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The Insects Portal

Insects (from Latin insectum) are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and a pair of antennae. Insects are the most diverse group of animals, with more than a million described species; they represent more than half of all animal species. (Full article...)

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Life cycle of the Polish cochineal in Breyne's Historia naturalis Cocci Radicum... (1731)

Polish cochineal (Porphyrophora polonica, Margarodes polonicus), also known as Polish carmine scales (Polish: czerwiec polski), is a scale insect formerly used to produce a crimson dye of the same name, colloquially known as "Saint John's blood". The larvae of P. polonica are sessile parasites living on the roots of various herbs – especially those of the perennial knawel (Polish: czerwiec trwały) – growing on the sandy soils of Central Europe and other parts of Eurasia. Before the development of aniline, alizarin, and other synthetic dyes, the insect was of great economic importance, although its use was in decline after the introduction of Mexican cochineal to Europe in the 16th century. Historically earlier was used Armenian cochineal scale insect, Porphyrophora hamelii, which is in a same taxonomic family Porphyrophora of the Polish cochineal and in different taxonomic family from cochineal found in the Americas. (Full article...)

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... that the fossil butterfly Prodryas persephone is so well preserved that individual wing scales can be seen?
... that the beetle Lixus concavus lives inside sunflowers?
... that the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory imports up to 3,000 butterflies a month from around the world?
... that the extinct sawfly Pseudosiobla cambelli is one of three species of Pseudosiobla known from the fossil record?
... that members of Senostoma kill their hosts when ready to emerge?

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The following are images from various insect-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1The Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) have direct flight musculature, as do mayflies. (from Insect flight)
Image 2Cross-section of wing vein (from Insect morphology)
Image 3A tau emerald (Hemicordulia tau) dragonfly has flight muscles attached directly to its wings. (from Insect flight)
Image 4Closeup of a fire ant, showing fine sensory hairs on antennae (from Insect morphology)
Image 5Diagram of a typical insect leg (from Insect morphology)
Image 6Male genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 7Stylized diagram of insect digestive tract showing malpighian tubule, from an insect of the order Orthoptera. (from Insect morphology)
Image 8Indian moon moth (Actias selene) with some of the spiracles identified (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 9Fossil gnat in amber, a well-preserved insect fossil. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 10Mazothairos, a Carboniferous member of the now extinct order Palaeodictyoptera. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 11Generalized arthropod biramous limb. Trueman proposed that an endite and an exite fused to form a wing. (from Insect flight)
Image 12Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) of Papua New Guinea (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 13Mayfly nymph with paired abdominal gills (from Insect flight)
Image 14Variety of male structures in Phlebotominae (Diptera, Psychodidae) (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 15Hoverfly (Xanthogramma pedissequum) has indirect flight musculature. (from Insect flight)
Image 16Evolution has produced astonishing variety of appendages in insects, such as these antennae. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 17Larva of Syrphid fly, member of Cyclorrhapha, without epicranium, almost without sclerotisation apart from its jaws. (from Insect morphology)
Image 18
Insect morphology
Legend of body parts
Tagmata: A – Head, B – Thorax, C – Abdomen.
1. antenna
2. ocelli (lower)
3. ocelli (upper)
4. compound eye
5. brain (cerebral ganglia)
6. prothorax
7. dorsal blood vessel
8. tracheal tubes (trunk with spiracle)
9. mesothorax
10. metathorax
11. forewing
12. hindwing
13. mid-gut (stomach)
14. dorsal tube (heart)
15. ovary
16. hind-gut (intestine, rectum & anus)
17. anus
18. oviduct
19. nerve cord (abdominal ganglia)
20. Malpighian tubes
21. tarsal pads
22. claws
23. tarsus
24. tibia
25. femur
26. trochanter
27. fore-gut (crop, gizzard)
28. thoracic ganglion
29. coxa
30. salivary gland
31. subesophageal ganglion
32. mouthparts
(from Insect morphology)
Image 19Reconstruction of a Carboniferous insect, the palaeodictyopteran Mazothairos (from Insect flight)
Image 20Mandibles of Rhyniognatha hirsti, it may be an oldest insect, but also possible to be a myriapod. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 21A pie chart of described eukaryote species, showing just over half of these to be insects (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 22The development of insect mouthparts from the primitive chewing mouthparts of a grasshopper in the center (A), to the lapping type (B) of a bee, the siphoning type (C) of a butterfly and the sucking type (D) of a female mosquito.
Legend: a – antennae
c – compound eye
lb – labium
lr – labrum
md – mandibles
mx – maxillae (from Insect morphology)
Image 23The abdominal terminus of male scorpionflies is enlarged into a "genital bulb", as seen in Panorpa communis (from Insect morphology)
Image 24Scanning electron micrograph of a cricket spiracle valve (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 25Frenulo-retinacular wing coupling in male and female moths (from Insect flight)
Image 26Bumblebee defecating. Note the contraction of the anus, which provides internal pressure. (from Insect morphology)
Image 27Larva of beetle, family Cerambycidae, showing sclerotised epicranium; rest of body hardly sclerotised (from Insect morphology)
Image 28Venation of insect wings, based on the Comstock-Needham system (from Insect morphology)
Image 29Direct flight: muscles attached to wings. Large insects only (from Insect flight)
Image 30The female genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 31Head of Orthoptera, Acrididae. a:antenna; b:ocelli; c:vertex; d:compound eye; e:occiput; f:gena; g:pleurostoma; h:mandible; i:labial palp; j:maxillary palps; k:maxilla; l:labrum; m:clypeus; n:frons (from Insect morphology)
Image 32Reconstruction Strudiella devonica as a possible hexapod (from Evolution of insects)

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Credit: Chrumps

The rose chafer Cetonia aurata (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is a beetle, 20 mm (¾ in) long, that has metallic green coloration.

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WikiProject Insects

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