Their appearance confused the scientist who discovered them, because the first species named was Grylloblatta campodeiformis, which means "It looks like a cricket, cockroach, and a Campodea" (a kind of two-pronged bristletail)… … …

GLOBAL PRESENCE:

.Ice Bug’s were first discovered around 1960, by E.M. Walker.

.Ice Bugs seemed to represent Cookroaches,Crickets,Grass hopers, hence their scientific name is Grylloblattodea.

.With only 25 species found in world wide,Ice Bugs are the second smallest order of species out of the insects.

.They can not tolerate warm temperatures.Most species are active below FREEZING temperatures and usually die above 10 degrees Celsius.

.Due to the cold temperature at which they live, growth and development is very slow. Ice Bugs may require up to seven years to complete a single generation.

No grylloblattids have ever been found in the southern hemisphere.

They live in places that are not inhabited by humans.

Geographic range:

Northern Ice Bugs are found in south-eastern British Columbia, south-eastern Alberta, eastern Washington, northern Indaho, western and southern Montana,Asia,North-eastern Europe, northern Korea etc.

=)Local species

MORE LOCAL SPECIES

MORE LOCAL SPECIES

HARMFUL AND BENEFICIAL SPECIES:

Ice Bug’s avoid fighting against other modern insects.

They don’t harm us and they are not inhabited by humans.

So they are more than likely to be beneficial species than harmful.

How ever they do like to eat crane flies and larvae.

But the positive fact about Ice bugs is that they also like to eat dead insects that were already dead.

Instead of killing the insect to eat it.

BASIC ANATOMY:

Antennae slender, filiform-(used for sensing their food)Mouthparts mandibulate,hypognathous-(used to eat.)

Body cylindrical-(Abdomen that has 10 segments.)

Tarsi 5-segmented-(used to crawl)

Cerci long, 8 – segmented.(Often without eyes)

ADAPTIVE AND DEFENSIVE STRUCTURES AND BEHAVIOURS Some North American species look for their food on

the surface of the snow. They detect prey and other food items with their mouthparts. The baby can survive without food for three to six months. Although they are adapted for survival at cooler temperatures, rock-crawlers will die if they are caught in extended periods of freezing temperatures. They will also die if temperatures rise to 82°F (28°C).

It takes place under stones and includes lots of leg nibbling and touching with the antennae. Occasionally, the female may suddenly eat the male. Females lay sixty to 150 eggs in or on the soil, in decayed wood, or under leaves and stones. The eggs hatch in about 150 days but might take as long as three years. The baby strongly resemble the adults when they hatch and gradually get larger as they mature. They molt, or shed their outer covering, or exoskeleton, three times during the first year and once a year for the next four or more years before reaching adulthood.

HABITATS:

Habitat: Northern ice Bug’s live in mountains above the highest point where trees can grow. They prefer habitats where there is plenty of moisture and the temperatures range between 38°F and 60°F (3°C and 15°C), such as the edges of glacial bogs in moss, decaying wood, or damp areas deep under rocks. They are sometimes buried up to 3.3 feet (1 meter) in piles of pebbles, small stones, and other rocky debris.

FOOD CHAIN:

LIFE CYCLElife cycle : At first an ice-bug lays an egg or more, then after the

egg hatches an ice-bug will appear! Then it will grow up ,into the young stages! after it has grown bigger and bigger it eventually grows into an adult!.if you want to see the picture please click this link!!:http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/life.htm

Lays eggs

Then a little baby ice-bug

Will appear!

Then will Turn into Adult!!

Ice-Bug

Then will growbigger