What's Bugging You?

You may have heard someone say, "there's a bug in my soup," or "don't bug me." What if that bug they found, in the soup, was a cockroach? They would be wrong of course, if they said bug, because a cockroach is an insect, not a bug.

People have been using the word "bug" for so long that it has stuck, as the symbolic word for all insects. For this reason, most people take it for granted that a bug and an insect are one in the same. We have used the word, bug, in so many sayings that at this point it would be hard to change them. Can you imagine saying "there's an insect in my soup," or "Don't insect me?".

The truth is, a bug is an insect, but not all insects are bugs. True bugs are insects belonging to the group called Hemiptera. This group consist of insects that have a piercing, sucking mouth part called a rostrum. They use the rostrum in the same way you would use a straw. They suck plant juices, or blood and body fluids from their victims.

There are two major groups of Hemiptera: Hemoptera, and Heteroptera. Hemopteras include the plant-suckers that have membranous wings in the front, and back. This group includes aphids, leaf hoppers, cicadas and others. Heteroptera have thicker, leathery forewings. All of the species are brightly colored. This coloring is like a warning sign to predators, saying, "I TASTE BAD!" These bugs give off an unpleasant smell that is distasteful to animals. Bugs in this group include assassin bugs, all water bugs and numerous others.

Some people find bugs creepy, but for others a love of bugs is a great reason to hold a carnival. This month thousands will gather at Purdue University to attend the ninth annual Purdue University Bug Bowl. The world-reknowned event will feature cockroach races, a petting zoo ( handle at your own wish ), and insect themed arts. For people who want to experience a bug's life, a six-legged race imitating caterpillar locomotion will be held.

Highlighting the event will be the Cricket spitting contest, sanctioned by the Guinness Book of Records. This year challengers will come and try to defeat the champion, Dan Capps, who holds the world record; 32 feet-1.25 inches. This year Pennsylvania State University is challenging Purdue to a Big Ten Spit-off. The details are still being worked out so I can't tell you what they mean by "Big Ten," but 10 crickets flying out of someone's mouth does come to mind. Not to leave the kids out, a youth division for children who are seven years old or younger, has been added.

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