ENWC205 Insect Order Flashcards

Order Collembola

Springtails

• Ametabolous

• Terrestrial soil dwellers

• Diet: plants, pollen, algae, tardigrades, rotifers, eggs of other collembola species

• Rarely a pest to humans, “spring” as a way to escape from predators

• Description (general):

  • Simple eyes

  • Segmented antennae

  • Chewing mouthparts, entognaths (mouthparts recessed into pouch in head)

  • Apterygotes- primitively wingless

  • 6 Legs with tactile hairs

  • Collophore- on 1st abdominal segment

  • Only 6 abdominal segments

  • Furcula (4th abdominal segment)- spring mechanism

  • Tenaculum (3rd abdominal segment)- catch mechanism

Order Protura

Coneheads

• Anamorphosis- with each molt, can add abdominal segments

• Live in soil, leaf litter, rotten wood, and moss

• Eat mycorrhizal fungi, mites, decaying matter

• Can be very abundant— up to tens of thousands per square meter (bugguide.net)

• Description (general):

  • No eyes

  • No antennae

  • Entognaths- mouthparts recessed into head

  • Apterygotes- primitively wingless

  • 6 pairs of legs, first pair used as antennae

Order Diplura

2-Pronged Bristletails

• Ametabolous

• Found under leaves, rocks, and soil

• Eat decaying organic matter, predacious

• Present egg guarding behavior

• Description (general):

  • No eyes

  • Antennae present

  • Apterygotes- primitively wingless

  • Entognaths- mouthparts recessed into head

  • 6 legs

  • Segmented cerci— pronged tails

Order Archeognatha

Jumping Bristletails

• Ametabolous

• Found in leaf litter, dead wood, and stones

• Eat algae, lichen, and mosses

• Present a jumping behavior

• Description (general):

  • Large compound eyes

  • Antennae present

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • Apterygotes- primitively wingless

  • 6 legs and leg-like maxillary palps

  • Forked cerci and median caudal filament

Order Zygentoma

Silverfish

• Ametabolous

• Live in buildings, caves, old burrows, ant/termite nests

• Eat starchy substances

• Nuisance pests, may damage books

• Males and females don’t copulate! Rather, indirect sperm transfer

• Description (general):

  • Reduced eyes and ocelli

  • Slender antennae present

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • Apterygotes- primitively wingless

  • 6 legs

  • Overlapping silvery scales

Order Ephemeroptera

Mayflies (ephemera=short lived)

• Hemimetabolous- naiads molt 20-30X

• Aquatic as naiads, emerge for one day as adults

• Naiads eat algae and detritus, adults do not feed

• Has a subimago (sub-adult) phase where they emerge from the water, and then molt into adult

• Females deposit fertilized eggs by dropping them into the water

• Description (general):

  • Large compound eyes as adults

  • Antennae short and bristle-like as naiads

  • Chewing as naiads, vestigial as adults

  • Non-folding wings, held vertical at rest

  • Legs present

Order Odonata

Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odontos=tooth)

• Hemimetabolous

• Aquatic as naiads, terrestrial and flying as adults

• Both naiads and adults predators

• When adults copulate, they use an indirect sperm transfer method called a copulation wheel (sperm stored in intromittent organ and female obtains it from here)

• Description (general):

  • Large eyes

  • Thin antennae

  • Chewing mouthparts, naiad has modified labium (“mask”)

  • Non-folding wings

  • Adults have basket-like arrangement of legs to catch prey

Order Zoraptera

Angel Insects

• Paurometabolous

• Live under bark, and in leaf litter and soil

• Eat fungi and small detritus

• Males deposit small spermatophores that contain one giant sperm

• Gregarious

• Description (general):

  • Compound yes

  • Beaded antennae!!

