Manassas National Battlefield Park - Insects

Manassas National Battlefield Park by National Parks Service

An inventory of insects was taken in March 1999 by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation in conjunction with the Division of Natural Heritage. The report was published in February 2000. The report catalogued 48 butterfly and skipper species, 210 macro-moth species, 24 dragonfly species, and 15 damselfly species. Four species that are listed on the VDCR-DNH watchlist were found: Splendid Clubtail, Southern Pygmy Clubtail, Least Clubtail, and a Blue-faced Meadowhawk. The gypsy moth, an exotic species which defoliates eastern hardwood forests, was also found in the park. Insects can be found anywhere in the park. Many blend in as to be camouflaged very well but some insects are very colorful and easy to spot. Some live on the underside of leaves, in the cracks of tree bark, and some scurry along the ground. Many spiders blow in the breeze through the forest on long web strands reminiscent of flowing curtains. Along the trails following the ponds and streams you may see various species of dragonflies. In the meadows and near water you may see many species of butterflies. MORE ABOUT INSECTS: Insects are part of the Phylum Arthropoda, Order Insecta, which includes about 95,000 species in North America. They have inhabited every place on earth. Even the open ocean has insects that float on the surface, almost like a water strider. All insects have three major body parts. They have a head with antennae, a thorax with six legs, and an abdomen. They usually have 4 wings. They also all go through metamorphosis, either complete or incomplete. Complete metamorphosis includes the egg/larvae, pupa, and adult stages. Flies, mosquitoes, ants, wasps, bees, butterflies, and moths go through complete metamorphosis. Incomplete metamorphosis includes only two stages from nymphs straight to adults. Dragonflies, grasshoppers (which includes locust, katydids, crickets, cicada, and leafhoppers, among others), walkingsticks, earwigs, cockroaches, and the Chinese mantis all go through incomplete metamorphosis. Insects are useful and provide many benefits to our ecosystem and we humans. According to the National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Mid-Atlantic States, insects pollinate 80% of our flowering plants (201). Bees gather nectar from flowers to make honey and beeswax, which we not only eat, but use in many commercial products. Other insects are scavengers, making sure that decaying matter is absorbed back into the ecological cycle as food. Research on insects is ongoing and helps us to understand heredity and evolution. Insects are a fundamental source of food for many animals, sometimes making up the bulk of their diet as with Bats and other insects like the predatory Dragonfly, which consumes mosquitoes.