Share it! Science

Nature continues to surprise and fascinate me. This week, in addition to the usual garden pictures, I'd like to challenge you with a nature mystery!

We were looking over the potted pepper plants one evening this week and my husband spotted something that looked like a speck of dirt or a bit of plant debris. He noticed it because there were also some holes in the leaf as if something had been munching on it. I went to brush off the bit of debris and found that it was securely fastened to the plant. Additionally, when I touched it, it moved!

The mystery creature looks like a bit of dirt! ©SBF 2015

The mystery creature carries it's own shield! ©SBF 2015

Upon closer inspection we found a curious creature. I knew it was a larvae because it had 6 true legs in addition to some proto-legs, or false legs, like the type you might see on a caterpillar. Adult insects generally have 6 true legs. It was also carrying its own shield. If I gently tried to move the bit of debris away from it, it would curl it back up and use it again as a disguise.

The creature quickly puts its disguise back on when I gently lift it off. ©SBF 2015

What is this creature? We did some homework and some deductive reasoning and found out the answer. Your challenge is to do the same. I'll give you a hint- if you look back over my "Glimpse of the Garden" posts, you might find a clue! Remember you can use the search bar at the top of the page, the blog archive, or the labels section located on the right-hand sidebar to narrow your search.

Good luck! I'll reveal the answer next week. If you think you know, leave your answer in the comments, or shoot me an e-mail at shareitscience@gmail.com


This week's veggies, c'mon ripen up! ©SBF 2015

Vegetable garden flowers are pretty too! ©SBF 2015

(affiliate link)

Each year, in early August is the Perseid meteor shower. This is one of the best to view with kids as the warm summer weather makes night viewing a more comfortable experience. The peak dates are often around August 11-14th, although you may see meteors throughout the month of August. The best viewing will be late at night into the early morning hours, but there is always a chance to see a meteor earlier in the evening as well. The key is to find a spot that is free of light pollution and being patient!

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission if you purchase a product after clicking a link (with no additional cost to you). Please see disclosures for more information.

What is a meteor shower? Meteors, or shooting stars as we sometimes call them, are bits of debris from space that burn up in the Earth's atmosphere creating a streak across the sky. Meteor showers are named after the part of the sky they seem to be coming from. During the Perseid meteor shower the meteors appear to be originating from the constellation Perseus. The Perseid meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through the orbit of the Comet Swift-Tuttle.

If you're not too confident with your astronomy skills, or you would like to get kids interested in astronomy and star gazing there are many great resources and tools to do so. I have mentioned some of these in the past, but they are worth another nod. If you want to explore the night sky before heading outside you should check Stellarium, a free planetarium software program. You can also use a printable star wheel like this one to help orient yourself.

Three of my favorite books for sharing the night sky with children and learning more myself are Chet Raymo's 365 Starry Nights : An Introduction to Astronomy for Every Night of the Year, H.A. Rey's The Stars and H.A. Rey's Find the Constellations.

If you'd like to go high tech another excellent tool for orienting yourself to the night sky is Google's Sky Map app. With the app you simply hold your phone or device up toward the sky and it shows what you should be seeing in that location. However, I'd urge you to turn off your gadgets once you know what you're looking at and just enjoy! If you like astronomy topics you might want to read my other posts that involve the sky and beyond by following this link.