Entomology Exam 2 Families

Papilionidae

Papilionidae

Swallowtail Family

• Hindwings have tail-like projections

Pieridae

White Cabbage and Sulfur Family

• Sexually dimorphic

Crambidae

Snout and Grass Moth Family

• Narrow wings that curl up at rest

• Somewhat stick like

• Distinctive “snout”

Geometridae

Inchworm Family

• Larvae are inchworms that move in a looping pattern

• adults typically have fine wavy wings

• 2nd largest in lepidoptera

Hesperidae

Skipper Family

• Antennae hooked or recurved

Sphingidae

Sphinx or Hawk Moth Family

• Caterpillars are hornworms

• Most species have a process at end of abdomen

Saturnidae

Giant Silk Moth Family

• Among the largest moths

• Wings usually have transparent eyespots

• Antennae generally feathery

Noctuidae

Noctuid Moth Family

• Largest family in the order

• Forewings narrow compared to hindwings

Nolidae

Owlet Moth Family

• Frequently small and gray

• May have raised scales on front wing

• Deltoid

Yponomeutidae

Ermine Moth Family

• Common members are checkered orange and white

• Elongated and narrow in shape

Lasiocampidae

Tent Caterpillar Moth Family

• Caterpillars build “tents” as shelters

• Medium sized moths

• Usually brown with some white lines on wing

• Plumose antennae

• Hairy legs and eyes

Lymantriidae

Tussock/Gypsy Moth Family

• similar to Noctuidae except lack ocelli and have a large basal areole in the hind wing

• Larvae hairy, pest on forest and shade trees

Arctiidae

Tiger Moth Family

• Brightly striped and strongly marked

Nymphalidae

Fritillary Family

• Front pr legs strongly reduced

Pterophoridae

Plume Moth Family

• Airplane-like posture at rest

• Usually brown

• Long and thin antennae

Belostomatidae

Giant Water Bug

• oval and somewhat flattened

• Raptorial front legs

• Usually larger than two inches

• Largest bugs in the order

• Two genera in Northeast

Notonectidae

Backswimmers

• Similar to water boatmen except for more convex shape

• Hind legs modified into “oars”

• Hair fringed legs

• Front and middle legs for catching prey

• Typically dorsal view is pale in color

Corixidae

Water Boatmen

• Front legs modified into scoop like shape

• Middle and hind legs long

• head with a broad beak

• Usually darkened grey or reticulated brown and black

• they carry an airbubble under water for respiration

• Hind legs oar-like

Gerridae

Water Striders

• Fairly long rear and middle legs

  • Front legs are raptorial and reduced

• Tarsi covered in minute hairs enabling them to walk on water

• Predacious

Hydrometridae

Water Measurers

• Slender

• Bulging lateral eyes

• Usually wingless

Miridae

Leaf Bugs/Plant Bugs

• Largest family in order

• Most with 2 closed cells in membranous portion of hemelytra with a cuneus (triangular apical piece of wing)

• Wing tips appear bent down

• Generally 4-10mm in length

Tingidae

Lace Bugs

• Elegantly sculpted wings

• Expansive thorax

• 3-6 mm long

• Phytophagous and lay eggs on the underside of leaves

Cimicidae

Bed Bugs

• Oval, broad, and wingless

• They suck blood from birds and mammals

• Nocturnal

• ABout 6mm

Reduviidae

Assassin Bugs

• Head long and narrow with portion behind eyes

• Abdomen sometimes wider in the middle exposing lateral body segments where wing does not cover

• Most members predaceous

Coreidae

Leaf Footed Bugs and Squash Bugs

• Some have hind tibia flattened out like a leaf

Rhopalidae

Scentless Plant Bugs

Pentatomidae

Stink Bugs

• Broadly oval

• Shield like scutellum

• 5 segmented antennae

• Some are plant feeders

  • Some predaceous

Lygaeidae

Seed Bugs

• Feed on seeds

• 3-18 mm

• Brownish

• 4 or 5 prominent veins in the membrane of hemelytra

• All abdominal spiracles dorsally located

Cicadellidae

Leafhoppers

• Usually <5mm

• One or more rows of spines running the length on the hind tibia

• Major vectors of plant disease

Fulgoroidea

Planthopper Super Family

• Commonly brown or green

• generally 12 mm or less

• netlike wing veination at terminal portion of wings

• head portion modified and may be inflated anterioirly

• head may be snoutlike

Membracidae

Treehoppers

• Expanded pronotum frequently thornlike in appearance

Cicadidae

Cicadas

• One of the largest in our area

  • Usually die after reproductive season

Aleyrodidae

Whiteflies

• Small and white

• Resemble moths

  • Common greenhouse pests

Aphididae

Aphids

• Small, soft bodied insects

• Winged reproductive adults but most of the time you view them as wingless females

• Large cornicles arise from abdomen

• Usually pear shaped

  • Serious economic pest

Adelgidae

Adelgids

• Hemlock wooly adelgid affecting eastern hemlocks

Coccoidea

Scale and Mealybug Superfamily

• Sessile adult insects

  • Especially the females/scale like types

Pseudococcidae

Mealybugs

• Female body elongate-oval with well developed legs

• Well developed legs present

Acrididae

Shorthorned Grasshoppers

• Antennae approximately one half of body length

• Includes many common meadow grasshoppers

Gryllotalpidae

Mole Crickets

• Front legs broad and stout for burrowing(fossorial)

• Short antennae

• Tegmina usually only covering half of abdomen

Romaleidae

Lubber Grasshoppers

• Southwestern USA

• Usually larger and stouter than eastern grasshoppers

• Some specials have vestigial wings

  • They do not fly

Tettigoniidae

Longhorned Grasshoppers

• Antennae usually longer than body and hairlike

  • Or at least half the body length

• Four segmented tarsi

• Flattened ovipositor

• Commonly known as katydids and bush crickets

Gryllidae

True Crickets

• Brownish to black

• Similar to long horned grasshoppers (katydids) except they have >3 tarsal segments and the ovipositor is usually needle like or cylandrical

