What is Entomology?

• Entomology -- The science concerning insects

– Class Insecta
• Entomology is both a basic science and an
applied science
– Basic sciences use insects to address many
conceptual questions in Ecology, Evolution,
Physiology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, etc.
– Applied entomology also includes questions
about beneficial (to humans) insects.
Introduction to Insects
 Outline

• Insects and their relatives

• How insects rule the world
• Insect anatomy and biology
 Insects and their relatives

• Arthropods are numerous and diverse

– Insects (beetles, flies, moths, earwigs, aphids)
– Arachnids (spiders, ticks, mites, scorpions)
– Crustaceans (crayfish, crabs, lobsters, sowbugs)
– Centipedes, millipedes
• Exoskeleton is a hard outer shell
• Jointed appendages, segmented body
• Not arthropods: slugs, snails, earthworms
Basic insect body plan

Head

Thorax

Abdomen
 Basic insect body plan

Abdomen Thorax Head

Basic arachnid body plan

Cephalothorax

Abdomen
 Basic arachnid body plan

Abdomen

Cephalothorax
Insects Arachnids
• 3 body regions • 2 body regions
• 1 pair of antennae • No antennae
• 3 pair of legs • 4 pair of legs
• 2 pair of wings • No wings
 Insects rule the world!

• There are more insects

than all other plants and
animals combined

• There are more than 1

million different species

• 1 out of every 5 animals

is a beetle!
Why are insects so successful?
• Small size
• Multigenerational
• Flight
• Metamorphosis
• Wide variety in food
choices
• Wide variety in habitat
resources

© Marlin E. Rice
 Insect metamorphosis

Complete metamorphosis: Incomplete metamorphosis:

egg, larva, pupa, adult egg, nymph, adult
e.g., beetles, butterflies, flies e.g., grasshoppers, true bugs
Images from Cornell University, Http://nides.bc.ca/Assignments/Insects/Metamorphosis3.htm
 Insects eat everything

• Carnivore, animal matter

• Herbivore, plant matter

• Omnivore, plant and animal matter

• Detrivore, organic matter

• Saprophore, decaying matter

 How to ID insects: wings
beetle true bug grasshopper earwig

© Marlin E. Rice © Marlin E. Rice L. Jesse

wasp butterfly fly

© Marlin E. Rice
L. Jesse
L. Jesse
 How to ID insects: mouthparts
Piercing-sucking: Sponging: Siphoning:
mosquitoes, true bugs house fly butterflies, moths

Chewing:
grasshoppers,
beetles,
praying mantis

Images on this page from R. Bessin, University of Kentucky

How to ID insects: antennae

freenaturepictures.com
 How to ID insects: legs
grasping pollen-carrying
walking

L. Jesse
L. Jesse
swimming and
grasping
digging jumping

Paul M. Choate, University of Florida

© Marlin E. Rice
 Summary
• There are many keys to help in the accurate
identification of insects
• Wings, antennae, legs, mouthparts

© Marlin E. Rice