Characteristics and Orders Insects Characteristics and Orders

What You Should Know About Insects …

Taxonomy Kingdom – Animalia Phylum – Arthropoda Class - Insecta

Arthropods Include: spiders (Arachnids), ticks, scorpions, millipedes, crustaceans, horseshoe crab, centipedes and of course INSECTS 4

Insects Are Arthropods Insects are the largest group of Arthropods - 900,000 different species On the planet for 350,000,000 yrs Jointed appendages (bendable) Segmented bodies Exoskeleton of Chitin that must be molted to grow

All Insects Have… Three body regions – head, thorax, and abdomen One pair antenna (head) Six legs or 3 pairs (thorax) One-two pairs of wings (thorax)

Head 2 antennae (feel, hear and smell) 1,000 sensory cells (One species of moth can smell one molecule EIGHT miles away) 2 compound eyes - each has 30,000 lenses 3 ocelli - simple eyes to sense light and dark Special mouthparts - several specific designs

Antenna One Pair on head Jointed Sensory (smell) Called “feelers” Filiform most common shape (segments = size) Come in many shapes FILIFORM

Antenna Modifications- Draw a couple

Mouth part types Draw a sample of each Chewing, sucking, piercing, lapping and sponging

Chewing

Youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-nd8EWwy9E&feature=related

Sucking

Youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgcWRrbHi2E&feature=related

Piercing

Youtube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMgG5K0Yep4

Lapping

Youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzOi_bPXI38&feature=related

Sponging

Youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5llTAwSVyeA

Thorax 3 pair of jointed legs covered in sensory hairs. They are more than 110x more sensitive than our tongues. 2 pair of wings, if present

Insect Legs Examples: Digging, jumping, predatory and swimming

There are ALWAYS SIX legs, and they are attached to the THORAX Count the Legs! There are ALWAYS SIX legs, and they are attached to the THORAX

Wings or No Wings Most adults have 2 pairs Some insects are wingless (silverfish, fleas, some termites and ants)

A network of Veins strengthens wings MEMBRANEOUS (clear) WINGS More on Wings A network of Veins strengthens wings MEMBRANEOUS (clear) WINGS

Some Wings Are Covered With Powdery Scales BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS

Wings May Be Modified Order Diptera (flies) 2nd pair of wings modified into HALTERES Used for balance Makes flies hard to catch!

Beetle Wings Meet in straight line down the abdomen ELYTRA Hard Forewing called Elytra Meet in straight line down the abdomen Membranous hindwings folded underneath (flight)

Abdomen Houses reproductive organs and digestive system

Evolution of Insects

1. Oldest All insects began as wingless Less than 1 % of insects belong to this category They go through incomplete metamorphosis SILVERFISH: THYSANURA

Youtube: Silverfish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJKl4yethrI

2. Development of Wings They have wings, but they can not fold them = harder to escape predators Still go through incomplete metamorphosis

Youtube: Dragonfly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezq_JWd1Sd8&feature=related

3. Development of Flexing Wings They have wings and can fold them. This allows them to go more places. Incomplete metamorphosis Examples: Grasshopper, praying mantids

Youtube: Mantid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urk-_Uh2vbg&feature=fvwrel

4. Complete Metamorphosis Egg-larva-pupa- adult 80% of insects Completely different animal Key factor to increasing diversity and survival Taps two different food sources

Youtube: Complete Metamorphosis http://www.youtube.com/user/backyardbugs#p/u/54/wFfO7f8Vr9c http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zrDGh2DIRU&feature=related

Why Study Insects? 10 million insects for every human on Earth. Over 90% of all animals are invertebrates

Insects are helpful Decompose waste Control other insects- good ones eat bad Pollination Make products: silk and honey Till soil

Insects are harmful Spread disease - yellow fever, rocky mountain fever Destroy crops- 90 billion dollars worth of damage each year http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxHOxCmbs-8 Locust attack- 10 billion left devastation miles wide and long

CIRCLE THE INSECTS

INSECT ORDERS INSECTS WITH WINGS

Why Can’t I Call All of Them Bugs? EVERY BUG is an insect, but NOT ALL INSECTS are bugs! True BUGS are in the Order HEMIPTERA Posterior thorax is triangular; called SCUTELLUM Last 3rd of wing CLEAR

