Insects, DIA-JUN
When people talk about “insects,” they often mean pests or disease carriers such as bedbugs, houseflies, beetles, mosquitoes, fleas, and hornets. To be fair, though, many insects are beneficial to humans, albeit sometimes indirectly: they pollinate plants, produce useful substances, control pest insects, act as scavengers, and serve as food for other animals. Some insects, such as butterflies, are beautiful to behold, and insects such as ladybugs flaunt eye-catching colors and patterns.
Insects Encyclopedia Articles By Title
diamondback moth, (Plutella xylostella), species of moth in the family Yponomeutidae (order Lepidoptera) that is......
dipluran, (order Diplura), any of a group of about 800 species of small primitive wingless insects, considered......
dipteran, (order Diptera), any member of an order of insects containing the two-winged or so-called true flies.......
The answer: it depends on the bee. There are more than 20,000 species of bees, with quite a bit of diversity when......
Blow flies (family Calliphoridae) can spread disease, mainly through mechanical transmission rather than acting......
Each day honeybees usually sleep for about five to eight hours. A bee is considered to be sleeping when its antennae......
dobsonfly, any of a group of insects in the subfamily Corydalinae (order Megaloptera) that are usually large and......
dogbane beetle, (Chrysochus auratus), species of leaf beetle native to eastern North America. It feeds on dogbane......
dragonfly, (suborder Anisoptera), any of a group of roughly 3,000 species of aerial predatory insects most commonly......
driver ant, (genus Dorylus), any of a large genus of predominantly African ants characterized by a nomadic existence......
dung beetle, (subfamily Scarabaeinae), any of a group of beetles in the family Scarabaeidae (insect order Coleoptera)......
dung fly, (family Scatophagidae), any member of a family of insects in the fly order, Diptera, that are yellow......
earwig, (order Dermaptera), any of approximately 1,800 species of insects that are characterized by large membranous......
eastern Hercules beetle, (Dynastes tityus), a large, easily recognized insect of the Dynastinae subfamily of the......
Eciton army ant, (Eciton burchellii), species of aggressive army ant found in heavily forested, low-elevation regions......
elm bark beetle, any of several species of insect pests in the subfamily Scolytinae (order Coleoptera). See bark...
emerald ash borer, (Agrilus planipennis), species of beetle (order Coleoptera, family Buprestidae) that is native......
ensign wasp, (family Evaniidae), any of a group of solitary wasps known for parasitizing the eggs of cockroaches.......
ermine moth, any of several species of insects belonging to the family Yponomeutidae (order Lepidoptera). Ermine......
euglossine bee, (tribe Euglossini), any of a large group of brightly coloured bees important to the ecology of......
feather-winged beetle, (family Ptiliidae), any of more than 400 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) characterized......
fig wasp, (family Agaonidae), any of about 900 species of tiny, solitary wasps responsible for pollinating the......
fire ant, (genus Solenopsis), genus of nearly 200 species of ants that occur in tropical regions of the world,......
firebrat, (Thermobia domestica), stout-bodied quick-moving wingless insect. The firebrat is worldwide in distribution......
firefly, (family Lampyridae), family of some 2,000 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) found in most tropical......
flat bark beetle, (family Cucujidae), any of approximately 500 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) that......
flat bug, (family Aradidae), any of about 1,000 species of small, flat, dark-coloured insects (order Heteroptera)......
flat grain beetle, any member of the insect family Silvanidae (order Coleoptera), closely related to and sometimes......
flea, (order Siphonaptera), any of a group of bloodsucking insects that are important carriers of disease and can......
flea beetle, (subfamily Alticinae), any member of a subfamily of leaf beetles found worldwide. Flea beetles are......
flesh fly, (family Sarcophagidae), any member of a family of insects in the fly order, Diptera, that are similar......
flour moth, (Ephestia kuehniella), species of moth in the subfamily Phycitinae (family Pyralidae, order Lepidoptera)......
