Portal:Insects

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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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Original veins and wing posture of a dragonfly

Insect wings are adult outgrowths of the insect exoskeleton that enable insects to fly. They are found on the second and third thoracic segments (the mesothorax and metathorax), and the two pairs are often referred to as the forewings and hindwings, respectively, though a few insects lack hindwings, even rudiments. The wings are strengthened by a number of longitudinal veins, which often have cross-connections that form closed "cells" in the membrane (extreme examples include the dragonflies and lacewings). The patterns resulting from the fusion and cross-connection of the wing veins are often diagnostic for different evolutionary lineages and can be used for identification to the family or even genus level in many orders of insects.

Physically, some insects move their flight muscles directly, others indirectly. In insects with direct flight, the wing muscles directly attach to the wing base, so that a small downward movement of the wing base lifts the wing itself upward. Those insects with indirect flight have muscles that attach to and deform the thorax, causing the wings to move as well. (Full article...)

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... that species in the fossil ant genus Myrmeciites are named for Hercules, Goliath, and a river?
... that Euploea alcathoe, the common crow butterfly, may pass through several generations in a year?
... that the female sand wasp Ammophila sabulosa digs burrows in sandy ground, provisioning each burrow with a food supply of paralysed caterpillars, always laying one egg on the first caterpillar?
... that larvae of the toadfly make their way through the nostrils of the common toad and eat its flesh?
... that the rice stink bug, a major pest of rice kernels, can possibly be ignored when found on standing maize?

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

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

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Credit: Fir0002

Gryllotalpa brachyptera is a mole cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae), native to Australia. Mole crickets are thick-bodied insects about 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in) long, with large beady eyes and shovel-like forelimbs highly developed for burrowing and swimming. The adult mole cricket may fly as far as 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) during the mating season, is active most of the year, and spends the winter in hibernation.

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