Download Insect Taxonomic Diversity

Insect Taxonomic
Diversity
BY: TAYLOR KENDALL
Insect Order
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Ephemeroptera
•
Orthoptera
•
Diptera
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Odonata
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Phasmida
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Siphonoptera
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Blattaria
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Hemiptera
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Hymenoptera
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Isoptera
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Coleoptera
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Mantodea
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Dermatptera
•
Lepidoptera
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Plecoptera
Ephemeroptera
•
Mayflies are small to medium sized
insects with an average wingspan up
to 15 millimeters. As their name
suggests, mayflies have only a short
adult life ranging from a few hours up
to a day or two depending on the
species. Mayflies can be recognized
by the following characteristics
•
•2 pair of membranous wings
•
•Hind wings much smaller than the
forewings
•
•Short, fine antennae
•
•Mandibulate mouthparts
•
Tip of abdomen usually with 3 very
long filamentous
Odonata
•
Odonata are an order of
aquatic palaeopterous insects.
•
There are about 6500 extant
species in just over 600 general.
•
Adult odonatas are medium to
large in size, often conspicuous
and/or brightly colored insects
and are aerial predators
hunting by sight.
•
They generally are found at or
near fresh water although
some species roam widely and
may be found far from their
breeding sites. The larvae are
predatory, aquatic and occur
in all manner of inland waters.
Blattaria
•
eggs usually contained in ootheca
•
• leathery forewings.
•
• male genitalia asymmetrical
•
• cerci variable, with one or more
segments
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The cockroach, also known as the roach,
is found worldwide in every environment
and every habitat with the exception of
water.
Isoptera
•
eusocial, with reproductives, soldiers,
and workers of both sexes.
•
• wings with basal sutures allowing
them to be shed
•
• external genitalia rudimentary or
lacking
•
•Pale, elongate body
•
•2 pairs of membranous wings of equal
length
Orthoptera
•
The more than 20,000 species in this
order have a worldwide distribution
but are most diverse in the tropics.
•
Body size varies from less than 5 mm
to some of the world's largest insects,
with body lengths up to 11.5 cm, and
wingspans of over 22 cm.
•
Orthopterans are a common
component of terrestrial insect
faunas and include some of the most
voracious pests (locusts and certain
katydids).
•
Members of both suborders are
generally phytophagous but many
species are omnivores. Females of
most species lay clutches of eggs,
either in the ground or in vegetation.
Some of the best examples of cryptic
coloration are seen in this group,
involving mimicry of leaves and other
vegetation or other resemblance to
the background
Phasmida
•
As its name suggests, the stick insect resembles the twigs
among which it lives, providing it with one of the most
efficient natural camouflages on Earth.
•
There are approximately 3,000 species.
•
Stick insect species, often called walking sticks, range in size
from the tiny, half-inch-long
•
Phobaeticus kirbyi of Borneo. This giant measures over 21
inches (55 centimeters) with its legs outstretched, making it
one of the world’s longest insects
•
Females are normally larger than males.
•
Phasmids generally mimic their surroundings in color,
normally green or brown, although some species are
brilliantly colored and others conspicuously striped. Many
stick insects have wings, some spectacularly beautiful, while
others resemble little more than a stump. A number of
species have spines and tubercles on their bodies.
Hemiptera
•
The insects in this order are extremely diverse in
their size, shape and colour. There are about 6000
described species in Australia, ranging in size from
1 to 110 millimetres in length.
•
The name Hemiptera means 'half wing' and all
hemipterans share the following features 2 pairs of
wings, although some species may be wingless
and others have only forewings.
•
The young of hemipterans look like small adults.
•
Some bugs may be mistaken for beetles but can be
distinguished by their mouthparts as beetles have
mandibulate mouthparts while bugs have
sucking/piercing mouthparts.
Coleoptera
•
The Coleoptera, or beetles, includes many
commonly encountered insects such as ladybird
beetles, click beetles, scarabs, and fireflies.
•
They live throughout the world (except
Antarctica), but are most speciose in the tropics.
•
They range in size from minute featherwing
beetles, adults of which are as small as 0.3 mm
long, to the giant Goliath and Hercules beetles
which can be well over 15 cm.
•
While most species are phytophagous, many are
predacious, or fungivores, or are parasitoids.
•
They communicate to one another in many ways,
either by use of chemicals or by visual means
•
They live in rainforest canopies, the driest deserts,
in lakes, and above treeline on mountains.
Lepidoptera
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Butterflies and moths make up the Lepidoptera.
•
They can be distinguished from all other insects by
their two pairs of scale-covered wings.
•
They undergo complete metamorphosis: eggs are
laid, from which larvae hatch, and a pupal stage
follows, during which the final adult form takes
shape.
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Lepidoptera are renowned for their sense of smell.
•
The females of most species release complex,
species-specific chemical compounds (pheromones),
which can be detected by males from great
distances.
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The Lepidoptera constitute one of the four largest
groups of insects, in terms of their diversity
•
About 180,000 species have been described, but
many more remain undiscovered. The total number
of species is probably between 300,000 and 500,000
Diptera
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True flies are insects of the order Diptera and
include many familiar insects such as mosquitoes,
black flies, midges, fruit flies, blow flies and house
flies.
•
Flies are generally common and can be found all
over the world except Antarctica.
•
The major morphological feature which
distinguishes flies from other insects is their
reduced hind wings, termed halteres. The halteres
are small, club-like structures that function as
balancing organs during flight.
•
Adult flies have only one pair of functional wings.
•
A greater number of species await description and
most of these will be found in environments that
remain to be studied intensively, such as tropical
forests.
Siphonaptera
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The name Siphonaptera is derived from
the Greek words "siphon" meaning a
tube or pipe and "aptera" meaning
wingless.
•
These secondarily wingless insects
whose mouthparts are adapted for
piercing skin and sucking blood.
•
all fleas are blood-sucking external
parasites
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Only adult fleas inhabit the host's body
and feed on its blood
•
Adults may live for a year or more and
can survive for weeks or months
without a blood meal.
Hymenoptera
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The Hymenoptera are one of the
largest orders of insects, comprising the
sawflies, wasps, bees and ants.
•
Over 150,000 species are recognized,
with many more remaining to be
described.
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The Hymenoptera include famous
examples of social insects, such as
honeybees and true ants; these insects
have developed regimented social
systems in which members are divided
into worker, drone, and queen caste.
•
Not all hymenoptera are social,
however; many live a solitary life,
coming together only for a brief mating
Manotdea
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This order of insects that contains over
2,400 species and about 430 genera in 15
families worldwide in temperate and
tropical habitats.
•
Mantids have elongate bodies that are
specialized for a predatory lifestyle.
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long front legs with spines for catching
and holding prey, a head that can turn
from side to side, and cryptic coloration
for hiding in foliage or flowers.
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Mantids are most abundant and most
diverse in the tropics.
•
there are only 5 species commonly
collected in the United States and 3 of
these have been imported from abroad.
Plecoptera
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The Plecoptera are an order of insects,
commonly known as stoneflies.
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Some 3,500 species are described
worldwide, with new species still being
discovered.
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Stoneflies are found worldwide, except
Antarctica.
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The nymphs of stoneflies dwell in
aquatic habitats, although there are
some species in the southern
hemisphere which spend much time on
damp land.
The End.