desert bugs - Top That! Publishing

SWAMP MONSTERS
Swamps provide an excellent environment for aquatic insects such as
dragonflies and mosquitoes. Either completely or partially wooded with trees
and shrubs, these warm, wet habitats teem with animal, plant and insect life.
What are midges
Midges are small flies that fly around in large swarms
near and around water. The larvae perform an
extremely useful task, as they feed on bacteria and are
very important in the disposal of human waste in
sewage plants. They may not look like much, but they
Which everglade insect weaves golden silk
The golden orb weaver spider. This beautiful yellow, black and white spider
spins silk webs that have a golden sheen to them, high in the hammocks of
the everglades. The webs are semi-permanent, trapping insects, bats and
even small birds. The spider cleans the web every day to make sure that its
trap is kept free from leaf debris and twigs that would give the game away
to unsuspecting victims.
A golden orb
weaver spider
spins silk webs
that shimmer
in the light.
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help to keep our environment clean and healthy. Some
species of midge bite, causing itching and swelling.
They can be found in the Highlands of Scotland and
North Wales in the summer, and can find you from up
to 200 m away.
FACT FILE
• The water in a swamp
can be fresh water or
salt water.
• Swamps can be found
all over the world, from
the Asmat Swamp in
Indonesia to the
Okavango Swamp in
Botswana, Africa and the
Everglades in Florida, US.
• A wetland surrounded
by trees or shrubs is
called a swamp. If there
are no trees or shrubs,
the wetland is known as
a marsh.