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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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Photuris lucicrescens

The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production of light, mainly during twilight, to attract mates. Light production in the Lampyridae is thought to have originated as a warning signal that the larvae were distasteful. This ability to create light was then co-opted as a mating signal and, in a further development, adult female fireflies of the genus Photuris mimic the flash pattern of the Photinus beetle in order to trap their males as prey.

Fireflies are found in temperate and tropical climates. Many live in marshes or in wet, wooded areas where their larvae have abundant sources of food. While all known fireflies glow as larvae, only some species produce light in their adult stage, and the location of the light organ varies among species and between sexes of the same species. Fireflies have attracted human attention since classical antiquity; their presence has been taken to signify a wide variety of conditions in different cultures and is especially appreciated aesthetically in Japan, where parks are set aside for this specific purpose. (Full article...)

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... that the seeds of the European sedge Carex pilulifera may be dispersed by the ant Myrmica ruginodis?
... that the oldest known member of the mayfly family Neoephemeridae is the Eocene species Neoephemera antiqua?
... that Sphecius grandis, the Western cicada killer wasp, paralyzes cicadas for its offspring to eat after hatching?
... that the extinct griffenfly genus Bohemiatupus inhabited peat-mires?
... that the extinct hangingfly genera Formosibittacus, Jurahylobittacus, and Mongolbittacus are only known from the Middle Jurassic of China?

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

Image 1Reconstruction of a Carboniferous insect, the palaeodictyopteran Mazothairos (from Insect flight)
Image 2Evolution has produced astonishing variety of appendages in insects, such as these antennae. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 3A pie chart of described eukaryote species, showing just over half of these to be insects (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 4Mandibles of Rhyniognatha hirsti, it may be an oldest insect, but also possible to be a myriapod. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 5Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) of Papua New Guinea (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 6Scanning electron micrograph of a cricket spiracle valve (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 7The female genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 8The abdominal terminus of male scorpionflies is enlarged into a "genital bulb", as seen in Panorpa communis (from Insect morphology)
Image 9Diagram of a typical insect leg (from Insect morphology)
Image 10Reconstruction Strudiella devonica as a possible hexapod (from Evolution of insects)
Image 11Venation of insect wings, based on the Comstock-Needham system (from Insect morphology)
Image 12Bumblebee defecating. Note the contraction of the anus, which provides internal pressure. (from Insect morphology)
Image 13Generalized arthropod biramous limb. Trueman proposed that an endite and an exite fused to form a wing. (from Insect flight)
Image 14Closeup of a fire ant, showing fine sensory hairs on antennae (from Insect morphology)
Image 15The Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) have direct flight musculature, as do mayflies. (from Insect flight)
Image 16Male genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 17
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 18Larva of Syrphid fly, member of Cyclorrhapha, without epicranium, almost without sclerotisation apart from its jaws. (from Insect morphology)
Image 19Frenulo-retinacular wing coupling in male and female moths (from Insect flight)
Image 20Stylized diagram of insect digestive tract showing malpighian tubule, from an insect of the order Orthoptera. (from Insect morphology)
Image 21The 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 22Larva of beetle, family Cerambycidae, showing sclerotised epicranium; rest of body hardly sclerotised (from Insect morphology)
Image 23Hoverfly (Philhelius pedissequum) has indirect flight musculature. (from Insect flight)
Image 24Indian moon moth (Actias selene) with some of the spiracles identified (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 25Head 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 26Fossil gnat in amber, a well-preserved insect fossil. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 27A tau emerald (Hemicordulia tau) dragonfly has flight muscles attached directly to its wings. (from Insect flight)
Image 28Direct flight: muscles attached to wings. Large insects only (from Insect flight)
Image 29Mayfly nymph with paired abdominal gills (from Insect flight)
Image 30Cross-section of wing vein (from Insect morphology)
Image 31Mazothairos, a Carboniferous member of the now extinct order Palaeodictyoptera. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 32Variety of male structures in Phlebotominae (Diptera, Psychodidae) (from Insect reproductive system)

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Credit: Fir0002

Gryllotalpa brachyptera is a mole cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae), native to Australia. Mole crickets are thick-bodied insects about 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in) long, with large beady eyes and shovel-like forelimbs highly developed for burrowing and swimming. The adult mole cricket may fly as far as 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) during the mating season, is active most of the year, and spends the winter in hibernation.

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