Insects

 INSECTS

insects order

Arthropods, the phylum of animals that includes insects, spiders, and crustaceans,
 represent 84 percent of all animal life on the planet.  More than one million species
 of creeping, crawling and flying creatures are included in the order, and they inhabit  
every continent and biome through out the world in and on the ground, in the water, 
and in the sky.  And scientists are identifying new species all the time.


All arthropods including insects, are invertebrates, they have no back bones.  Insects, have exoskeletons made of chitin, a light, flexible, material containing protein.  An insects
has a three-part body-head, thorax, and abdomen_ and sox legs.  Many insects also have
antennae and wings.  Most insects hatch from eggs and undergo some from
 of metamorphosis.  Often metamorphosis involves molting, the shedding of a too-small 
exoskeleton   as the insect grows.

Beetles from the most numerous insect group, with more than 360,000known species.  Hard-bodied with firm front wings that protect their bodies and rear wings, beetles typically morph from egg 
to larva to pupa before attaining the adult stage.

People often use the words "insect" interchangeably, but in fact, bugs are a particular kind of 
insect and make up only about 10 percent of all insects.  They usually have front wings that are thick 
and hard near the body, thin and clear at the tip.  Their rear wings are thin and clear, and their wings
fold ovr their backs in characteristic X shape.

Spiders are not insects but arthropods, as are centipedes, millipedes, ticks, and mites.  
Worm from a different group altogether the annelids.

ODONATA/ Dragonflies

DICTYOPTERA/ Cockroaches & mantids

ORTHOPTERA/ Grasshoppers & crickets

ISOPTERA/ Termites

HEMIPTERA / True bugs

COLEOPTERA / Beetles

SIPHONAPTERA / Fleas

DIPTERA / Flies

LEPIDOPTERA / Butterflies & moths

HYMENOPTERA / Ants, bees & wasps