flower bug, (family Anthocoridae), any of at least 400 species of small insects in the true bug order, Heteroptera,......
flower chafer, (subfamily Cetoniinae), any of more than 4,700 species of herbivorous scarab beetles (order Coleoptera)......
fly, (order Diptera), any of a large number of insects characterized by the use of only one pair of wings for flight......
footman moth, (subfamily Lithosiinae), any of a group of insects in the tiger moth family, Arctiidae (order Lepidoptera),......
forester moth, (genus Procris or Ino), any of a group of moths in the family Zygaenidae (order Lepidoptera) that......
frit fly, any small fly of the family Chloropidae (order Diptera), destructive to oats, rye, barley, wheat, and......
fritillary, name applied to butterflies in several genera (family Nymphalidae). Large fritillaries, or silverspots,......
froghopper, (family Cercopidae), any of numerous species of small (less than 1.5 cm [0.6 inch] long) hopping insects,......
fruit fly, any two-winged insect of either the family Trypetidae or the family Drosophilidae (order Diptera) whose......
fruitworm beetle, any of a few genera of insects in the family Byfuridae (order Coleoptera) whose larvae feed on......
fungus gnat, (family Sciaridae and Mycetophilidae), any member of two families of insects in the fly order, Diptera,......
fungus weevil, (family Anthribidae), any of approximately 3,000 species of weevils (insect order Coleoptera) whose......
gall fly, any of several different species of insects that cause swelling (galls) in the tissues of the plants......
gall midge, (family Cecidomyiidae, or Itonididae), any minute, delicate insect (order Diptera) characterized by......
gall wasp, (family Cynipidae), any of about 1,300 species of small wasps that are notable for their ability to......
gelechiid moth, (family Gelechiidae), any of more than 4,500 species of moths (order Lepidoptera), some of which......
geometrid moth, (family Geometridae), any member of a group of moths (order Lepidoptera) that includes the species......
giant water bug, any wide and flat-bodied aquatic insect of the family Belostomatidae (order Heteroptera). This......
giant wētā, (genus Deinacrida), genus of 11 species of large cricketlike insects that are endemic to New Zealand......
gladiator bug, (order Mantophasmatodea), any of approximately 15 species of insects found only in certain regions......
glowworm, any crawling, luminous insect that emits light either continuously or in prolonged glows rather than......
gnat, any member of several species of small flies that bite and annoy humans. Several nonbiting insects, such......
gossamer-winged butterfly, (family Lycaenidae), any of a group of small, often brightly coloured butterflies (order......
grain weevil, (species Sitophilus granarius), insect of the family Curculionidae (order Coleoptera), a common pest......
grape phylloxera, (Phylloxera vitifoliae), a small greenish-yellow insect (order Homoptera), highly destructive......
grasshopper, (suborder Caelifera), any of about 11,000 species of jumping insects of the order Orthoptera that......
green lacewing, (family Chrysopidae), family of 85 genera and around 2,000 species of insects that are characterized......
ground beetle, (family Carabidae), any member of more than 40,000 insect species in one of the largest families......
ground pearl, (genus Margarodes), any of a group of scale insects in the family Margarodidae (order Homoptera)......
hairstreak, (subfamily Theclinae), any of a group of insects in the gossamer-winged butterfly family, Lycaenidae......
hairy fungus beetle, (family Mycetophagidae), any of approximately 200 described species of beetles (insect order......
harlequin beetle, (Acrocinus longimanus), large tropical American beetle with an elaborate variegated pattern of......
harlequin cabbage bug, (Murgantia histrionica), a species of insect in the stinkbug family, Pentatomidae (order......
harvester, (subfamily Miletinae), any of a group of predatory insects in the gossamer-winged butterfly family,......
harvester ant, any of several different genera of ants (e.g., Messor, Atta, Pheidole, Pogonomyrmex) that gather......
hawk moth, (family Sphingidae), any of a group of sleek-looking moths (order Lepidoptera) that are named for their......
