Portal:Insects

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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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Atlas moth, Attacus atlas

Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (suborder Rhopalocera) and neither subordinate taxon is used in modern classifications. Moths make up the vast majority of the order. There are approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of which have yet to be described. Most species of moth are nocturnal, although there are also crepuscular and diurnal species. (Full article...)

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... that the water cricket Velia caprai can travel twice as fast after spitting on the water?
... that along with the giant lacewings, the moth lacewing family are regarded as the most primitive living Neuroptera?
... that the timothy plant bug causes "sticky dough"?
... that the Queen's executioner lives in Windsor Great Park and feeds on weevils and nectar?
... that the maize weevil is a serious pest of maize in the United States, and also infests standing crops and cereals in all tropical areas of the world?

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

Image 1Head 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 2Stylized diagram of insect digestive tract showing malpighian tubule, from an insect of the order Orthoptera. (from Insect morphology)
Image 3The Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) have direct flight musculature, as do mayflies. (from Insect flight)
Image 4Mayfly nymph with paired abdominal gills (from Insect flight)
Image 5Venation of insect wings, based on the Comstock-Needham system (from Insect morphology)
Image 6Diagram of a typical insect leg (from Insect morphology)
Image 7Cross-section of wing vein (from Insect morphology)
Image 8Variety of male structures in Phlebotominae (Diptera, Psychodidae) (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 9Larva of Syrphid fly, member of Cyclorrhapha, without epicranium, almost without sclerotisation apart from its jaws. (from Insect morphology)
Image 10Scanning electron micrograph of a cricket spiracle valve (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 11Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) of Papua New Guinea (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 12Indian moon moth (Actias selene) with some of the spiracles identified (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 13Evolution has produced astonishing variety of appendages in insects, such as these antennae. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 14Male genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 15Fossil gnat in amber, a well-preserved insect fossil. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 16The female genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 17Generalized arthropod biramous limb. Trueman proposed that an endite and an exite fused to form a wing. (from Insect flight)
Image 18Larva of beetle, family Cerambycidae, showing sclerotised epicranium; rest of body hardly sclerotised (from Insect morphology)
Image 19Closeup of a fire ant, showing fine sensory hairs on antennae (from Insect morphology)
Image 20Reconstruction of a Carboniferous insect, the palaeodictyopteran Mazothairos (from Insect flight)
Image 21Mazothairos, a Carboniferous member of the now extinct order Palaeodictyoptera. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 22Reconstruction Strudiella devonica as a possible hexapod (from Evolution of insects)
Image 23Hoverfly (Philhelius pedissequum) has indirect flight musculature. (from Insect flight)
Image 24A tau emerald (Hemicordulia tau) dragonfly has flight muscles attached directly to its wings. (from Insect flight)
Image 25
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 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 27A pie chart of described eukaryote species, showing just over half of these to be insects (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 28Mandibles of Rhyniognatha hirsti, it may be an oldest insect, but also possible to be a myriapod. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 29Direct flight: muscles attached to wings. Large insects only (from Insect flight)
Image 30Frenulo-retinacular wing coupling in male and female moths (from Insect flight)
Image 31Bumblebee defecating. Note the contraction of the anus, which provides internal pressure. (from Insect morphology)
Image 32The abdominal terminus of male scorpionflies is enlarged into a "genital bulb", as seen in Panorpa communis (from Insect morphology)

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Credit: Fir0002

Insects are the only group of invertebrates known to have evolved flight. Insects possess some remarkable flight characteristics and abilities, still far superior to attempts by humans to replicate their capabilities.

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WikiProject Insects

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Categorization : Figure out what categories to add to each article so that others can find them more easily. Also use the {{WikiProject Insects}} template to classify the status of any articles related to insect taxa.
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