What makes an insect an insect?

3 body segments

6 legs, 3 on each side

Antennae

Life Cycle Illustrated with lady beetles

Eggs

Young lady beetles

Lady beetle juvenile

Lady beetle pupa

Lady beetle adult

Are insects good or bad?

Pests A thing that is in the wrong place and or too abundant and interfers with people. Aphids and caterpillars are too common pests you will see

Beneficial Insects Beneficial insects are insects that do good things for people. Pollinators, like bumble bees, pollinate flowers. Many things we eat grow because of pollinators. FRUITS WITH SEEDS? Natural enemies, like lady beetles, eat insects we don’t want around

Pollinators

Pollinators Pollinators, like bumble bees, pollinate flowers. Many things we eat grow because of pollinators. FRUITS WITH SEEDS?

Not just honey bees!

Natural enemies Natural enemy Pest Natural enemies eat or kill pests. These are called natural enemies. In a chemical free environment they provide the many external defense of the plants that people want to use. This process is called biological control.

Lacewings Common predator

Parasitoids Parasitoid is an insect that lays it’s eggs in other insects. Then it’s babies eat the other insect from the inside out and pop out like aliens, killing their hosts. Parasitoids are very important in keeping herbivore populations down and keep plants green