INSECTS

by Janet Riehecky

Animal Kingdom

INSECT S

INSECTS

INSECTSINSECTS

Animal Kingdom

by Janet Riehecky

Consultant: Jackie Gai, DVM

Wildlife Veterinarian

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CONTENTS

What are insects? .............4

Part by part ..................6

Common groups ...............8

Circle of life .................10

A place to call home .........12

Working together .............14

Let’s eat ....................16

Sensing the world ............18

Move it! .....................20

Staying safe .................22

Helpful insects ..............24

Not-so-helpful insects.........26

Insect records ...............28

Fun facts ....................30

Find out more ....... 32

Websites ............. 32

phylum

(FIE-lum)

a group of living

things with a similar

body plan; insects belong

to the phylum Arthropoda

(ar-THROP-uh-duh);

arachnids and crustaceans

are also in this group

class

a smaller

group of living

things; insects

are in the class

Insecta

kingdom

one of five very

large groups into

which all living things

are placed; the two main

kingdoms are plants and

animals; insects belong

to the animal

kingdom

What are insects?

Insects are animals with sectioned bodies

and six legs. They usually have one or

two pairs of wings too. Insects are the

largest group of animals on Earth.

About 90 per cent of all animals

are insects.

invertebrate

(in-VUR-tuh-brut)

an animal without a

backbone; more than

97 per cent of animals

are invertebrates,

including insects

cold-

blooded

also called ectothermic

(EK-tuh-THER-mik)

cold-blooded animals have a

body temperature that is the

same as the air around them;

insects are

cold-blooded

arthropod

(AR-thruh-pod)

an invertebrate with

many body sections;

insects, crustaceans

and arachnids are

arthropods

species

(SPEE-sees)

a group of animals

that are alike and can

produce young with each

other; there are more

than 1 million species

of insects

Part by part

Insects come in many

shapes and sizes.

But most insects have

the following parts.

exoskeleton

(EK-so-SKEL-ih-ton)

the hard covering

that protects the inner

parts of animals without

backbones; some insects

have exoskeletons

wing

a body part

used for flying or

gliding; most insects

have two pairs of

wings attached to

the thorax

abdomen

(AB-duh-muhn)

the end part of an

insect’s body; the

abdomen contains the

heart, stomach and

other body parts

head

the part of

the body that

holds the brain

and sensing

organs

leg

a limb

on which an

animal stands; all

insects have six legs

attached to the

thorax

antenna

(an-TEN-uh)

a long, thin

body part used to

smell and feel;

insects have two

antennae

thorax

(THOR-aks)

the middle part

of an insect’s

body

wasp

similar to

a bee but with

less hair and

a slimmer

shape

bee

has a thick,

hairy body with

four wings and a

stinger; bees feed on

a sweet liquid called

nectar and live in

large groups

fly

has two

wings and hairy,

sticky feet; gnats

and mosquitoes

are also flies

ant

lives in

tunnels under

ground; ants are

related to wasps

and bees

dragonfly

a long, thin

insect with

two pairs of

wings

cicada

(sih-KAY-duh)

an insect with large

eyes, a thick body and

four wings; cicadas live

under ground and come

out once every

13 to 17 years

Common

groups

louse

a small,

oval-shaped

insect without

wings; lice feed

on blood

moth

similar to a

butterfly but with

a thicker body and

less colourful wings;

moths are active

at night

butterfly

has a thin

body with large,

colourful wings;

butterflies are

active during

the day

beetle

beetles make

up more than

40 per cent of all

insects; ladybirds,

fireflies and

lightning bugs are

beetles

cricket

a black or

brown insect with

strong hind legs;

male crickets rub their

front wings together

to make sound

Circle of life

All insects start out as

eggs. Some female insects

lay their eggs in nests.

Others carry them in their

bodies and give birth

to live young.

life cycle

the series of changes that take place

in a living thing, from birth to death

pupa

(PYOO-puh): the life stage

between a larva and an

adult when the insect is

covered in a casing

larva

(LAR-vuh): the second stage of life

for some insects; caterpillars are a

kind of larva

live young

babies born directly from their

mother, rather than from laid eggs;

some cockroaches give birth to

live young

egg

the first stage of life for

most insects

mate

to join together to make young

cocoon

(kuh-KOON): a soft covering

that protects an insect during

the pupa stage

moult

to shed; many larvae must shed

their hard skin; some insects moult

up to 60 times during their lifetime

nymph

(NIMF): a young insect

that is not yet an adult

metamorphosis

(met-uh-MOR-fuh-sis): the process

of changing from a young animal

to an adult animal

chrysalis

(KRIS-uh-lis): a butterfly

in its pupa stage; the hard

chrysalis casing often

hangs from a leaf or twig

A place to call home

Insects live on every land mass

and in every body of water

on Earth.

