Portal:Insects
Wikipedia portal for content related to Insects / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
![]() | Portal maintenance status: (June 2018)
|
The Insects Portal
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Western_honey_bee_on_a_honeycomb.jpg/640px-Western_honey_bee_on_a_honeycomb.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Bullant_head_detail.jpg/640px-Bullant_head_detail.jpg)
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...)
Selected article - show another
The Phasmatodea (also known as Phasmida or Phasmatoptera) are an order of insects whose members are variously known as stick insects, stick-bugs, walkingsticks, stick animals, or bug sticks. They are also occasionally referred to as Devil's darning needles, although this name is shared by both dragonflies and crane flies. They can be generally referred to as phasmatodeans, phasmids, or ghost insects, with phasmids in the family Phylliidae called leaf insects, leaf-bugs, walking leaves, or bug leaves. The group's name is derived from the Ancient Greek φάσμα phasma, meaning an apparition or phantom, referring to their resemblance to vegetation while in fact being animals. Their natural camouflage makes them difficult for predators to detect; still, many species have one of several secondary lines of defense in the form of startle displays, spines or toxic secretions. Stick insects from the genera Phryganistria, Ctenomorpha, and Phobaeticus include the world's longest insects.
Members of the order are found on all continents except Antarctica, but they are most abundant in the tropics and subtropics. They are herbivorous, with many species living unobtrusively in the tree canopy. They have an incomplete metamorphosis life cycle with three stages: egg, nymph and adult. Many phasmids are parthenogenic, and do not require fertilized eggs for female offspring to be produced. In hotter climates, they may breed all year round; in more temperate regions, the females lay eggs in the autumn before dying, and the new generation hatches in the spring. Some species have wings and can disperse by flying, while others are more restricted. (Full article...)Did you know - load new batch
- ... that the fungus Entomophthora muscae makes flies climb upwards before killing them, so they are better able to release a shower of spores for the next cycle of infection?
- ... that the bee Anthidium manicatum scrapes fur from leaves to line its nest?
- ... that the extinct sandfly species Lutzomyia adiketis is host to the Paleoleishmania species P. neotropicum?
- ... that all species of the fruit fly genus Zaprionus have the same characteristic white stripes over the head and thorax?
- ... that the wasp Megarhyssa macrurus paralyzes her prey by injecting it with an ovipositor 4 inches (10 cm) long?
List articles
Related portals
General images - load new batch
- Image 1Evolution has produced astonishing variety of appendages in insects, such as these antennae. (from Evolution of insects)
- Image 3Mazothairos, a Carboniferous member of the now extinct order Palaeodictyoptera. (from Evolution of insects)
- Image 4Direct flight: muscles attached to wings. Large insects only (from Insect flight)
- Image 5Cross-section of wing vein (from Insect morphology)
- Image 6The abdominal terminus of male scorpionflies is enlarged into a "genital bulb", as seen in Panorpa communis (from Insect morphology)
- Image 8Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) of Papua New Guinea (from Insect biodiversity)
- Image 9Stylized diagram of insect digestive tract showing malpighian tubule, from an insect of the order Orthoptera. (from Insect morphology)
- Image 10A pie chart of described eukaryote species, showing just over half of these to be insects (from Insect biodiversity)
- Image 12Male genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
- Image 13Scanning electron micrograph of a cricket spiracle valve (from Respiratory system of insects)
- Image 14Indian moon moth (Actias selene) with some of the spiracles identified (from Respiratory system of insects)
- Image 16Reconstruction of a Carboniferous insect, the palaeodictyopteran Mazothairos (from Insect flight)
- 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 19The Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) have direct flight musculature, as do mayflies. (from Insect flight)
- Image 20Variety of male structures in Phlebotominae (Diptera, Psychodidae) (from Insect reproductive system)
- Image 21Insect morphology
Legend of body parts
Tagmata: A – Head, B – Thorax, C – Abdomen.(from Insect morphology)- antenna
- ocelli (lower)
- ocelli (upper)
- compound eye
- brain (cerebral ganglia)
- prothorax
- dorsal blood vessel
- tracheal tubes (trunk with spiracle)
- mesothorax
- metathorax
- forewing
- hindwing
- mid-gut (stomach)
- dorsal tube (heart)
- ovary
- hind-gut (intestine, rectum & anus)
- anus
- oviduct
- nerve cord (abdominal ganglia)
- Malpighian tubes
- tarsal pads
- claws
- tarsus
- tibia
- femur
- trochanter
- fore-gut (crop, gizzard)
- thoracic ganglion
- coxa
- salivary gland
- subesophageal ganglion
- mouthparts
- Image 23Larva of beetle, family Cerambycidae, showing sclerotised epicranium; rest of body hardly sclerotised (from Insect morphology)
- Image 24Mandibles of Rhyniognatha hirsti, it may be an oldest insect, but also possible to be a myriapod. (from Evolution of insects)
- Image 25Venation of insect wings, based on the Comstock-Needham system (from Insect morphology)
- Image 26Larva of Syrphid fly, member of Cyclorrhapha, without epicranium, almost without sclerotisation apart from its jaws. (from Insect morphology)
- Image 27Head 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 28Generalized arthropod biramous limb. Trueman proposed that an endite and an exite fused to form a wing. (from Insect flight)
- Image 29Bumblebee defecating. Note the contraction of the anus, which provides internal pressure. (from Insect morphology)
- Image 31Diagram of a typical insect leg (from Insect morphology)
- Image 32A tau emerald (Hemicordulia tau) dragonfly has flight muscles attached directly to its wings. (from Insect flight)
Selected image - show another
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Cetonia-aurata.jpg/640px-Cetonia-aurata.jpg)
![]() |
The rose chafer Cetonia aurata (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is a beetle, 20 mm (¾ in) long, that has metallic green coloration.
WikiProjects
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Group_people_icon.jpg/58px-Group_people_icon.jpg)
Main WikiProject:
Related projects:
- WikiProject Arthropods
- WikiProject Spiders
- WikiProject Animals
- WikiProject Tree of Life
- WikiProject Biology
Daughter projects:
Tasks
![]() |
Here are some tasks awaiting attention:
|
Associated Wikimedia
The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:
-
Commons
Free media repository -
Wikibooks
Free textbooks and manuals -
Wikidata
Free knowledge base -
Wikinews
Free-content news -
Wikiquote
Collection of quotations -
Wikisource
Free-content library -
Wikiversity
Free learning tools -
Wiktionary
Dictionary and thesaurus