Lucille Recht Penner - Monster Bugs

Text copyright 1996 by Lucille Recht Penner. Illustrations copyright 1996 by Pamela Johnson. All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Random House Childrens Books, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, New York. Step into Reading, Random House, and the Random House colophon are registered trademarks of Random House LLC. cm. (Step into reading. (Step into reading.

A step 3 book) Originally published: New York : Random House, 1996, in series: Step into reading. Step 2 book.
Summary: Describes some of the worlds largest insects and spiders, including the Goliath beetle, praying mantis, tarantula, and giant atlas moth.
ISBN 978-0-553-51255-7 (eBook)
ISBN 978-0-679-86974-0 (trade) ISBN 978-0-679-96974-7 (lib. bdg.)
1. InsectsJuvenile literature. 2. 3. 3.

SpidersJuvenile literature. 4. SpidersSizeJuvenile literature. [1. Insects. 2.

Spiders.] I. Johnson, Pamela, ill. II. Title. III. Series: Step into reading.

Step 3 book.
QL467.2.P458 2003 595.7dc21 2002013442 This book has been officially leveled by using the F&P Text Level Gradient Leveling System. Random House Childrens Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read. v3.1 To Daniel PennerThanks to Dr. David Grimaldi
of the American Museum of Natural History
for his helpful advice.

Have you ever looked at a bug up close ? You might see horns or armor or spikes. If bugs were your size, theyd be scary. No bug is as big as you.

But some are huge for bugs. And some are fierce! This book is all about the biggest and fiercest bugs in the world. The heaviest bug is the goliath beetle of Africa. How heavy is it? Get two eggs out of the fridge. Hold them together in your hand. But goliath beetles are gentle. But goliath beetles are gentle.

Some kids even keep them as pets! Not all beetles are gentle. The giant stag beetle is a fighter! These two beetles are fighting over a female. One male grabs the other in its huge jaws, lifts it into the air, and slams it down on the ground! A mouse wants to eat this juicy bombardier beetle. But the beetle fires boiling-hot gas from its rear end. Bang! Bang! Bang! Each burst explodes like a firecracker. Giant waterbugs stab their victims and suck their blood like vampires! The mother waterbug glues her eggs to the fathers back. Giant waterbugs stab their victims and suck their blood like vampires! The mother waterbug glues her eggs to the fathers back.

He carries them around until they hatch. Then, if the babies dont swim away quickly, he might eat them! Whats the stinkiest, smelliest bug? A stinkbug. When a bird scares a stinkbug, the bug oozes a horrible, smelly liquid. The bird flies away. It doesnt want a dinner that stinks. Australian walking sticks are the longest of all bugs.

Hungry birds love to eat them. The walking stick doesnt have big jaws or burning gas to fight with. But it can hold very still and hide. Look closely. Can you see it against this branch? Some praying mantises are as long as bananas.