June Bugs In July
This is a story about April, a little girl who is nine years old.
On a warm summer day in early July as she played in the open grasslands
near her home, a very peculiar buzzing sound caught her attention. As she looked up a shiny reddish-brown almost black looking
large bug flew right over her head! She
ducked to her knees to avoid a head on collision and wouldn't you know it, it
barely missed her.
This unusual bug emerges in late spring and is also referred to as a May
beetle. Here was a little girl
named April out in early July nearly attacked by a May beetle more commonly
known as a June bug. June bugs in July she whispered to herself looking up into
the sky for the low flying insect. She
quickly figured out that the bulky June bug was not attacking her but actually
having a difficult time flying all together.
She started to laugh at this silly looking bug and decided to name it,
"Poppy-seed the June bug!"
April noticed many other interesting insects that warm summers day.
Over by the pond there was something walking on the waters surface.
Their tiny feet made little tiny waves as they glided around the pond.
She thought to herself, this is one bug that can actually walk on water!
You can spot them on the first days of spring.
They can even be seen dancing on mud puddles.
Can you guess what kind of bug walks on water?
It's a Water Strider of course! When
you watch one in action, it will keep your attention for hours.
April bent over and picked up three beans that seemed to be jumping by
themselves in the sand. This amazed April and she really liked these beans, which she
called "magical beans." She
wasn't about to plant them because she knew that there was a small insect living
inside of those beans. Inside the
beans of a Mexican shrub is the caterpillar of a little moth.
They larvae over winter in the beans.
It flips its' body which makes the beans jump.
Can you guess what these beans are actually called?
They are from Croton Mexico called Mexican Jumping Beans!
Pretty amazing! huh?
Just then Poppy-seed the June bug could be seen fluttering aimlessly back
and forth across the open field. In
two to three weeks her white eggs will hatch and there will be 55 June bugs
buzzing around. If you see one make sure to tell everyone as they are quite a
sight to see. I remember the first
time I saw one. It was also a warm
summers day in July. I was amazed
at how big it was! It too buzzed by
my head and caught my undivided attention.
Back by the pond the Water Striders continued dancing on the water.
April said they looked like they were ice- skating.
The Mexican Jumping Beans continued jumping as she held out the magical
beans in the palm of her hand. Poppy-seed
the June bug had her babies (you guessed it, in July) and April fell fast asleep
in the tall green grass dreaming about the interesting bugs she had met and her
next summers adventure!
Copyright
1997 by Author Patti Tricoli
