Insects explained a basic guide to insect morphology and identification. Many of these are of minor importance and are studied only from the standpoint of scientific interest. Legs of insects vary greatly in size and form and are often used for classification purposes walking, jumping, diggings, grasping, feeling, swimming, carrying loads, building nests, and cleaning leg adaptations grasshoppers. The key included in this guide is only useful for keying adult insects to order. Remember immature insects and adult insects are often very different. Insects are small creatures whose bodies are divided into three different partsa head, a thorax, and an abdomenhave 3 pairs of legs, and often times have a pair of antennae and compound eyes. Females typically have a special ovipositor for inserting eggs into hosts or places that are otherwise inaccessible. Insect images is a joint project of the university of georgia warnell school of forestry and natural resources, college of agricultural and environmental sciences department of entomology, center for invasive species and ecosystem health, georgia museum of natural history, the entomology society of america and usda identification technology. The purpose of these documents is to provide entomology instructors with a standard set of materials to teach the taxomony of orders and common families of insects. If you decide that your specimen may not be included here, use the reference books. Some new classifications and new insect orders in current literature, but it is a good general reference. Also, this key does not cover other creatures related to insects, like spiders, sowbugs, and centipedes. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
Without the activities of insects, human life on earth would eventually be extinguished. Entomology the study of insects dominant groups of animals on earth today life on earth. Recent classification of orders of insects keywords. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. Sight recognition of insect orders laboratory exercise to follow. How to distinguish the orders of insects at this point, it may be useful to present a key to the orders of insects, which will serve both as an example of a key in use, and as a first step in identifying a specimen. A list of the orders of insects with links to more information about each order. Millions of years ago 500 400 300 200 100 present day wings can fold over backno external wing developmentfeeding on flowering plants diversification of pollinators of flowering plantssocial behavior ancestors of insects, spiders, and centipedes hit landfirst insects first winged insects moths bees, ants wingless wings cant fold. When you want to identify an insect the first step is to find out in which order it is classified. They form a pupal case, inside of which the pupae change in form and in color and develop wings.
The questions in this quiz and worksheet will address these questions, helping you learn more about insects. Oct 4, 2012 entomologists have classified insects in 30 different orders, some of them, like beetles or flies, are familiar to everyone, but others are more obscure. Insect groups orders amateur entomologists society aes. If it has more than 8 legs, it is neither an insect nor a spider.
This order includes some of the best known and most important of our insect enemies. Coleoptera beetles, weevils life cycle complete metamorphosis. Chewing insects chew off portions of plant piercingsucking insects pierce skin and suck up plant juices internal feeders gain entrance into plant and feed on the inside subterranean insects attack plant from below the soil surface injury by laying eggs nest materials remove tissue to use in nests. Insects that eat pests parasites insects complete their life inside a pests parasitic wasp predators insects that consume other insects lady beetles pollinators insects that move pollen between plants wasps, bees and flies decomposers insects that feed on dead and decaying plant and animal matter. This key covers insect orders commonly and occasionally observed. This stage is repeated a varying number of times, depending on species, until hormonal changes cause the larvae to pupate. These are grouped together into two subclasses called the apterygota wingless insects and the pterygota winged insects. Because some insects, even ones from separate orders, can look almost exactly alike. Key to the orders of insects the apterygota protura collembola springtails thysanura silverfish diplura two pronged bristletails. Usually two pairs of wings absent in many insects such as lice, fleas, ants. Taxonomy and classification of insects academicscope. Insect taxonomy is the study of the classification of insects.
See the attributions section at the back of the book for a complete list of sources, authors, artists, and licenses. Insects class insecta have segmented bodies, jointed legs, and external skeletons. Just look at the picture and enter in the correct name. Taxonomy is the day today practice dealing with organism kinds, handling and identification of specimen, publication of. Although the affinities of the hemiptera with other insect orders need further clarification, there is no doubt about the monophyly of the order. Many orders wont be encountered or noticed because of their size, habitat, or life cycle. Taxonomy this is the science of identifying, naming and classifying organisms. Insects have segmented bodies, jointed legs, and external skeletons exoskeletons.
This means that you may have to use additional keys to determine the order of that specimen. If there are no forceps, it is probably a beetle, family. If only one color is present on your insect, select it again as its secondary color. The class hexapoda is generally studied under a classification system with approximately 30 orders.
Differential attraction of insect orders to different. More discussion about this classification, with a list of more detailed references, can be found in peter c. Observe 20 different live species of insects in their habitat. Portions of this work have been adapted or used directly from sources in the creative commons. Ancestors of insects, spiders, and centipedes hit land. A dichotomous key is a tool that uses paired statements or questions to guide you to the solution. Economically important insect orders purdue university. There are approximately 30 orders in the class insecta part of the phylum arthropoda, but only five were used in. Many of these are of minor importance and are studied only from the standpoint of scienti c interest. September 22, 2014 in addition to being a scientist, entomology professor, and editorinchief of american entomologist, gene kritsky is also an art enthusiast and a scholar of insects in literature and the arts. Of all the insect orders, orthoptera displays the most features found in other insects, including the sutures and sclerites.