habitat

the type of place and conditions

in which a plant or animal lives;

insects live in many different

habitats, including deserts,

rainforests and oceans

desert

(DEH-zuhrt): a dry area that gets

little rain; blue-winged grasshoppers

live in rocky desert hills

tundra

(TUN-druh): a large, flat area of

land found in the Arctic; no trees

grow in the tundra, and the ground

is always frozen: Arctic bumblebees

and mosquitoes live in the tundra

hive

a nest for bees; bees make hives

in trees or holes in rocks

mound

termites mix saliva with soil to

make mud mounds; the mounds

sit above underground tunnels

nest

a structure built by animals to hold

their eggs; wasps make paper nests

from chewed wood and spit

rainforest

a thick area of trees where rain falls

almost every day; scientists believe

most of the world’s insects live in

rainforests

Working

together

cloud

a group of

grasshoppers

plague

(PLAYG)

a group of

locusts

flock

a group

of lice

swarm

a large

group; insects

fly together to

form swarms

worker

an insect that

gathers food and

builds the colony;

workers cannot

mate

colony

(KOLL-luh-nee)

a big group of

insects that live and

work together; millions

of termites can live

in a single colony

army

a group of

caterpillars

intrusion

a group of

cockroaches

soldier

an insect that

keeps the colony

safe; soldiers are

larger and heavier

than workers

queen

the only

female in a

colony that

lays eggs

Let’s eat

Insects eat almost

anything. Some eat plants.

Others eat meat or blood.

Some even eat rotting

wood or fungus!

herbivore

(HUR-buh-vor): an animal

that eats only plants; many

insects are herbivores

predator

(PRED-uh-tur): an animal that hunts

other animals for food; tiger beetles

are predators

proboscis

(pruh-BOSS-sis): a long sucking tube

in the mouth; butterflies and moths

use a proboscis to eat

prey

(PRAY): an animal hunted by another

animal for food; insects are the prey

of many animals, including spiders,

frogs, birds and fish

carnivore

(KAHR-nuh-vor): an animal that eats

only meat; the praying mantis eats

other insects

milkweed

a type of plant with a milky sap;

milkweed is a monarch caterpillar’s

only food source

nectar

(NEK-ter): a sweet

liquid found in flowers;

bees drink nectar

scavenger

(SKAV-in-jer): an animal that feeds

on animals that are already dead;

desert ants are scavengers

dung

an animal’s waste; dung beetles

eat the dung of other animals

Sensing the world

Insects use their senses to

understand the world around

them. But their senses don’t

always work like humans’.

Butterflies, for example,

taste with their feet!

ultraviolet

a colour some insects see, but

people can’t; bees see ultraviolet

patterns on flowers that lead them

to the flowers’ nectar

ears

grasshoppers and crickets

have ears on their legs

compound eye

many tiny eyes that work together;

compound eyes allow insects to

see in almost every direction

sensory hairs

stiff hairs that help insects sense

things such as air movement; male

mosquitoes have sensory hairs on

their antennae that help them hear

female mosquitoes

electric charge

a signal a bee makes on a flower

by flapping its wings; the electric

charge stays on the flower so

other bees don’t visit it again

taste receptor

(TAYST ri-SEP-tur): a tiny sensor

that senses flavours; insects

can taste salty, bitter, sweet and

sour flavours

smell

helps insects find food or

a mate; a male silkmoth

can smell a female 9.7

kilometres (6 miles) away

Move it!

Insects move in all sorts

of ways. Some use their

six legs to run or crawl.

Others use wings to fly.

wiggle

to move by

twisting from

side to side; when

silverfish wiggle,

they look like

swimming fish

jump

grasshoppers

can jump a

distance 20 times

longer than their

own body

fly

flies usually travel

about 7 km (4.5 miles)

per hour; they can have

a burst of speed up to

24 km (15 miles) per

hour if in danger

swim

whirligig

beetles swim

in circles on the

water’s surface

sway

to move back

and forth; praying

mantises copy the

movement of swaying

leaves; doing so

makes the insects

harder to see

march

to walk with

a steady pace;

army ants usually

march in a

straight line

Staying safe

Insects do many things to escape

danger. Some insects move

faster than predators. Others

trick predators or fight back.