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • Most wingless

  • 6 legs

Order Dermaptera

Earwigs

• Paurometabolous

• Live beneath rocks and logs, sometimes commensalistic as adults and live on bats and rodents

• Feed on a variety of food, some eat dead skin of bats and rodents

• Some exhibit pseudo placental viviparity

• Description (general):

  • Eyes present

  • 2 Antennae

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • Short and leathery forewings and hind wings folded fan-like underneath

  • 6 legs

  • Forceps-like cerci

Order Plecoptera

Stoneflies

• Hemimetabolous

• Aquatic naiads, terrestrial adults

• Most herbivores as naiads, some predacious

• Filamentous gills on head and thorax as naiads

• Description (general):

  • Eyes present

  • Antennae

  • Chewing mouthparts, reduced in adults

  • 4 membranous wings, folded flat over body as adults

  • 6 legs as adults and naiads

Order Orthoptera

Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Katydids

• Paurometabolous

• Terrestrial

• Suborder Caelifera plant-eating, Suborder Ensifera arboreal

• Produce sound (Stridulation)

• Description (general):

  • Large compound eyes

  • Antennae present

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • Tegmina fore wings that protect hind wings

  • Modified hind legs for jumping

Order Notoptera

Rock-crawlers, ice bugs, mantid and phasmid imitators

• Paurometabolous

• Suborder Grylloblattodea found in cold, northern climates, Suborder Mantophasmatodea found in caves

• Suborder Mantophasmatodea is carnivorous

• Some (ice bugs) found above the timber line

• Description (general):

  • Eyes present

  • Antennae present

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • Wingless

  • 6 Legs

Order Embioptera

Webspinners

• Paurometabolous

• Live underground or under rocks

• Form large silken galleries

• Description (general):

  • Compound eyes

  • Long antennae

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • Females wingless, winged and wingless males

  • Forelegs of females have large silk glands

Order Phasmatodea

Stick and Leaf Insects

• Paurometabolous

• Within vegetation

• Herbivores

• Professional rearing groups exist for this order!

• Description (general):

  • Compound eyes, some with ocel

  • Antennae present, usually shorter

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • Tropical species have tegmina, others wingless

  • 6 legs

Order Mantodea

Mantids

• Paurometabolous

• Habitat type for immature and adult

• Predators

• Produce ootheca (egg sack structure)

• Description (general):

  • Large compound eyes with psuedo-pupil in the middle

  • Antennae present

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • Fore wings are tegmina, hind for flight

  • Raptorial forelegs

Order Blattodea

Roaches and Termites

• Type of metamorphosis

• Live in wood (termites) or in warm/dark spaces (roaches)

• Termites feed on wood, roaches are omnivores

• Termites have caste systems

• Description (general):

  • Eyes present in both

  • Long, filiform antennae in roaches

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • Tegmina(roaches) or 4 membranous wings/wingless(termites)

  • 6 Legs

Order Psocodea

Bark, book, and true lice

• Paurometabolous

• Habitat- host(true lice), tree-dwelling(bark), or dark environments(book)

• True lice parasitic, Bark and Book lice feed on algae, fungi, and lichens

• True lice can transmit human diseases

• Description (general):

  • Reduced eyes in true lice

  • Antennae present

  • Chewing or piercing/sucking

  • Reduced wings or wingless

  • Legs on true lice have grasping tars

Order Hemiptera

“true bugs”, hoppers and cicadas, aphids and whiteflies and scales

• Paurometabolous

• Live in vegetation or moss

• Most “suck on” plants, some are predacious

• Many are major plant pests!

• Description (general):

  • Eyes present in all, but Coleorrhyncha has separated compound eyes

  • Antennae present

  • Piercing-sucking mouthparts

  • Hemelytra(Heteroptera), tent-like wings (Auchenorrhyncha), winged or wingless(Sternorrhyncha), reduced wings(Coleorrhyncha)

  • 6 Legs

Order Thysanoptera

Thrips

• Paurometabolous/Holometabolous

• Habitat- flowers

• Food- fungal hyphae, small arthropods, pollen, plant cells

• Vector plant viruses

• Description (general):

  • Compound eyes

  • Antennae present

  • Asymmetrical mouthparts- reduced R mandible

  • “Feathery” wings

  • 6 Legs

Order Hymenoptera

Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies

• Holometabolous

• Commonly reside in elaborate nests

• Eat foliage, wood, plant compounds, and other insects! Can be parasites or parasitoids as well

• Some are pollinators!

