are more suited for chewing rather than sipping nectar(like a butterfly)or piercing

21、 skin(like a mosquito).Many smaller beetle species can be found on flowers,where they feed on pollen or petals.Goliath beetles weigh too much to be supported by flowers,though,so scientists think these supersized insects probably dont feed on them.Instead,with the help of sharp claws(called tarsi),t

22、hey climb trees to feed on tree sap and rotting fruit.What Makes a Goliath Beetle an Insect?What Makes a Goliath Beetle an Insect?All insects have wings legs with joints (most have six legs)three main body parts:head,thorax,and abdomen an outside skeleton Antennae can unfold to improve the beetles a

23、bility to sense its environment.Hardened wings protect the delicate flying wings.Male Goliath beetles have Y-shaped horns used for battle.Sharp claws give Goliath beetles a strong grip for climbing.headthoraxabdomenGoliath Beetles:Giant Insects Level Y910The Scarab FamilyThere are more than one hund

24、red different families of beetles.In scientific terms,an animal family is a group that shares similar characteristics.Scientists think members of beetle family groups are descended from a common ancestor that lived hundreds of millions of years ago.Goliath beetles belong to the scarab beetle family,

25、a group that also includes rhinoceros beetles and dung beetles.You might think that giant beetles would be slow and clumsy,but thats hardly the case.In fact,Goliath beetles are such acrobatic flyers that early insect collectors had to shoot them out of the sky to get a look at them!Even today,entomo

26、logists have trouble getting near enough to Goliath beetles in the wild to observe their behavior.“They are very difficult to observe in nature,”says insect specialist Dr.Brett Ratcliffe.Goliath beetles may owe their speed to their specially modified elytra.Unlike some other types of beetles,Goliath

27、s can unfold their flying wings without moving their wing covers out of the way first,which scientists think helps them take flight more quickly.All beetles use their antennae to detect odors,chemicals,and other sensory information in their environment.However,Goliath and other scarab beetles antenn

28、ae have a shape all their ownone that experts think boosts their sensitivity.Separate,overlapping segments at the ends of their antennae can open like a fan.The enlarged antennaes surface area increases the beetles ability to detect food and feeding sites,pick up smells,and even find a mate.This is

29、similar to how you can feel something with your whole hand better than you can with your fingertip.Goliath Beetle AntennaeScarab beetles are the only beetles whose antennae open up to increase their ability to sense things around them.Beetle Cold CaseX-rays recently proved that holes in the remains

30、of a beetle in a London museum display were actually gunshot wounds.On the basis of the locations of the entry and exit wounds,the scientist reported that the beetle was shot while flying upside down!ClosedPartially openFully openGoliath Beetles:Giant Insects Level Y1112An African HomeGoliath beetle

31、s live in tropical African rainforests and savannas,which are warm year-round with a dry season that lasts several months of every year.Goliath beetles are primarily seen during the wet season,when heavy rainfall creates warm,humid conditions perfect for plant growth.Thats excellent news for Goliath

32、 beetles since trees at this time of year produce abundant fruit and sap for them to eat.There are also ample leaves where Goliath beetles can take cover from predators that might enjoy a crunchy beetle snack.Its not known which types of animals consider Goliath beetles prey,but some experts think t

33、hat monkeys and large birds might eat Goliaths if they can catch them.These speedy flyers do such a good job of hiding in treetops that no one knows for sure.Socially,Goliath beetles occasionally gather on tree trunks and branches where food is plentiful.Normally,unless they are looking for a mate,G

34、oliaths seem to prefer spending most of their time on their own.“They are not social insects,”says Dr.Ratcliffe.Male Goliath beetles fiercely defend their feeding sites against intruders.The heads of all male Goliaths are equipped with Y-shaped horns,which they use to push away other males.Their rea

35、son for battling is about more than just food.Entomologists suspect that staking a claim to the best feeding sites gives males a better chance of attracting females.EquatorATLANTIC OCEANINDIAN OCEANAFRICAGoliath beetle rangeWhere Goliath Beetles LiveWhere Goliath Beetles LiveGoliath Beetles:Giant In

36、sects Level Y1314The Cycle of LifeThe wet and dry seasons define the life cycle of the Goliath beetle.These seasons occur during different months,depending on the exact location.Like other beetles,Goliaths go through a complete metamorphosis,including egg,larval,pupal,and adult stages.Goliath beetle

37、s devote most of their adult lives to mating.Afterward,when a female Goliath beetle is ready to lay eggs,she uses her wedge-shaped head to dig a burrow deep into the rainforest soil.She lays her eggsoften more than one hundredunderground and dies shortly afterward.Her job is done.The Goliath young r

38、emain underground for the next several months.Goliath beetle eggs hatch after about two weeks,when the young larvae,sometimes called grubs,emerge.Eyeless and wingless,they spend all their time eating and growing.No one knows exactly what Goliath larvae eat in the wild,but they most likely feed on ro

39、tting plant matter found in the soil.In captivity,however,the larvae also eat smaller beetle larvae and adult insects.Goliath larvae grow quickly,reaching full size in about four months,near the end of the wet season.The larger species can grow up to 5 inches(12.7 cm)in lengthnearly as long as a dol

40、lar billand weigh a whopping 3.5 ounces(100 g).When the wet season ends,the larvae burrow deeper underground until they reach sandy soil.There,they use the soil to build thin-walled“cells,”similar to butterfly cocoons,in which they enter the pupal stage.Metamorphosis occurs inside these cells over t

41、he next several months during the dry season.Wings and legs form and fold into place.The outside of a pupas body hardens into a protective shell.The new adult hibernates inside the earthen cell until the following wet season starts.When moisture seeps deep enough into the soil to reach the hibernati

42、ng beetle,it awakens,emerges from the soil,and begins the cycle again.EggsLarva 1(after hatching)Larva 2(after 1st molt)Larva 3(after 2nd molt)PupaAdultGoliath Beetle Life CycleGoliath Beetle Life CycleDuring the pupal stage,the larva sheds its outer skin.Wings and legs form.Goliath Beetles:Giant In

43、sects Level Y1516Fleet and FascinatingThe speedy Goliath beetle is an elusive gianthard to spot and even harder to catch.However,its bold stripes and immense size make it a favorite with insect enthusiasts.Some fans even keep Goliath beetles as pets.Thats fortunate for scientists,who owe much of the

44、ir knowledge of Goliath beetles to the study of captive insects.Big as a songbird,striped like a zebra,and agile as an aerial acrobat,the Goliath beetle is one amazing insect!Glossarycaptivity(n.)the state of being confined or without freedom(p.14)circulatory the body systems that move blood systems

45、(n.)or another fluid throughout the body(p.5)elusive(adj.)difficult to capture or find(p.15)entomologists(n.)scientists who study insects(p.9)larval(adj.)having the immature form of an animal that goes through major body changes before it looks like an adult of its kind(p.13)metamorphosis(n.)an anim

46、als change from one shape to a totally different shape(p.13)modified(adj.)of or relating to something that has changed(p.10)naturalists(n.)people who study nature and natural history,especially plants and animals(p.6)pupal(adj.)of or relating to an immature insect in the stage between larva and adul

47、t(p.13)scarab(n.)a type of large beetle with a hard shell that is often black(p.9)solitary(adj.)tending to live or spend time alone(p.4)species(n.)a group of living things that are physically similar and can reproduce(p.4)Goliaths can be almost as large as a human hand(top).Beetles fly quickly and can be hard to catch(bottom).Goliath Beetles:Giant Insects Level Y