LEVELED BOOK •

Extreme Insects
A Reading A–Z Level I Leveled Book
Word Count: 283

Extreme
Insects

Written by Sylvia Ives Baxter

Visit www.readinga-z.com
for thousands of books and materials.

www.readinga-z.com


Extreme
Insects
Owlfly

Written by Sylvia Ives Baxter
www.readinga-z.com


Tarantula

Tarantula Hawk

Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Extreme Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Extreme Look-Alikes . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Extreme Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Extreme Insects • Level I

3


Tarantula

Tarantula Hawk

Robber fly

Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Extreme Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Extreme Look-Alikes . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

A robber fly dines on another insect.

Extreme Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Introduction

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16


Insects are always in danger.

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

They have many enemies.
They are food for each other
as well as other animals.

Extreme Insects • Level I

3

4


Peanut-head bug

A peanut-head bug’s looks and its skunk-like spray help keep it alive.

Insects have many traits that help
them stay alive.
These traits include size, looks,
and weapons.
Let’s look at some of the extreme
traits insects have that help them.
Extreme Insects • Level I

5



Peanut-head bug

Goliath beetle

A peanut-head bug’s looks and its skunk-like spray help keep it alive.
Goliath beetles are one of the largest insects in the world.

Insects have many traits that help
Extreme Size

them stay alive.
These traits include size, looks,

This beetle can grow as long as a pen.

and weapons.

It can weigh as much as a banana.

Let’s look at some of the extreme

Extreme size and a hard cover

traits insects have that help them.

protect it from its enemies.

Extreme Insects • Level I


5

6


Walking Stick

A walking stick’s size and looks help keep it from being eaten

This insect can grow longer than
a new pencil.
Its size frightens smaller insects away.
Animals don’t eat it because
they think it is just a big stick.
Extreme Insects • Level I

7


Trash bug

Walking Stick

A walking stick’s size and looks help keep it from being eaten

Trash bugs carry leftovers on their backs to hide from animals
that might eat them.

This insect can grow longer than
Extreme Look-Alikes


a new pencil.
Its size frightens smaller insects away.

Many insects look like other things.

Animals don’t eat it because

Their looks help them hide from

they think it is just a big stick.

animals that want to eat them.

Extreme Insects • Level I

7

8


Katydid

Can you find the insect in this picture?

Some insects look like parts of plants.
They can look like leaves, flowers,
stems, or even thorns.
Extreme Insects • Level I


9


Katydid

Sphinx moth caterpillar

A Sphinx moth caterpillar can puff up its spots so it looks like a cobra.
Can you find the insect in this picture?

There are insects with large fake

Some insects look like parts of plants.

eyes to scare hungry animals away.

They can look like leaves, flowers,

When scared, this caterpillar can

stems, or even thorns.

make itself look like a snake.

Extreme Insects • Level I

9

10



Ambush bug

Ambush bugs have thick front legs to catch bees and flies.

Extreme Weapons
Some insects have extreme
weapons to help them survive.
Some of these insects use their
weapons to get food.
Others use their weapons
to keep from becoming food.
Extreme Insects • Level I

11


Ambush bug

Antlion larva

Ambush bugs have thick front legs to catch bees and flies.

Extreme Weapons
Some insects have extreme

An antlion larva traps and eats ants with its extreme jaws.

weapons to help them survive.
Some of these insects use their


This insect digs a pit in the sand.

weapons to get food.

It traps ants in the pit.

Others use their weapons

Then it grabs an ant in its large,

to keep from becoming food.

sharp jaws. Yummy!

Extreme Insects • Level I

11

12


Assassin bug

The assassin bug’s beak makes it deadly.

This bug jumps on other insects.
It stabs them with its sharp beak.
It shoots out poison that turns their
insides to goo.

Then the bug sucks out the goo.
Slurp!
Extreme Insects • Level I

13


Assassin bug

Bombardier beetle

spray

The assassin bug’s beak makes it deadly.
The bombardier beetle’s spray keeps enemies away.

This bug jumps on other insects.
It stabs them with its sharp beak.
It shoots out poison that turns their

Watch out!

insides to goo.

This beetle sprays out boiling hot

Then the bug sucks out the goo.

poison when touched.


Slurp!

It stops animals from trying to eat it.

Extreme Insects • Level I

13

14


Ambush bug

Ambush bugs hide near flowers to catch their prey.

Conclusion
Insects have many ways to protect
themselves.
Their size, color, and weapons can
help them stay alive.
Extreme Insects • Level I

15


Glossary

Ambush bug

caterpillar the second stage of the life

cycle of a butterfly or moth;
the larva stage (p. 10)
extreme great or much more than usual
(p. 5)
poison a substance that can kill animals
or plants (p. 13)
protect to keep something from being
hurt (p. 6)
traits qualities that make living things
different from one another (p. 5)

Index
Ambush bugs hide near flowers to catch their prey.

ambush bug,  11, 15

Goliath beetle,  6

antlion,  12

larva,  12

assassin bug,  13

moths,  10

Insects have many ways to protect

bombardier beetle,  14


peanut-head bug,  5

themselves.

caterpillar,  10

protect,  6, 15

Their size, color, and weapons can

cobra snake,  10

titan walking stick,  7

help them stay alive.

enemies,  4

traits,  5

Conclusion

Extreme Insects • Level I

15

16


LEVELED BOOK •


Extreme Insects
A Reading A–Z Level I Leveled Book
Word Count: 283

Extreme
Insects

Written by Sylvia Ives Baxter

Visit www.readinga-z.com
for thousands of books and materials.

www.readinga-z.com


Extreme
Insects

Photo Credits:
Front Cover, page 11: © Paul Whitten/Photo Researchers, Inc.; back cover, page 4:
© Naturepix/Alamy; title page, page 8: © Stephen Dalton/Minden Pictures; page 3:
© Jupiterimages Corporation; page 5: © M. Watson/ardea.com; page 6: courtesy
of Paul Gertler/USFWS; page 7: © Johnny Haglund/Lonely Planet Images; pages
9, 13: © Piotr Naskrecki/Minden Pictures; page 10: © Gregory G. Dimijian/Photo
Researchers, Inc.; page 12: © Giacomo Radi/ardea.com; page 14: © REUTERS; page
15: © Michael Hampson/Alamy
Front cover: Ambush bug
Back cover: Robber fly eating a meal


Owlfly

Written by Sylvia Ives Baxter

Extreme Insects
Level I Leveled Book
© Learning A–Z
Written by Sylvia Ives Baxter
All rights reserved.

www.readinga-z.com

www.readinga-z.com

Correlation
LEVEL I
Fountas & Pinnell
I
Reading Recovery 15–16
DRA
16