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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Cimex lectularius

The Cimicidae are a family of small parasitic bugs that feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals. They are called cimicids or, loosely, bed bugs, though the latter term properly refers to the most well-known member of the family, Cimex lectularius, the common bed bug and its tropical relation Cimex hemipterus. The family contains over 100 species. Cimicids appeared in the fossil record in the Cretaceous period. When bats evolved in the Eocene, Cimicids switched hosts and now feed mainly on bats or birds. Members of the group have colonised humans on three occasions.

Cimicids usually feed on their host's blood every three to seven days, crawling away from the host and hiding while they digest the blood, which may take several days. This means that they specialise in vertebrate hosts that return regularly to particular sites to nest, roost or sleep. Birds and bats suit these specific requirements, as do humans now that they live in dwellings, and these are the main hosts used by the bugs. Most cimicids are able to go for long periods without feeding, over a year in some instances. (Full article...)

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... that the iridescent metallic hues of some jewel bugs are caused by structural colours instead of pigmentation?
... that a fungal pathogen Beauveria bassiana has been released along with a parasitic wasp Tetrastichus planipennisi in the United States as a biological control agent of the emerald ash borer?
... that the extinct giant ant genus Formicium is known only from forewings found in Dorset and Tennessee?
... that some species of giant stink bugs are edible?
... that a new species of decim periodical cicada was discovered by studying the songs of Brood XIX, which re-emerged in 2011 after 13 years underground?

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

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

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Credit: Fir0002

Simosyrphus grandicornis is an Australasian species of hoverfly (Diptera: Syrphidae), and is one of the two most common hoverflies in Australia, alongside Melangyna viridiceps. Pictured above is a pair of S. grandicornis mating in flight.

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WikiProject Insects

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