ClassBrain’s Top 10 Insect Websites

If you get warm fuzzies when you think about caterpillars and other small creatures that creep, slither, and crawl, then we have the websites for you! The following websites all have one thing in common; they have excellent resources available for anyone interested in insects, butterflies, and bugs of all types.

ClassBrain’s Networthy Award

ClassBrain gives a special award of recognition when a site stands out on the Internet.
1. BugBios of Insects.org receives our highest praise as such a site.
URL: http://www.insects.org/
This site is beautiful, informative, and a pleasure to navigate. If you know anyone who loves bugs, this is the first place they should check out on the web. Dexter Sear from Hawaii has been working on this site for quite years, and it just keeps getting better. The imagery on this site is exquisite!
Source: Dexter Sear at I/O Vsion


Field Guides

eNature garners two spots on our top ten list with these field guide sets:

2. Insects and Spiders covers the majority of the creepy crawlies including: ants, aphids, dragonflies, plant bugs, bees, spiders and many more.
URL: http://www.enature.com/guides/select_Insects_and_Spiders.asp
Source: eNature

3. Butterflies include caterpillars, butterflies and moths of all types.
URL: http://www.enature.com/guides/select_Butterflies.asp
Source: eNature


General Bug Sites

4. About Insects is a website highlighting the bugs of Australia.
URL: http://www.ento.csiro.au/about_insects/index.html
Under “Just For Fun,” kids can find games and coloring pages. Insect fact sheets give information on bug identification, history, family, and more. “Insects and their Allies” teaches about invertebrates, insects working together, and how to collect and display your favorite bugs. This is a great beginning point for an exploration of the insect world. Other links such as Ants Online lead to related sites with excellent information on specialized subjects.
Source: CSIRO Entomology

5. Katerpillars (& Mystery Bugs) lets you explore bugs year round.
URL: http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/ythfacts/entyouth.htm
This kid-friendly site has sections on bug food (one of our favorites), mystery bugs, year round bug explorations, and teacher /parent resource materials. The section on Bug Fun has crafts, games, jokes, and classroom projects. Although this site may not be as graphically enticing as some of the others, it includes many wonderful educational materials.
Source: The University of Kentucky Department of Entomology

6. 3D Insects brings your favorite bug to your desktop with 3D movies.
URL: http://www.ento.vt.edu/~sharov/3d/virtual.html
If you download the special plug-ins, you can also view these insects in virtual reality mode. The movies are in QuickTime format, and are set to play in a continuous loop. If you are interested in animation as well as bugs, the section on “How To Build Virtual Insects” may be the perfect tutorial for you.
Source: Virginia Tech’s Entomology Department

Lesson Plans & Projects

7. Using Live Insects in Elementary Classrooms is a teacher’s delight.
URL: http://insected.arizona.edu/lessons.htm
This site will help you bring bugs into your classroom without going buggy. The lesson plans cover a wide range of insects and offers help on set-up (including activity sheets), lesson plans, and additions such as vocabulary lists and reading suggestions.
Source: University of Arizona – Center for Insect Science - Education Outreach

8. Bug or Insect Crafts for Kids has creative projects for bug lovers of all ages.
URL: http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/bugs.html
Whether you want to build a beehive piñata, a walking stick out of pipe cleaners, or a paper chain of butterflies, you will find crafts for all levels of crafters at this delightful site. If your kids are into insects, there are enough projects here to keep them busy for ages!
Source: Danielle’s Place of Crafts and Activities


Edible Bugs

9. Iowa State University's Tasty Insect Recipes thrilled Jay Leno. What about you?
URL: http://www.ent.iastate.edu/misc/insectsasfood.html
Click on the recipes on the left to see how you can make a tasty treat out of your garden-variety insect. Kathy Gee and Julie Stephens feature such recipes as: rootworm beetle dip, chocolate-covered grasshoppers, and chocolate chirpie chip cookies, to name just a few. Take a look at their site index to explore other interesting areas related to the insect world.
Source: Iowa State University’s Entomology Department

10. Edible Insects has a few interesting insect recipes and some very helpful hints.
URL: http://www.eatbug.com/recipes.htm
Although this site only has a few recipes, it has a number of helpful hints on how to prepare your insects for culinary experimentation. Edible Insects also has the only calorie count for crickets that we’ve ever seen: 121 calories for every 100 grams, just in case you were curious.
Source: Aletheia Price

Bonus - Bug Food is also a section under our #5 pick: Katerpillars (& Mystery Bugs)
URL: http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/ythfacts/bugfood/bugfood1.htm
The section on “Insect-themed Food” lets kids have fun with food that resembles bugs, without actually ingesting the real thing.
Source: The University of Kentucky Department of Entomology