Which of these are BUGS? ALL

More Hemipterans Assassin Bug Water Boatman Giant Water Bug Leaf Hopper

Coleoptera Called beetles Tough exoskeleton Forewings called Elytra Fly with membranous hindwings Larva called grubs Cucumber beetle Ladybird beetle Rhinoceros beetle

Ephemeroptera Called Mayflies Juveniles are aquatic; called naiads Adults found near water & don’t feed Adults reproduce & die in 24 hours Soft bodies with 2 long Ceri (tail fibers) ADULT NAIAD

Diptera Contains mosquitoes & flies One pair functional wings Club-shaped halteres for balance Bodies often hairy Green Bottle fly Hover Fly Fruit Fly Aedes Mosquito

EARWIG EATING CATERPILLAR Dermaptera Called earwigs Long, flat bodies Forceps (pincers) on end of abdomen Short, hard forewings (membranous wings folded underneath Large jaws (mandibles) on head PINCERS EARWIG EATING CATERPILLAR

Orthoptera Grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, katydids Very long bodies Rear legs modified for jumping Females with egg laying tube (ovipositor on end of abdomen) Often communicate with chirping sounds

Lepidoptera Moths, butterflies, & skippers Siphoning mouthparts coiled under head Powdery scales on wings Butterflies fold wings flat above body at rest Moths are night active Important plant pollinators

Neuroptera Lacewings Net veined wings Small, delicate insects Long antenna Predators on other insects May feed on nectar

Thysanoptera Thrips Two pairs of fringed wings Feed on plant sap

Isoptera Termites Live in colonies Feed on wood Soft bodies & short antenna Castes – workers, soldiers, kings, and queen

Mecoptera Scorpion flies Last abdominal segments curved like scorpion Two pairs of narrow wings Head elongated into a beak (rostrum) Long antenna

Homoptera Cicadas, leaf hoppers, wingless aphids If wings present, held roof like over body & membranous Piercing-sucking mouthparts Cicada Leafhopper

Odonata Dragonflies & damselflies Dragonflies hold clear wings spread perpendicular to body at rest Damselflies hold clear wings together over abdomen

Plecoptera Stoneflies Aquatic nymphs Aerial adults are short lived Make drumming sound to find mates

Hymenoptera Bees, ants, wasps Narrow waist connects thorax & abdomen Abdomen curved downward May have stinger on end of abdomen Carpenter bee Red ant Yellow jacket

INSECT ORDERS WINGLESS INSECTS

Thysanura Called Silverfish Found around houses or outside under stones or wood Fast runners Damage books Secretive and active at night. Flat, long bodies Long antennae Three, long, tail like appendages

Siphonaptera Fleas Ectoparasites Bodies laterally compressed Enlarged hind jumping legs Very short antenna

Collembola Called springtails Small & soft bodied Furcula (jumping mechanism) on abdomen Furcula folds under the body at rest Found in decaying plant material

Anoplura Sucking lice Parasites of mammals Very small Head and body lice are examples Attracted to children’s fine hair Carry disease

Mallophaga Biting lice External parasites on birds & mammals Broad head & flattened body Feed on dead skin, feathers, and fur

CHANGE IN FORM FROM EGG TO ADULT Metamorphosis CHANGE IN FORM FROM EGG TO ADULT

INCOMPLETE METAMORPHOUS Insects change shape gradually!

Insects with Incomplete Metamorphosis EGG  NYMPH  ADULT Siphonaptera (fleas) Isoptera (termites) Orthoptera (grasshoppers & crickets) Hemiptera (true bugs) Homoptera (cicadas & hoppers) Wings NOT fully developed 71

Youtube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NutMWUlca-o

Complete Metamorphosis Four stages that all look different

Insects with Complete Metamorphosis EGG  LARVA  PUPA  ADULT Coleoptera (beetles) Hymenoptera (bees, ants, wasps) Diptera (flies) Lepidoptera (butterflies)

Youtube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ype1Ik-k7VE&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L21IGAhO-S4

Paul!!