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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Timema genevievae on the leaves of chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum).

Timema is a genus of relatively short-bodied, stout and wingless stick insects native to the far western United States, and the sole extant member of the family Timematidae. The genus was first described in 1895 by Samuel Hubbard Scudder, based on observations of the species Timema californicum.

Compared to other stick insects (order Phasmatodea), the genus Timema is considered basal; that is, the earliest "branch" to diverge from the phylogenetic tree that includes all Phasmatodea. To emphasize this outgroup status, all stick insects not included in Timema are sometimes described as "Euphasmatodea." (Full article...)

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... that the extinct Phlebotominae sandfly Pintomyia falcaorum is known only from Miocene age Dominican amber found on Hispaniola?
... that although true bugs eat aphids, they help the aphids by eating another predator, young lacewings?
... that the ground beetle, Lebia grandis, can eat about 23 eggs or three larvae of the Colorado potato beetle every day?
... that the weevil Hylobius transversovittatus has been introduced into the United States and Canada to help control the invasive wetland plant Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife)?
... that the larva of the Texas beetle, Brachypsectra fulva, can live for over two years without feeding?

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

Image 1Mandibles of Rhyniognatha hirsti, it may be an oldest insect, but also possible to be a myriapod. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 2Cross-section of wing vein (from Insect morphology)
Image 3Scanning electron micrograph of a cricket spiracle valve (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 4Direct flight: muscles attached to wings. Large insects only (from Insect flight)
Image 5Mazothairos, a Carboniferous member of the now extinct order Palaeodictyoptera. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 6The 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 7Frenulo-retinacular wing coupling in male and female moths (from Insect flight)
Image 8Larva of beetle, family Cerambycidae, showing sclerotised epicranium; rest of body hardly sclerotised (from Insect morphology)
Image 9Mayfly nymph with paired abdominal gills (from Insect flight)
Image 10Reconstruction of a Carboniferous insect, the palaeodictyopteran Mazothairos (from Insect flight)
Image 11Closeup of a fire ant, showing fine sensory hairs on antennae (from Insect morphology)
Image 12Bumblebee defecating. Note the contraction of the anus, which provides internal pressure. (from Insect morphology)
Image 13Indian moon moth (Actias selene) with some of the spiracles identified (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 14Head 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 15The female genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 16Larva of Syrphid fly, member of Cyclorrhapha, without epicranium, almost without sclerotisation apart from its jaws. (from Insect morphology)
Image 17Evolution has produced astonishing variety of appendages in insects, such as these antennae. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 18Generalized arthropod biramous limb. Trueman proposed that an endite and an exite fused to form a wing. (from Insect flight)
Image 19
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 20Male genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 21Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) of Papua New Guinea (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 22A tau emerald (Hemicordulia tau) dragonfly has flight muscles attached directly to its wings. (from Insect flight)
Image 23Venation of insect wings, based on the Comstock-Needham system (from Insect morphology)
Image 24Hoverfly (Philhelius pedissequum) has indirect flight musculature. (from Insect flight)
Image 25Stylized diagram of insect digestive tract showing malpighian tubule, from an insect of the order Orthoptera. (from Insect morphology)
Image 26Diagram of a typical insect leg (from Insect morphology)
Image 27A pie chart of described eukaryote species, showing just over half of these to be insects (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 28The abdominal terminus of male scorpionflies is enlarged into a "genital bulb", as seen in Panorpa communis (from Insect morphology)
Image 29Variety of male structures in Phlebotominae (Diptera, Psychodidae) (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 30Reconstruction Strudiella devonica as a possible hexapod (from Evolution of insects)
Image 31The Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) have direct flight musculature, as do mayflies. (from Insect flight)
Image 32Fossil gnat in amber, a well-preserved insect fossil. (from Evolution of insects)

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Credit: Luc Viatour

Panorpa communis, the common scorpionfly (Mecoptera: Panorpidae), is a species of scorpionfly native to Western Europe.

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WikiProject Insects

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