• Includes house crickets and field crickets

Oecanthidae

Tree Crickets

• Females and males sexually dimorphic

• Males may have membranous wings

Tetrigidae

Pygmy Grasshoppers

• Size between 13-19 mm

• Characteristic pronotum expanding over abdomen and narrows toward posterior

• One of the few grasshoppers that overwinters in the adult stage

Rhaphidophoridae

Cave or Camel Crickets

• Brownish Insects that are humpbacked in appearance

• Live in dark locations such as caves, hollows of trees, or under stones

• May be found in basements as a household pest

Carabidae

Ground Beetles and Tiger Beetles

• Head and eyes narrower than pronotum

• Pronotum commonly narrower than elytra

• Dark and shiny but sometimes brightly colored

• Antennae threadlike

• Tarsi 5-5-5

Silphidae

Carrion Beetle

• Some large and brightly colored

• Some large and brightly colored

• Body somewhat flattened and soft

• Clubbed antennae

  • 5 segmented tarsi

Staphylinidae

Rove Beetles

• One of the biggest beetle families in North America

• Slender and elongate

• Shortened elytra with several exposed abdominal segments

• may run rapidly when disturbed

• Adults mostly predaceous but some are mycophagous or scavengers

Lucanidae

Stage Beetles or Pinchbugs

• Males have antler like mandibles

• Females have mandibles but not like males

• Large insects up to 25-40 mm

• Feed off of decaying wood

  • Antennae are clubbed

Scarabidae

Scarab or Dung Beetles

• Heavy bodied

• Usually convex or oval in shape

• 6 ventral segments

• Lamellate antennae

• Various feeding habits

• Tarsi 5-5-5

• C shaped grubs common

Buprestidae

Metallic Wood Borers

• Color is nearly always metallic or bronzed on the dorsal and the ventral surfaces

• 3-10 mm

• Hard bodied and compactly built and characteristic shape

• Antennae short and serrate or nearly threadlike

Elateridae

Click Beetles

• Often brownish/black/dullish insects with body that is oval/elongate

• Posterior corners of pronotum pointy

• Most are around 12-30

• Larvae are wireworms and highly injurious to seeds and roots of cultivated crops

Lycidae

Net Winged Beetles

• Elytra black and yellow/red

  • One half elytra black and another bright yellow

• Deep longitudal ridges and a net like pattern of cells

• Some resemble lightningbugs except elytra more flattened in appearance

Lampyridae

Lightningbugs or Fireflies

• Head under pronotum cannot be seen from an above view

• Pronotum with black patch in center

• Flat pronotum with distinct margins

• Many have a “tail light” at the end of the abdomen which is caused by the oxidation of a compound called Luciferin

• 5-20 mm

• Elytra soft and flexible

• Frequently brown or black with yellow or orange markings

Cantharidae

Soldier Beetles

• Colorful, typically narrow/thin beetles

• Similar form as fireflies except the head protrudes beyond the pronotum

Coccinellidae

Ladybird Beetles

• Small to medium size, oval and often brightly colored

• Antennae short and clubbed with 3-6 segments

• Seemingly 3-3-3 tarsi but actually 4-4-4 tarsi with 3rd segment that is minute

Tenebrionidae

Darkling Beetles

• Similar to Carabidae

• 5-5-4 tarsi

• Antennae 11 segmented and beadlike

• Eyes usually notched

• Typically black and smooth in appearance or striated elytra

• Most feed on plant material

• 5th largest beetle family

Meloidae

Blister Beetles

• Pronotum usually narrower than the head or the elytra

• General shape usually narrow or elongate

• Some larvae undergo HYPERMETAMORPHOSIS

• Cantharidan in body fluid will burn you

• Some insects are destructive but others beneficial

• Head clearly visible and pronotum rounded

• 5-4-4 tarsi

• Filiform or moniliform antennae

Cerambycidae

Long Horned or Wood Boring Beetles

• long antennae generally ½ the length of the body or longer

• Body elongate or cylandircal

Chrysomelidae

Leaf Beetles

• Many species are yellowish or brightly colored with black markings

• Phytophagus and most overwinter as adults

• some larvae are leaf miners

Dermestidae

Dermestids

• Small, oval-ish black beetle

• Short, clubbed antennae

• Elytra usually hairy or covered with scaless

• Scavengers of plant or animal products including specimens, leather, rugs, or insect collections

Curculionidae

Snout Beetles or Weevils

• One of two largest insect families

• Have a head prolonged into a snout

• Feed internally on seeds, fruits, and other plant parts

• Destructive

• Many are serious pests attacking every part of plant tissue

Passalidae

Bess Beetles

• Around 33mm with longitudinally grooved elytra with horns on the head

• Elbowed antennae

• Colonies live in rotting wood

Lepismatidae

Silverfish and Firebrats

• Feed on starchy substances

• Live inside of homes as a pest

Phasmatodea

Walkingsticks

• Large, long insects

• Phytophagous

• Usually live up in trees

Mantidae

Mantises

• Raptorial prothorasic legs and elongated prothorax

• Predaceous

• Very distinct, large insects

Rhinotermitidae

Subterranean Termites

• Usually light colored and morphologically similar to ants

  • except no constriction at the thorax

• Social castes

  • Reproductive class has wings

    • Fore and hind wings equal in size

  • Soldier caste system

• Moniliform or filiform antennae

Blattellidae

German Cockroach

Blattidae

American and Asian Cockroach