Block 1

January 13, 2015

*Insects

*Introduction

*Entomology is the study of insects.

*Entomologists are the people that study insects.

*Insects have been around for more than 400 million years.

*Believe it or not, insects total more than half of all animal species on Earth.

*Insects belong to the Insecta class which is in Hexapoda subphylum.

*Characteristics of Insects*There are almost one million insect species.

*Some of their characteristics are similar to other arthropods such as:1. Exoskeleton

2. Jointed appendages

3. Segmented body

*The Body of an Insect*The body is divided into three parts being the head,

thorax, and abdomen

*Mandibles and one pair of antennae on head

*Three pairs of jointed legs

*Abdomen is divided into 9 to 11 segments

*One or two pair of wings

*Small sized and can range from .005 in. to 4 in. lengths

*Common Insect Orders*Insects are classified into 25 orders based on the

characteristics of their number of wings, type of development, and the structure of their mouthparts.

*Nine very common orders of insects and examples of them are:1. Hemiptera (half wing) 2. Homoptera (like wing)

True bugs Aphids, Mealy Bugs, Cicadas

3. Isoptera (equal wing) 4. Odonata (toothed)

Termites Dragonflies, Damselflies

*More Common Insect Orders5. Orthoptera (straight wing) 6. Coleoptera (sheathed

wing)

Grasshoppers, Crickets, Weevils, Ladybugs, Beetles

Katydids

7. Diptera (two wing) 8. Hymenoptera (membrane wing)

Mosquitos, Flies, Gnats Bees, Wasps, Ants

9. Lepidoptera (Scaled wing)

Butterflies, Moths

*Habitat of Insects

*Insects live in all parts of world except in salt water.

*They have short life spans, but produce many eggs.

*Insects are small, so they live can live with many species and don’t have to compete with them for food and water.

*Many insects live on leaves, trees, flowers, or other types of vegetation, and others can live underground.

*Insect’s Diet

*Insects eat many different things such as:

• Plants

• Flowers

• Decaying organisms

• Sap

• Nectar

• Human food crumbs

• Lice

*Insect Development - Metamorphosis*Most insects go through either incomplete or

complete metamorphosis that changes their form into adult insects.

*Incomplete metamorphosis is when a nymph hatches from an egg, and then an adult insect slowly develops.

• Some of these types of insects are termites, dragonflies, and grasshoppers.

*Complete metamorphosis happens when an insect goes through two stages of development between the egg and the adult. Caterpillars and larvas can be part of this process.

• Some of these types of insects are moths, beetles, butterflies, and mosquitos.

*How Insects Affect People*Insects can have negative effects on humans such as:

• Eating human’s crops

• Spreading disease by biting humans

• Transmitting bacteria that can cause plague

• Termites eating the wood of buildings

*Insects can also have important positive effects on humans:

• Being food for birds, fish, and other animals

• Pollinating plants

• Making honey, silk, wax, and nectar

• Recycling nutrients from things such as wood and animal carcasses

*Insect Defense Mechanisms*One of an insect’s best defense mechanisms is

its ability to fly because it can get away from predators easily.

*Insects are able to camouflage themselves.

*Harmless or harmful insects also are able to mimic other harmful insects to blend in with their coloration for defense.

*Stingers or spraying steam are another way an insect defends itself.

*How Insects Communicate*Insects use their five senses to communicate.

*They communicate about such things as mating, food, defense, warning, location, and deception.

*Insects can communicate with other insects by:

• Sound (Calls or chirps are used by males ready to mate)

• Light (Flashes of light are shown to find mates too)

• Pheromones (Insects can emit a chemical which allows another insect to communicate by smelling or tasting it)

*Diseases that Affect Insects*It is most common for insects to carry

diseases that affect humans, but disease could also kill off a whole species of insects.

*A major killer of insects is insecticides that humans use to kill insects even when some of the insects do positive things for the environment.

*Things in the environment such as water, wind, and pollution can also affect insects survival.

*Conclusion

*I learned about the different types of insects, their habitats, insect development, metamorphosis, and the role that insects play in the environment.

*I was surprised to learn that there are almost one million different types of insects.

*This information is beneficial because it allowed me to learn why insects are an important species and how they benefit humans through their life cycle and things such as nectar production.

*I also now understand why it is important for entomologists to study new species of insects and their affect on the changing environment.

*Resources Cited

Jones, Owen. "How to Kill Insects the Natural Way." Ezine Articles. SparkNET, 04 July 2010. Web. 13 Jan. 2015. <http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Kill-Insects-the-Natural-Way&id=4603058>.

Meyer, John R. "Insect Communication." General Entomology. NC State University, 2006. Web. 13 Jan. 2015. <http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/tutorial/Communication/index.html>.

Postlethwait, John H., and Janet L. Hopson. "Insects." Modern Biology. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2009. 741-54. Print.

"What Do Insects Eat?" What Do Insects Eat? Whyzz. Publications LLC, 2015. Web. 13 Jan. 2015. <http://whyzz.com/what-do-insects-eat>.

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