Portal:Insects

The Insects Portal

Insects (from Latin insectum) are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and a pair of antennae. Insects are the most diverse group of animals, with more than a million described species; they represent more than half of all animal species. (Full article...)

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Female common earwig, Forficula auricularia

Earwigs make up the insect order Dermaptera. With about 2,000 species in 12 families, they are one of the smaller insect orders. Earwigs have characteristic cerci, a pair of forceps-like pincers on their abdomen, and membranous wings folded underneath short, rarely used forewings, hence the scientific order name, "skin wings". Some groups are tiny parasites on mammals and lack the typical pincers. Earwigs are found on all continents except Antarctica.

Earwigs are mostly nocturnal and often hide in small, moist crevices during the day, and are active at night, feeding on a wide variety of insects and plants. Damage to foliage, flowers, and various crops is commonly blamed on earwigs, especially the common earwig Forficula auricularia. (Full article...)

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... that along with Ithonidae, Polystoechotidae are regarded as the most primitive living members of the insect order Neuroptera?
... that the white-throated round-eared bat creates roosts inside the nests of the termite, Nasutitermes corniger?
... that Leptofoenus pittfieldae is the only species of Leptofoenus documented from the West Indies and the only member of Leptofoenus in the fossil record?
... that fluffy bums suck on passion vine juice?
... that Diorhabda carinata, D. sublineata and D. elongata, three species of leaf beetle in Eurasia and North Africa, are used as biological pest control agents against invasive tamarisk trees in North America?

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The following are images from various insect-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Male genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 2Mandibles of Rhyniognatha hirsti, it may be an oldest insect, but also possible to be a myriapod. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 3Closeup of a fire ant, showing fine sensory hairs on antennae (from Insect morphology)
Image 4Indian moon moth (Actias selene) with some of the spiracles identified (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 5Hoverfly (Philhelius pedissequum) has indirect flight musculature. (from Insect flight)
Image 6Venation of insect wings, based on the Comstock-Needham system (from Insect morphology)
Image 7Mazothairos, a Carboniferous member of the now extinct order Palaeodictyoptera. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 8Reconstruction of a Carboniferous insect, the palaeodictyopteran Mazothairos (from Insect flight)
Image 9Variety of male structures in Phlebotominae (Diptera, Psychodidae) (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 10Larva of beetle, family Cerambycidae, showing sclerotised epicranium; rest of body hardly sclerotised (from Insect morphology)
Image 11A tau emerald (Hemicordulia tau) dragonfly has flight muscles attached directly to its wings. (from Insect flight)
Image 12A pie chart of described eukaryote species, showing just over half of these to be insects (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 13Evolution has produced astonishing variety of appendages in insects, such as these antennae. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 14
Insect morphology
Legend of body parts
Tagmata: A – Head, B – Thorax, C – Abdomen.
1. antenna
2. ocelli (lower)
3. ocelli (upper)
4. compound eye
5. brain (cerebral ganglia)
6. prothorax
7. dorsal blood vessel
8. tracheal tubes (trunk with spiracle)
9. mesothorax
10. metathorax
11. forewing
12. hindwing
13. mid-gut (stomach)
14. dorsal tube (heart)
15. ovary
16. hind-gut (intestine, rectum & anus)
17. anus
18. oviduct
19. nerve cord (abdominal ganglia)
20. Malpighian tubes
21. tarsal pads
22. claws
23. tarsus
24. tibia
25. femur
26. trochanter
27. fore-gut (crop, gizzard)
28. thoracic ganglion
29. coxa
30. salivary gland
31. subesophageal ganglion
32. mouthparts
(from Insect morphology)
Image 15The Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) have direct flight musculature, as do mayflies. (from Insect flight)
Image 16Direct flight: muscles attached to wings. Large insects only (from Insect flight)
Image 17Frenulo-retinacular wing coupling in male and female moths (from Insect flight)
Image 18Bumblebee defecating. Note the contraction of the anus, which provides internal pressure. (from Insect morphology)
Image 19Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) of Papua New Guinea (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 20Head of Orthoptera, Acrididae. a:antenna; b:ocelli; c:vertex; d:compound eye; e:occiput; f:gena; g:pleurostoma; h:mandible; i:labial palp; j:maxillary palps; k:maxilla; l:labrum; m:clypeus; n:frons (from Insect morphology)
Image 21Diagram of a typical insect leg (from Insect morphology)
Image 22Mayfly nymph with paired abdominal gills (from Insect flight)
Image 23Scanning electron micrograph of a cricket spiracle valve (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 24Reconstruction Strudiella devonica as a possible hexapod (from Evolution of insects)
Image 25Stylized diagram of insect digestive tract showing malpighian tubule, from an insect of the order Orthoptera. (from Insect morphology)
Image 26The development of insect mouthparts from the primitive chewing mouthparts of a grasshopper in the center (A), to the lapping type (B) of a bee, the siphoning type (C) of a butterfly and the sucking type (D) of a female mosquito.
Legend: a – antennae
c – compound eye
lb – labium
lr – labrum
md – mandibles
mx – maxillae (from Insect morphology)
Image 27Cross-section of wing vein (from Insect morphology)
Image 28Generalized arthropod biramous limb. Trueman proposed that an endite and an exite fused to form a wing. (from Insect flight)
Image 29Larva of Syrphid fly, member of Cyclorrhapha, without epicranium, almost without sclerotisation apart from its jaws. (from Insect morphology)
Image 30Fossil gnat in amber, a well-preserved insect fossil. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 31The abdominal terminus of male scorpionflies is enlarged into a "genital bulb", as seen in Panorpa communis (from Insect morphology)
Image 32The female genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)

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Credit: Noodle snacks

Green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) is a family of lacewings containing about 85 genera and (according to different sources) 1,300–2,000 species. Members of the genera Chrysopa (pictured) and Chrysoperla are very common in North America and Europe; they are very similar and many of their species have been moved from one genus to the other times and again.

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