Portal:Insects

The Insects Portal

Insects (from Latin insectum) are invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have an 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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American grasshopper (Schistocerca americana)

Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are amongst what are possibly the most ancient living groups of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic, around 250 million years ago.

Grasshoppers are typically ground-dwelling insects with powerful hind legs which allow them to escape from threats by leaping vigorously. Their front legs are shorter and used for grasping food. As hemimetabolous insects, they do not undergo complete metamorphosis; they hatch from an egg into a nymph or "hopper" which undergoes five moults, becoming more similar to the adult insect at each developmental stage. The grasshopper hears through the tympanal organ which can be found in the first segment of the abdomen attached to the thorax; while its sense of vision is in the compound eyes, a change in light intensity is perceived in the simple eyes (ocelli). At high population densities and under certain environmental conditions, some grasshopper species can change colour and behavior and form swarms. Under these circumstances, they are known as locusts. (Full article...)

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... that Clouded Magpie moths resemble bird droppings while they are resting on the upper surface of leaves?
... that the caterpillars of the moth Mompha raschkiella cause a yellowish blotch on the leaves of Rosebay Willowherb that bleach rapidly after the caterpillars leave them?
... that the scientific name of the peacock carpenter bee (Xylocopa bombylans) means "bumblebee-like wood-cutter"?
... that the mayfly Rhithrogena germanica can emerge from a river, moult and fly off in 30 seconds?
... that the first entomological article written by a New World native concerned the "Great Black Waſp"?

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

Image 1Diagram of a typical insect leg (from Insect morphology)
Image 2Indian moon moth (Actias selene) with some of the spiracles identified (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 3Reconstruction of a Carboniferous insect, the palaeodictyopteran Mazothairos (from Insect flight)
Image 4Generalized arthropod biramous limb. Trueman proposed that an endite and an exite fused to form a wing. (from Insect flight)
Image 5The Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) have direct flight musculature. (from Insect flight)
Image 6Hoverfly (Philhelius pedissequum) has indirect flight musculature. (from Insect flight)
Image 7
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 8Frenulo-retinacular wing coupling in male and female moths (from Insect flight)
Image 9Showing the paired white paraprocts at the posterior tip. (from Insect morphology)
Image 10Evolution has produced astonishing variety of appendages in insects, such as these antennae. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 11Ctenopisma lineatum showing the two cerci and the central caudal filament. (from Insect morphology)
Image 12Reconstruction of Strudiella devonica as a possible hexapod (from Evolution of insects)
Image 13Bumblebee defecating. Note the contraction of the anus, which provides internal pressure. (from Insect morphology)
Image 14Stylized diagram of insect digestive tract showing malpighian tubule, from an insect of the order Orthoptera. (from Insect morphology)
Image 15A tau emerald (Hemicordulia tau) dragonfly has flight muscles attached directly to its wings. (from Insect flight)
Image 16Cross-section of wing vein (from Insect morphology)
Image 17Direct flight: muscles attached to wings. Large insects only (from Insect flight)
Image 18Mandibles of Rhyniognatha hirsti, it may be one of the oldest insects, but also possible to be a myriapod. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 19Mayfly nymph with paired abdominal gills (from Insect flight)
Image 20The abdominal terminus of male scorpionflies is enlarged into a "genital bulb", as seen in Panorpa communis (from Insect morphology)
Image 21Mazothairos, a Carboniferous member of the now extinct order Palaeodictyoptera. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 22Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) of Papua New Guinea (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 23Scanning electron micrograph of a cricket spiracle valve (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 24Male genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 25The female genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 26Variety of male structures in Phlebotominae (Diptera, Psychodidae) (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 27Fossil gnat in amber, a well-preserved insect fossil (from Evolution of insects)
Image 28A pie chart of described eukaryote species, showing just over half of these to be insects (from Insect biodiversity)

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Credit: Muhammad Mahdi Karim

The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae), is a mosquito that can spread the dengue fever, Chikungunya and yellow fever viruses, and other diseases. It can be recognized by white markings on legs and a marking in the form of a lyre on the thorax.

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WikiProject Insects

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