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antipodi
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Joined: 25 Jan 2006
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Mon Aug 21, 2006 10:28 am
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What Bug Is That ?
Telling Insects Apart
    
In North America alone there are nearly 100,000 insect species. Scientists group these species into orders. Many of the insects you are most likely see belong to twelve orders. You will also probably come across other insects and some non-insect creatures such as spiders, mites, scorpions, and centipedes.
Dragonflies and Damselflies
Dragonflies and damselflies skim across waterways looking for other insects to eat. These hunters belong to the order Odonata, which means “tooth jawed.”
Mantids
Mantids can not be confused with any other insects! These long, lean, bug-eyed hunters use their front legs to snatch other insects. They belong to the order Mantodea.
Crickets and Grasshoppers
Crickets and grasshoppers have strong hind legs for jumping. They belong to the order Orthoptera, which means “straight wings.” Over 23,000 species hop worldwide; North America has about 1,000 species.
Bees, Wasps, and Ants
Bees, wasps, and ants belong to the order Hymenoptera, which means “membrane wings.” The two wings on each side of these insects’ bodies zip together with little hooks, making each pair work like one big wing.
Butterflies and Moths
Butterflies and moths soar on wings covered with tiny scales that give them their color and flash and also their order name, Lepidoptera, which means “scale wings.” About 125,000 species of butterflies and moths exist; 12,000 live in North America.
Spiders
Spiders are not insects, but with 3,000 species of them living in North America, you will likely see them as you look for insects. They belong to the order Araneae.
Beetles
Beetles belong to the largest order in the animal kingdom. Their order name is Coleoptera, which means “sheath wings.”
Cockroaches
Cockroaches belong to the order Blattodea from the Latin word for cockroach. They rarely fly, preferring to slip into thin cracks and crevices. Those dwelling in human homes are the best known, but many species live in tropical forests.
Flies and Mosquitoes
Flies and mosquitoes belong to the order Diptera, which means “two wings.” Unlike most other insects, which have four wings, they have only two. The other set is reduced to a pair of little knobs.
True Bugs
True bugs are the only insects that really are bugs. Their order name is Hemiptera, which means “half wings.”
Cicadas and Kin
Cicadas, leafhoppers, and aphids all dine on plants. These insects are part of the order Homoptera, which means “similar wings.”
Mayflies
Mayflies belong to the order Ephemeroptera, which means “short-lived wings,” referring to the brief life of the adult mayfly. Some mayflies live for a few days, while others live for just a few hours.
Earwigs
Earwigs often have leathery front wings, which give them their order name of Dermaptera, or “skin wings.”
_________________
Antipodi
May one day man and Animals live together in harmony and peace
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