Hessian fly, (Mayetiola destructor), small fly in the gall midge family, Cecidomyiidae (order Diptera), that is......
heteropteran, (suborder Heteroptera), any member of the insect suborder Heteroptera (order Hemiptera), which comprises......
hister beetle, (family Histeridae), any of approximately 3,900 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) that......
homopteran, (order Homoptera), any of more than 32,000 species of sucking insects, the members of which exhibit......
honey ant, any of several different species of ant that have developed a unique way of storing the honeydew, a......
honeybee, (tribe Apini), any of a small group of social bees that make honey. The tribe comprises a single genus......
horn fly, (Haematobia irritans), insect of the family Muscidae (order Diptera) and a serious cattle pest. Adult......
hornet, (genus Vespa), genus of about 20 species of the wasps (order Hymenoptera), most of which are native to......
horntail, (family Siricidae), any of about 85 species of solitary (nonsocial), primitive wasps (order Hymenoptera),......
horse fly, any member of the insect family Tabanidae (order Diptera), but more specifically any member of the genus......
housefly, (Musca domestica), a common insect of the family Muscidae (order Diptera). About 90 percent of all flies......
hover fly, (family Syrphidae), any member of a family that contains about 6,000 species of insects in the fly order,......
What comes to mind when someone mentions bees or wasps or ants? Do you recoil a little bit at memories of painful......
Most butterflies are light enough to drift on a breeze, yet millions of these fragile insects migrate across continents......
Like other insects, the cockroach does not have lungs. Instead, its respiratory system consists primarily of a......
Fireflies light up summer nights using a chemical process known as bioluminescence, the key chemical players of......
There are actually a number of different insects known as "glowworms," and they have a variety of mechanisms for......
There are a number of species of social bees with colonies dependent on a queen. The most ubiquitous and well known......
Caterpillars are the larval form of moths, butterflies, and skippers. Like all insects, they have three pairs of......
human louse, (Pediculus humanus), a common species of sucking louse in the family Pediculidae (suborder Anoplura,......
humpbacked fly, (family Phoridae), any of numerous species of tiny, dark-coloured flies with humped backs that......
Hymenoptera, (order Hymenoptera), the third largest—and perhaps the most beneficial to humans—of all insect orders.......
Hyposmocoma, moth genus containing more than 350 described species in the family Cosmopterigidae (order Lepidoptera).......
ice bug, (order Grylloblatodea), any of approximately 35 species of rare and primitive insects found in the mountains......
ichneumon wasp, (family Ichneumonidae), any of a large and widely distributed solitary wasp family of considerable......
Did you know that there are more than 20,000 species of bees in the world? Unlike the iconic honeybee, most bees......
insect, (class Insecta or Hexapoda), any member of the largest class of the phylum Arthropoda, which is itself......
- Introduction
- Diversity, Adaptations, Habitats
- Pollination, Adaptation, Nutrition
- Crop Pests, Damage, Control
- Adaptation, Metamorphosis, Diversity
- Hormone Regulation, Metamorphosis, Adaptation
- Social Behavior, Colonies, Communication
- Thorax, Wings, Legs
- Hemolymph, Heart, Trachea
- Nerves, Sensory Organs, Reflexes
- Fossil, Adaptation, Evolution
- Metamorphosis, Adaptation, Morphology
- Orders, Morphology, Behavior
Insects might be small and common, but their survival strategies are anything but ordinary. While many use camouflage......
Japanese beetle, (species Popillia japonica), an insect that is a major pest and belongs to the subfamily Rutelinae......
Jerusalem cricket, (subfamily Stenopelmatinae), any of about 50 species of insects in the family Stenopelmatidae......
jumping plant louse, any member of the approximately 2,000 species of the insect family Psyllidae (order Homoptera).......
June bug, (genus Phyllophaga), genus of nearly 300 species of plant-eating beetles that commonly appear in the......