INTRODUCTION TO ENTOMOLOGY

https://frst307.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2017/09/Lecutre-4-Intro-to-
entomology.pdf
 Introduc)on to Entomology

÷  Lecture outline/goals:
o What is an insect?
o The insect body plan – structure and func)on
o Reproduc)on
o Development and growth
o Diversity
o The common orders
o Why insects are so successful

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What is an insect?

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 Myriapods
What is an insect? A bit of
taxonomy
Trilobites ÷  The Phylum Arthropoda (external
skeletons)
Common
ancestor ÷  5 major groups (classes)
o Myriapods (e.g. cen)pedes, millipedes)
Chelicerates
o Trilobites (ex)nct)
o Chelicerates (e.g. spiders, mites)
o Crustaceans (e.g. crabs, lobsters)
o Insects
Crustaceans

Insects
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 Classifica)on
÷  Kingdom = Animalia
÷  Phylum = Arthropoda
÷  Class = Insecta
÷  Order
e.g. Coleoptera (= Beetle)
÷  Family
e.g. Curculionidae (= Snout beetles)
÷  Subfamily*
e.g. Scolytinae (= Bark beetle)
÷  Genus
e.g. Dendroctonus
÷  Species
e.g. Dendroctonus ponderosae (= Mountain pine beetle)

*note: subfamily designa)on not always required 9

What makes an insect? The body plan…
÷  Three tagmata
Wings o Head – percep)on (vision, smell,
taste), feeding
o Thorax – locomo)on (3 pairs legs,
2 pairs wings)
o Abdomen – reproduc)on,
excre)on, respira)on, hearing

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 Tagmata specializa)on: Head (mouthparts)
2) Piercing and sucking 1) Chewing 3) Siphoning
Mosquito Butterfly
(Diptera) (Lepidoptera)
Grasshopper
(Orthoptera) Labrum

Labial palp
Maxilla Mandible
Maxillae
Labrum (proboscis)
Labellum Labium

Flea
4) Sponging (Siphonaptera)
Tiger beetle
(Coleoptera)
Housefly
(Diptera)

Labrum Labium
Maxilla
Mandibles
Maxillary
palps
Labium
Maxilla
Maxillary
palps Labial palps
Maxillary palps Labial palps
Labellum
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 Tagmata specializa)on: thorax (legs)
Femur

Trochanter

÷  Cursorial (running) Tibia

÷  Fossorial (digging) Coxa

÷  Raptorial (grasping) Cursorial

÷  Saltatorial (jumping) Natatorial

Tarsus

÷  Natatorial (swimming)

Raptorial

Saltatorial

Fossorial 12
 Tagmata specializa)on: thorax (wings)

Odonata Hemiptera
- primitive, 2 “equal” pair, - forewings partially
membranous sclerotized (i.e.
hardened)

Hymenoptera Coleoptera
- membranous, forewings - forewings completely
larger than hindwings, held sclerotized
together by hamuli (small
hooks)

Lepidoptera Diptera
- forewings larger than - Hindwings replaced by
hindwings, covered with halteres
scales

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Images by Barbara Strnadova
Tagmata specializa)on: abdomen

Oviposition
(Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

Respiration/gills
(Odonata: Lestidae)
Defense/display
(Dermaptera: Labiduridae)

Reproduction
(Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)
Display
(Coleoptera: Lampyridae)

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 The exoskeleton
÷  Prevent water loss
÷  Protect from natural enemies
÷  Muscle a_achment

setae
hollow spine
solid spine
suture

cuticle
epidermis

basement
membrane

membranous
cuticle
Body wall

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 The exoskeleton
÷  Cu)cle (cri)cal to success of Insecta)
÷  Epidermis (cellular)
÷  Cu)cle + epidermis = integument

epicuticle (wax, lipids)

exocuticle
cuticle - sclerotin

procuticle

epidermis endocuticle
basement - chitin*
membrane
Chi)n: nitrogenous polysaccharide (C8H13NO5)n - a glucose deriva)ve
Quinones
Chi)n Sclero)n (i.e. sclero)zed)
*Chi)n also found in fungus cell walls 16
 Nervous system (blue, green)
÷  Largely decentralized
÷  Brain controls eyes,
antennae and
mouthparts
÷  Thoracic (peripheral)
ganglia control legs and
wings
Brain
÷  Abdominal (peripheral)
ganglia control gut and
reproduc)ve organs

