Common insect orders

Parts of an insect

Head Thorax Abdomen

3 pairs of legs Wings and legs on thorax

Important areas to study to identify common insect orders

Head Thorax Abdomen

3 pairs of legs

Mouthparts: Chewing

mandibles

mandibles

Mouthparts:

Piercing

Sucking

Sponging-sucking

Coiled

Odonata (dragonflies, damselflies)

Greek “odon” = tooth (referring to teeth on their mandibles)

Odonata (dragonflies, damselflies)

Spot ID •  Long slender wings •  Long thin body

Blattodea (roaches) Latin “blatta” = cockroach

Blattodea (roaches)

Spot ID •  Flat •  Spiny legs •  Long antennae

Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets) Greek “orthos” = straight, “pteros” = wing

Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets)

Spot ID •  Jumping hind legs •  Some with ovipositor at hind

end

Dermaptera (earwigs) Greek “derma” = skin, “ptero” = wing

Spot ID •  Long skin-like hindwings folded

under very short forewings •  Pinchers off end of abdomen

Hemiptera (bugs, hoppers, aphids, scales, cicadas)

Greek “hemisys” = half, “ptero” = wing Spot ID •  A beak: piercing-sucking mouthparts •  Forewings covering hindwings

–  Wing half membrane, half thickened or –  Wing all membranous

Coleoptera (beetles)

Greek “koleos”= sheath, “ptero”= wing

Coleoptera (beetles)

Spot ID •  Chewing mouthparts •  Forewings (elytra)

form hard shell covering hindwings (membranous)

Diptera (flies) Latin “di”= two, “ptero”= wing

Diptera (flies)

Latin “di”= two, “ptero”= wing Spot ID •  Two wings

–  Hind wings reduced to halteres

•  Sponging-sucking mouthparts –  Except mosquitoes

and some others that pierce skin

Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, ants)

Greek “hymen”=membrane, “ptero”=wing or

Hymen, the Greek god of marriage because the forewing & hindwings are joined together

with small hooks

Hooks not shown

Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, ants)

Spot ID •  Chewing mouthparts •  Four membranous wings •  Waist often constricted •  Females with ovipositor or

stinger at end of abdomen

Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths)

Greek “lepido”= scale, “ptero”= wing

Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths)

Greek “lepido”= scale, “ptero”= wing

•  Coiling-sucking mouthparts •  Four wings covered with scales