Download Insects Are - Comprehension Questions

Insects Are . . . Comprehension Questions
(1) Insects are invertebrates, animals with no internal structures to support their bodies.
(2) List the two characteristics of all animals in the Phylum Arthropoda.
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Exoskeleton (a kind of skeleton on the outside of their body)
Bendable, jointed legs
(3) List some of the classes of animals in the Phylum Arthropoda.
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crustacean
centipedes
millipedes
arachnids
(4) List 7 characteristics of all animals in the Class Insecta.
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Three separate body parts (head, thorax and abdomen)
adults have six legs (3 pairs)
wings (most have 2 pairs) – attached to thorax
two sets of jaws
two kinds of eyes (simple and compound)
one pair of antennae (feelers)
all insects begin their life cycle as an egg
(5) Describe insects place in the Animal Kingdom.
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Insects are the most populous (make up over half of the living things on earth)
Insects are the most varied class of organisms (lots of species diversity/variation)
Insects can live in almost every environment (land or water)
Insects are well adapted for all types of environments
(6) List 3 ways in which insects can be harmful to the environment.
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destroy crops
parasitic
carry/spread diseases
(7) List 3 ways in which insects can be helpful to the environment.
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pollinate flowers (plant reproduction)
aid in decay/decomposition
help maintain nature’s balance
part of many food chains (prey for fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals)
(8) Not all insects are true bugs. What makes “true bugs” different from most animals in the Class
Insecta?
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The word “bug” is often used to describe any crawling insect. However, “true bugs” are a
special group of insects in the Order Hemiptera.
o Long, jointed feeding tube (piercing and sucking)
o Bed bugs, lightening bugs, stink bugs
(9) What is the purpose of an insect’s exoskeleton?
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A hard covering on the outside of the body
It protects the insect
(10) What is the exoskeleton of an insect made of?
CHITIN (pronounced kite-in)
(11) What body parts of an insect can be found on the head of the insect?
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eyes
mouthparts
antennae
(12) What body parts of an insect can be found on the thorax of the insect?
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legs
wings
(13) What body parts of an insect can be found in the abdomen of the insect?
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organs
o digestion
o reproduction
(14) What is the purpose of an insect’s antennae?
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front of the head
sensory organs
o touch
o taste
o smell
o hearing
(15) What is another name for the antennae?
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FEELERS – used to sense changes in the environment