Nerve cord
Peripheral
ganglia

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 Circulatory system (red)

÷  Nutrient transport
÷  Immune system
÷  Hydraulic mechanism
÷  No thermoregula)on
Blood vessel
÷  Not involved in
Hearts respira)on
÷  Blood = hemolymph

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 Diges)ve system (green, yellow)
÷  A “one-way street”
÷  Foregut = breakdown of
large food par)cles (using
saliva)
÷  Midgut = enzyma)c
diges)on
÷  Hindgut = fecal pellets and
excre)on
Midgut
Hindgut

Salivary Foregut
gland

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 Respiratory system

÷  O2 enters insect via

Muscle spiracles, trachea and
Body wall
Outside

(cuticle)
tracheoles
÷  Diffuses into )ssues
Spiracle
÷  Implica)ons for body
size
Trachea

Tracheoles

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 Reproduc)on
÷  Sexual (most insects) ÷  Asexual
o Parthenogenesis =
development from
unfer)lized eggs
o Obligatory (e.g. aphids)



÷  Haplodiploidy (e.g. honey bees)
o Fer)lized eggs = females (queens and
workers)
o Unfer)lized eggs = males (drones) o Faculta)ve – response to
variable env’tal condi)ons
(males are a “luxury”)

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 Development
÷  Two main types Hemimetabolous
- Immatures wingless, non-reproduc)ve,
o Hemimetabolous - 3 life forms
resemble adults (nymphs)
o Holometabolous - 4 life forms - Incomplete metamorphosis
- e.g. grasshoppers

Holometabolous
- Immatures non-reproduc)ve, do nymphal stages
egg
not resemble adults (larvae)
- Complete metamorphosis adult

requires pupal stage

- e.g. Moths/bu_erflies
pupa

larval stages adult

egg

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 Growth
÷  Growth requires mol)ng
÷  Time spent between larval molts = instar

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 Insect diversity and abundance

Protozoa 1%
Crustacea 2% Nematoda 1% ÷  Insects account for
Algae 2%
Chordata 3% most of the Earth’s
Mollusca 3% terrestrial animal
Fungi 4% biomass
Arachnida 4%

Others 7% Insecta 53%

Tracheophyta 18%

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 How many insect species are there?

÷  ~ 1 million described (~30 orders)

o Es)mated 5-30 million

÷  ~60,000 invertebrates in BC
o ~35,000 insects

÷  <1% of insects considered pests

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 Important/common insect orders
Orthoptera: Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids
Chewing mouthparts; Hemimetabolous
Leathery forewings; Membranous hind wings

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 Odonata: Dragonflies, Damselflies
Chewing mouthparts; Hemimetabolous
Immatures aqua)c, gills

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 Phasmatodea: Walking s)cks
Chewing mouthparts; Hemimetabolous
Herbivorous

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 Mantodea: Man)ds
Chewing mouthparts; Hemimetabolous
Predators

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 Isoptera: Termites
Chewing mouthparts; Hemimetabolous
Social; Feed on cellulose by using gut symbionts

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 Thysanoptera: Thrips
Complex mouthparts; Intermediate between chewing & piercing/sucking
Hemimetabolous; Fringed wings
Predators

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 Hemiptera: Bugs
Piercing/sucking mouthparts; Hemimetabolous, but some)mes very complex life cycles
Basal por)on of forewing leathery; Most predatory

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 Coleoptera: Beetles
Chewing mouthparts; Holometabolous; Forewing thickened into “elytra”
Largest and most diverse insect order

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 Diptera: Flies
Piercing/sucking or sponging mouthparts; Holometabolous;
Hind wings highly reduced: halteres

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 Lepidoptera: Bu_erflies & Moths
Chewing mouthparts as Larvae, siphoning as adults
Holometabolous; Scaly wings
3rd largest insect order; Mostly phytophagous

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 Hymenoptera: Wasps, Bees, Ants
Modified chewing mouthparts; Holometabolous;
Membranous wings; Osen highly modified ovipositor
2nd largest insect order

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 Why are insects so successful?

÷  Exoskeleton
÷  Development
÷  Dispersal abili)es
÷  Size
÷  Reproduc)on
÷  Adaptability
÷  Symbiosis
÷  Behaviour

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