Lab Exam

Acrididae

• Body Structure: Pronounced hind legs, strong mandibles, and antennae shorter than the body.

• Wings: Typically have two pairs of wings; front pair are narrow and tough, back pair are wide and membranous.

• Coloration: Varies widely from green and brown to more vivid hues, often used for camouflage.

• Feeding: Primarily herbivorous, consuming a variety of plant matter.

Acrididae

Gryllidae

• Antennae: Long and threadlike

• Body shape: Cylindrical with a smooth and robust exoskeleton

• Legs: Strong hind legs adapted for jumping

• Wings: Some species have fully developed wings; others are wingless or have reduced wings

• Sound: Males produce chirping sounds by rubbing their forewings together

Gryllidae

Timematidae

• Size: Ranges from small to medium

• Body Shape: Slender, stick-like

• Coloration: Typically green or brown, providing excellent camouflage

• Wings: Often absent or rudimentary

• Antennae: Usually short and consistent with body size

• Legs: Adapted for grasping vegetation

Timematidae

Blattellidae

• Typically small to medium-sized cockroaches.

• Brown or reddish-brown in color.

• Flattened bodies adapted for living in narrow spaces.

• Long antennae and well-developed legs that allow for quick movement.

• Pronotum often covers the head.

• Primarily detritivores, feeding on decaying organic matter.

Blattellidae

Blattidae

• Body Shape: Oval and flattened body

• Size: Varies between species, typically 1-5 cm in length

• Color: Generally brown or black

• Antennae: Long and filiform

• Legs: Six, adapted for running

• Wings: Some species have wings and can fly, while others have reduced or no wings

• Diet: Omnivorous; scavenge on a wide range of organic materials

Blattidae

Gerridae

• Morphology: have elongated bodies and long, slender legs, adapted for surface tension locomotion.

• Size: Varies from 1.6 mm to over 12 mm, depending on the species.

• Leg Structure: Front legs are shorter and used for capturing prey; middle and hind legs are long and distribute the insect's weight evenly across the water's surface.

• Wings: May be winged or wingless; winged individuals can disperse to new habitats.

• Feeding: Carnivorous, feeding on insects and other small organisms that fall onto the water surface.

Gerridae

Corixidae

• Body shape: Elongate and flattened

• Size: Typically 2-12 mm

• Color: Generally brown or dark green with lighter markings

• Legs: Front legs modified for feeding, middle and hind legs adapted for swimming

• Mouthparts: Piercing-sucking, adapted for feeding on algae and detritus

• Antennae: Very short and inconspicuous

• Diet: Algae, detritus, and small invertebrates

Corixidae

Reduviidae

• Body Shape: Elongated, with a narrow neck-like region behind the head.

• Beak: A distinctive, short, three-segmented rostrum (proboscis) used for piercing and injecting saliva into prey.

• Antennae: Long, slender, often segmented into four parts.

• Legs: Adapted for grasping prey, often with bristles or spines.

• Diet: Primarily consists of other insects. Some species are hematophagous (blood-feeding).

Reduviidae

Pentatomidae

• Shield-shaped body.

• Five-segmented antennae.

• Well-developed scent glands located between the first and second pair of legs.

• Piercing-sucking mouthparts.

• Coloration varies widely, from green and brown to brightly colored patterns.

• plant feeders, utilizing their piercing-sucking mouthparts to extract sap from various parts of plants

Pentatomidae

Lygaeidae

• Size : Small to medium-sized, generally ranging from 2 to 15 mm in length.

• Body Shape : Typically elongated and somewhat flattened.

• Color : Colors vary widely but often include brown, black, red, or yellow.

• Antennae : Usually four-segmented.

• Wings : Hemelytra (forewings) are partially hardened.

• Mouthparts : Piercing-sucking type, adapted for extracting plant juices, especially from seeds.

• Feeding : Primarily feed on seeds but can also feed on leaves, stems, and sometimes prey on other insects.

Lygaeidae

Rhopalidae

• No scent glands; membrane with many veins

• Absence of well-developed scent glands.

• Usually brightly colored.

• Membranous hemelytra with numerous longitudinal veins.

• Approximately 3-15 mm in length.

Rhopalidae

• Size: Typically range from 0.3 to 1.5 inches (8-40 mm) in length

• Body Shape: Elongated bodies, often with broad, flat expansions on the hind legs

• Antennae: Usually four-segmented

• Color: Varies widely; many have cryptic coloration mimicking plant parts, while others sport bright warning colors

Coreidae

Coreidae

Miridae

• Size: Small, usually between 3 and 10 mm in length.

• Body Shape: Generally elongate and oval.

• Coloration: Variable—many species are brightly colored or patterned, while others are cryptic.

• Antennae: Four-segmented.

• Wings: Hemelytra with membranous and leathery portions.

• Mouthparts: Piercing-sucking, used to feed on plant sap or small invertebrates

Miridae

Cicadidae

• Body: Robust with a broad head.

• Eyes: Prominent compound eyes set wide apart.

• Wings: Membranous wings held roof-like over the body when at rest.

• Antennae: Short and bristle-like.

• Mouthparts: Piercing-sucking, used for feeding on xylem sap of plants.

• Feeding: Both nymphs and adults feed on plant sap.

Cicadidae

Membracidae

• Pronotum exceptionally elongated, often extending over the abdomen and sometimes creating bizarre shapes.

• Mouthparts designed for piercing and sucking, used to feed on plant sap.

• Generally small, with body lengths ranging from a few millimeters to about 2 centimeters.

• Often brightly colored or ornamented, aiding in camouflage or mimicking plant parts.

• Primarily herbivorous, feeding on plant sap through specialized mouthparts.

Membracidae

Cicadellidae

• Size: Typically 2-15 mm.

• Coloration: Varies significantly, often displaying bright and intricate patterns.

• Body Shape: Slender and elongated; hind legs are well-adapted for jumping.

• Wings: Two pairs, the forewings are often leathery or membranous.

• Antennae: Short, bristle-like (aristate).

• sap-sucking insects

Cicadellidae

Aphididae

• Size : Generally small, ranging from 1 to 10 mm.

• Body Shape : Soft-bodied, pear-shaped.

• Antennae : Long, often as long as or longer than the body.

• Cornicles : Two tube-like structures on the posterior end of the abdomen.

• Wings : May be winged (alate) or wingless (apterous).

• Color : Typically green, but can also be black, brown, yellow, red, or white.

• Feeding : use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap, primarily from phloem.

Aphididae