curl

cuckoo wasps

curl into balls

to keep their

heads safe

run away

the most

common way for

insects to stay safe;

cockroaches can run

1.5 metres (5 feet)

per second

camouflage

(KA-muh-flahzh)

colouring that makes

animals look like their

surroundings; walking

sticks look like twigs;

camouflage helps them

hide in plain sight

play dead

some insects,

such as giant water

bugs, play dead; some

predators won’t eat

animals they think

are dead

stinger

a sharp, pointed

organ; bees and

wasps use their

stingers to stick

predators

mimicry

(MIM-ih-kree)

the act of looking like

something or someone

else; if a hawk moth

caterpillar sees a predator,

it pulls in its legs and head

and swells to look like

a snake

shoot

spray

a bombardier

beetle can shoot a

boiling hot spray

at a predator

stink

some

insects release

a stinky smell

when in

danger

Helpful insects

From honey to silk,

insects make many useful

products. Insects are also

important for helping

plants to grow.

decompose

(dee-kuhm-POHZ): to break down

plant or animal material; some

insects help wood and dead matter

decompose by eating it

silk

the soft fibre made by

caterpillars called silkworms;

some clothes are made of silk

cochineal

(KOH-chuh-neel): a tiny, fuzzy

insect; female cochineals make

a red dye that’s used to add

colouring to food, make-up

and paint

honey

a sweet substance used as a spread

or in cooking; honey is made from

the nectar collected by bees

beeswax

made by bees for honey storage

cells; people use beeswax to

keep food from spoiling; beeswax

is also used in some beauty

products, candles and crayons

pollen

a yellow powder that helps plants

make seeds and fruit; bees move

pollen from one flower to another

so fruits and vegetables can grow

consumer

(kuhn-SOO-mer): an animal that

needs to eat other things for

energy; ladybirds can eat up to

60 aphids each day

Not-so-helpful insects

Most insects are harmless to

humans. A few, though, can

be harmful to people

and plants.

infest

to take over

in large numbers;

termites and

wood-boring beetles

can infest and eat the

wood in people’s

houses

beetle

aphids

(AY-fids)

small insects

that eat garden

plants

malaria

a disease

that can cause

fever, vomiting and

sometimes death;

malaria is spread

through mosquito

bites

allergy

(A L-er-jee)

something that

causes a person to

cough, sneeze or have

trouble breathing; some

people are allergic to

bee stings or fire

ant bites

crops

plants grown

for food or other

human use; many

insects eat crops,

hurting people’s

jobs

rash

red spots on

the skin caused

by a reaction to

something; the hairs

from a browntail moth

caterpillar can cause

painful rashes

venom

(VEN-uhm)

a poison that some

animals make; fire ants

bite and sting to release

their venom; the venom

causes a burning

feeling on the skin

Insect

records

longest

insect

stick insects can

grow to be

36 centimetres

(14.2 inches)

long

fastest

flyer

horseflies can

fly 145 kilometres

(90 miles)

per hour

loudest

insect

the calling sound

of the African cicada

is so loud it can

hurt people’s

ears

shortest

life

one type of mayfly

lives only a few minutes

as an adult; it is alive just

long enough to mate

and lay eggs

biggest

insect

titan beetles

(

Titanus giganteus

) can

measure up to 16.8 cm

(6.6 inches) long and

7.6 cm (3 inches)

wide

heaviest

insect

the giant weta can

weigh 71 grams

(2.5 ounces)

biggest

wingspan

the atlas moth

measures 30 cm

(12 inches) from

wingtip to

wingtip

fastest

wings

sandflies beat

their wings about

1,045 times a

second

strongest

insect

the horned dung

beetle can pull an

object 1,141 times

its own body

weight

fastest

runner

Australian tiger

beetles can

move 2.5 metres

(5.6 miles)

per hour

deadliest

venom

a type of

harvester ant

can kill a rat

longest

life as an

adult

some African

mound-building termite

queens live more

than 60 years

Fun facts

The horned dung beetle

rolls dung into a ball and buries it

to eat later. It can bury 250 times

its own weight in one night.

Mosquitoes

have lived on

Earth for 400 million years. Only

female mosquitoes bite people.

The praying mantis is the only

insect that can turn its head from

side to side.

Fun facts

Cockroaches

can live for more

than one week without their head.

They also have white blood. Most

insects have yellow blood.

3030

A queen termite can lay

40,000 eggs in a single day.

The lens is the part of the eye

that focuses light and makes

clear images. Dragonflies

can

have 30,000 lenses in each eye.

bee

needs to make about

10 million flights to get enough

nectar to make just 454 grams

(1 pound) of honey.

A locust eats its own body

weight in plants every day.

FIND OUT MORE

Bugs

(Record Busters), Clive Gifford

(Wayland, 2016)

Insects and Spiders

(Visual Explorers),

Paul Calver and Toby Reynolds

(Franklin Watts, 2016)

Smithsonian Super Bug Encyclopedia

John Woodward (DK, 2016)

WEBSITES

animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/

bugs

Pictures, videos and facts about all kinds of

insects.

www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Insect/by/rank/

all

Visit this website to find videos and

information about 80 different insects.