Download Insects

Characteristics of insects
Three part body – head, a thorax and an
abdomen
Insects - Entomology
The study of insects
What is an insect?
Take 3 minutes to come up with a list of
insects, and the characteristics of those
insects.
the things that make an insect an insect
Characteristics of insects
Have an exoskeleton – made of chitin
Hard, protective, doesn’t grow or change
Three part body – head, a thorax and an
abdomen
Sensory antennae
Several mouthparts – most have 3 pairs
specialized eating
Three pairs of legs (adults)
Specialized for walking, jumping, grabbing
One or two pairs of wings
Differing flying abilities
Metamorphosis
Incomplete – the young resemble the adults
except with different body proportions
Metamorphosis
Complete –
Larval stage looks much
different than adults stage.
Larval stage is focused on
eating and growing. Adult
stage is focused on
dispersal and reproduction
Woolly Bear Caterpillar
Breathing
A series of tubes called the tracheal system and
holes called spiracles for air intake
Use muscle contraction to get the air in
Oxygen moves into the cells via diffusion
Effective for small animals, but not for anything
much larger than an insect
Insect Societies – “Social Insects”
Some insects form colonies – specifically societies
Dependent on one another for survival
Division of labor – different groups serve different
purposes
Social Insects
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cC01c-Zsoc
Why should we care about insects?
How do they benefit humans?
Take 2 minutes to discuss with someone nearby
about how insects can be beneficial to humans.
Why should we care about insects?
How do they benefit humans?
 Food – honey
Insects are the primary source of protein in many
places
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwC4WRKi5Q
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Why should we care about insects?
How do they benefit humans?
 Food – honey
Insects are the primary source of protein in many
places
 Pollination
Critical for most of our food sources
 Silk – from the cocoons of the silk worm – up to ½ mile
long
 Natural and Biological Control – mosquitos, wasp/gypsy
Why should we care about insects?
How do they benefit humans?
Aesthetics – some insects very pretty
Drawn as art, used as art
Products
Dyes, Polishes, Bees wax
Genetics
Fruit flies used in genetic research because of
quick reproduction rates and share 75% DNA with
humans
Importance of Pollination
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIn_RXeTX9k&index=6&list=PLJ39N37UYoMphBeqF37ougsdbgqj87Vb
Colony Collapse Disorder
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRGrI4AQG70
 <iframe width="560" height="315"
src="//www.youtube.com/embed/zIn_RXeTX9k?list=PLJ39N37UYoMphBeqF37ougsdbgqj87Vb" frameborder="0"
allowfullscreen></iframe>
Other Arthropods
Crayfish,
lobsters,
crabs,
barnacles,
spiders,
ticks,
daddy longlegs,
millipedes,
centipedes
Pinning Specifics
Bees, wasps, flies, etc. — Pin through the thorax
between bases of fore wings and slightly to right of
middle line.
Pinning Specifics
Butterflies, moths, dragonflies, etc. — Pin
through center of thorax between the bases of
forewings
Pinning Specifics
True bugs — Pin through the scutellum,
which is the triangular area between the
bases of the wings
Pinning Specifics
Grasshoppers, crickets, etc. — Pin through
the prothorax or “saddle” slightly to the
right of the center line
Pinning Specifics
Beetles — Pin through the forepart of the
right wing cover near the centerline