• “Wasp waist” common

• Description (general):

  • Compound eyes with 3 ocelli

  • Antennae present

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • 2 pairs of membranous wings

  • 6 Legs

Order Radiphidioptera

Snakeflies

• Holometabolous

• Live in forests

• Predators, but also pollen-eaters

• Only occur in northern hemisphere

• Description (general):

  • Large compound eyes

  • Antennae present

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • 2 pairs of membranous wings

  • 6 Legs

Order Megaloptera

Dobsonflies and Alderflies

• Holometabolous

• Larvae aquatic, adults terrestrial

• Both larvae and adult predatory

• Mouthparts are sexually dimorphic

• Description (general):

  • Compound eyes

  • Antennae present

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • 4 large, membranous wings

  • 6 Legs

Order Neuroptera

Lacewings

• Holometabolous

• Most terrestrial and live in vegetation or soil, some are aquatic

• Many are carnivorous

• Eggs are laid on silken strands

• Description (general):

  • Compound eyes

  • Antennae present

  • Chewing or grasping-sucking mouthparts

  • Wings held roof-like, many have veined wings

  • 6 legs, each ending with claws (as larvae)

Order Strepsiptera

Twisted-wing Parasites

• Holometabolous

• Habitat type for immature and adult

• Parasites of hymenoptera!

• Females burrow in between sclerites of hymenoptera

• Description (general):

  • Raspberry-shaped eyes

  • Multi-branched antennae

  • Females have reduced mouthparts

  • Females wingless, males have wings

  • 6 Legs

Order Coleptera

Beetles

• Holometabolous

• Inhabit almost all continents, except polar regions

• Mix of herbivores, predators, scavengers, and fungus feeders

• Some are serious pests

• Description (general):

  • Compound eyes, some with ocelli

  • Antennae present

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • Elytra

  • 6 legs

Order Trichoptera

Caddisflies

• Holometabolous

• Larvae aquatic, adults terrestrial

• Some predators, some fungus eaters

• Make little houses from substrate!

• Description (general):

  • Compound eyes and ocelli

  • Large, filiform antennae

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • 4 membranous wings, held roof-like, “hairy”

  • 6 Legs

Order Lepidoptera

Butterflies, moths, and skippers

• Holometabolous

• Inhabit a vast range of habitats, except polar regions

• Feed on plants as larvae, feed on nectar as adults

• Symbol of beauty!

• Description (general):

  • Compound eyes

  • Clubbed, hooks, or plumose antennae

  • Chewing mouthparts as larvae, siphoning as adults

  • Large wings, covered in brightly-colored scales

  • 6 legs throughout all life stages, have additional prolegs as larvae

Order Siphonaptera

Fleas

• Holometabolous

• Habitat- host endotherms

• Feed on blood of endotherms

• Ectoparasitic!

• Description (general):

  • Only have ocelli, or eyeless

  • Short antennae

  • Chewing (immature) and piercing-sucking (adult) mouthparts

  • Wingless, but not primitively

  • Jumping legs

Order Mecoptera

Scorpion flies

• Holometabolous

• Found in moist habitats worldwide

• Scavengers on dead insects

• Male genitalia look like scorpion tail!

• Description (general):

  • Compound eyes

  • Elongated, filiform antennae

  • Chewing mouthparts

  • 4 membranous wings

  • 6 Legs

Order Diptera

“True” Flies

• Holometabolous

• Live in a diverse array of habitats

• Some are decomposers, some eat a blood meal, some eat nectar

• Some transmit diseases

• Description (general):

  • Large compound eyes

  • Antennae present

  • Sponging or piercing-sucking mouthparts

  • 1 pair of wings, or wingless!

  • 6 Legs