In head a pair of antenna and a pair of compound eyes are usually present. Insects are distinguished from other arthropods by their body, which is divided into three major regions. Shipley and others published the orders of insects find, read and cite all the research you need on. Insects have been hugely successful in terms of both species richness and. They have strong biting mouthparts with which to chew seeds, wood or leaves. When they emerge from the egg, immature ametabolous insects look like tiny versions of their adult counterparts. Classification of class insecta upto orders insect is a six legged arthropod. But what are the different types and how are they classified. A pictorial key to the order of adult insects winged wingless go to page 64 front wings hardened, leathery or parchmentlike at least at the base front wings membranous go to page 61 chewing mouthparts sucking mouthparts without pincerlike cerci with pincerlike cerci front wings leathery at base and membranous at end front wings of uniform. Not all insects will be able to be determined here. Presented at seminar to entomology department 12 october 2015.
Common true bugs and related insects orders hemiptera. Insect orders about 28 different orders of insects divided into these orders based on structure of wings and. Entomologists refer to these insects as ametabolous, from the greek for having no metamorphosis. Insect identification part i classes of arthropoda, orders of insecta 5 key to the orders of insectsnormally found in insect collections once you have determined that the organism you have before you is an insect you may wish to further identify it. Termites are usually small or medium sized, whitish or colourless insects, with short antennae. More than 1 million of the categorized 2 million species are arthropods insects spiders.
Classification of class insecta upto orders phylum. Remember that the more details you can offer, the better your chances of finding a match. Recent classification of orders of insects compiled by gary parsons presented at seminar to entomology department 12 october 2015. Common true bugs and related insects orders hemiptera and.
Orders and selected families of insects department of. Classification of insects royal entomological society. In an order, there are classes, orders, suborders, families and genera, which constitute the living things that procreate with one another. Each of the insect orders are listed below and, by following the links, information on each order is provided main characteristics, life cycle and other interesting facts along with links to other web sites containing further information. Barnards book the royal entomological society book of british insects, published by wileyblackwell in 2011, and obtainable from the res. Coleoptera is the largest order of insects, including about 14 of all known insects with about 280,000 di erent species in the world. Usually two pairs of wings absent in many insects such as lice, eas, ants.
Scuttling along the forest floor, buzzing between flowers, or simply basking in the sun. Insect orders introduction the class hexapoda is generally studied under a classi cation system with approximately 30 orders. Here, the vertex, or the apex dorsal region, is situated between the compound eyes for insects with a hypognathous and opisthognathous head. Insects have been around for at least 350 million years over 900,000 described species u.
Insect orders insect, bugs and spider identification. Insects literacy for anywhere leveled readers for the developing world and beyond. Order coleoptera beetles b first pair of wings reduced in size, hind wings are large. Over 150,000 living species of hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Classification of insects refers to the arrangement of insects into groups and the groups into systems called classification. The insect orders an introduction each to of the 32 orders of insects. Key to insect orders a tool for insect identification. The most primitive insects, such as springtails, silverfish, and firebrats, undergo little or no true metamorphosis over the course of their life cycles. Individual orders can have insects in one or many feeding guilds. Introduction to the identification of insects and related. Insect, class insecta or hexapoda, any member of the largest class of the phylum arthropoda, which is itself the largest of the animal phyla. Bugfinder allows for a quick search of the insect identification database by selecting primary color, secondary color, number of legs and the territory state in question. Classification of insects refers to the arrangement of insects into groups and the groups into systems called classification taxonomy this is the science of identifying, naming and classifying organisms.
In your observations, include at least four orders of insects. Hymenoptera is a large order of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Common true bugs and related insects orders hemiptera and homoptera in the wichita mountains and surrounding areas angel chiri entomologist introduction a word about common names the scientific name of an organism, whether plant or animal, consists of the genus and species, written in italics. Find out how insects are classified in orders, families, genera and species. The key that follows will help you determine many of the more commonly encountered orders of insects. This activity familiarizes students with the six most populous orders of insects by producing minibooks with the name of each order on a separate page, examples of common insects in that order, a picture, identifying characteristics, and an interesting fact.
Similar to coleoptera but with short wing covers and with abdominal forceps. What is the class insecta and what traits does it possess. Unless your specimen is missing legs, insects have six legs whereas spiders have eight legs. Describe the characteristics that distinguish the principal families and orders of insects. The key is in two parts, one for insects with wings, and one for those without. The global challenge is to secure high and quality yields and to make agricultural production environmentally compatible.
Pdf the importance of insects in agricultural ecosystems. Modern humans200,000 years insects350 million years. Economically important insect orders insect feeding guilds characteristics and examples of economically important insects teaching objective. Coleoptera, diptera, hymenoptera, lepidoptera, neuroptera. Taxonomy is the day today practice dealing with organism kinds, handling and identification of specimen, publication of data, study of literature and analysis of.
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