BUGS: Squashing the Myths

Artist extraordinaire James Grasdal is putting the finishing touches on the 13^th book in the Superman Duffy comic series— MYTHCONCEPTIONS. Which, you may have guessed has a little something to do with “myths.” 

I love myths! So for this year’s A to Z Blogging Challenge, I’m going to “bust” as many of them as I can—every day (except Sundays) on the blog, throughout April. 

Not familiar with the A to Z Challenge? Get the details here, and then hang on, because I’m about to blow your mind with my myth-inspired posts. 

P.S. Comment on the blogs throughout the month for a chance to WIN a complete set of the Superman Duffy comics, including lucky #13, MYTHCONCEPTIONS.

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Bees gather honey from flowers.

Makes sense, right? Except for one myth-busting fact: Flowers don’t contain honey. They contain nectar. Honeybees then convert that nectar into honey. Ah! Now I get it.

Hey, did you know that Falher, Alberta is the honey capital of Canada? They even have a GIANT honeybee to remind you of it!

Bees are cool and all, but I know those aren’t the BUGS you really came to read about. My sister Amelia is the true “Bug Expert” in this family, but here are a few myths I busted on my own—well, erm, with the help of Google and library books. 

Warning: Spider talk ahead.

MYTH: We swallow an average of 7-8 spiders a year.

FACT: I am happy to report that this is not the case. There’s no evidence to support this. Plus, if your mouth is open when you’re sleeping, you’re likely breathing heavy, and THAT would scare spiders away. (Even if you brushed your teeth…)

MYTH: Earwigs lay their eggs in your ear.

FACT: Nope. But on an unrelated note, earwigs are one of the few insect species to care for its young. Just not IN your ear.

MYTH: An insect has 6 legs, attached to the abdomen.

FACT: An easy mistake to make, since we associate our legs with the bottom of our bodies. In fact, an insect’s legs are attached at the thorax (part of human body between the neck and the abdomen.)

MYTH: You can tell the age of a ladybug by counting the spots on its wings.

FACT: Actually, the colours and spots remain the same throughout an adult ladybug’s life. However, some ladybug species are named for the number of their spots—such as the 7-Spotted Lady Beetle which has—ha—seven spots.

MYTH: Spiders, insects, ticks and all other creepy crawlies are bugs.

FACT: I admit, I’m the first person to call any crawling invertebrate I see a BUG, but actually, there are some distinctions. Cicadas, aphids, hoppers and stink bugs are definitely BUGS. Spiders, ticks, beetles, and flies are not. (They all still give me the heebiejeebies!)

MYTH: All spiders make webs.

FACT: They don’t! Some hunting spiders—like wolf spiders, jumping spiders, and trapdoor spiders, for instance—pursue their prey rather than entrap them. Um…excuse me while I practice my sprints!

MYTH: All insects are bad and should be killed.

FACT: This one’s easy. In the Superman Duffy comic AMELIA XERCES DUFFY, my sister and I meet up with a whole bunch of bugs. Of course, I want to get rid of them ALL, but my know-it-all sister (I mean that in the nicest way…) teaches me which bugs are bad, and the ones that are necessary, especially for farmers like my grandparents.

I don’t know about you, but I will sleep MUCH better at night knowing my snoring won’t be an open invitation for spiders. What are some of your favourite BUG myths?

Gotta jet! The A to Z Challenge takes a break tomorrow, but I’ll “C” you Monday with some fascinating myths about CLOUDS.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

P.S. Don’t forget to comment on this post, or share it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for a chance to WIN a complete set of the Superman Duffy comics. A winner will be chosen at random on May 1, 2016.