Name______Class Period______

Insect Box#: ______

Lab Purpose:

Materials & Procedure:

Data Collection & Observations:

Insect Order #1: ______

Insect Order #2: ______

Insect Order #3: ______

Insect Order #4: ______

Notes:

Conclusions:

  1. What insect parts were most useful in helping you identify your insects?
  1. What characteristics do ALL insects share?
  1. Name the three major parts of the insect body plan
  1. What is your favorite insect order?

Insect Activity: Dichotomous Key

1a. Insect has one pair of wings ______Order Diptera

1b. Insect has two pairs of wings ______#2

2a. Insect has extremely long neck (pronotum) and holds from

pair of legs in “praying position” ______Order Mantodea

2b.Insect does not have long pronotum, legs not in “praying

posisiton” ______#3

3a.Armor-like cover over membranous wings ______Order Coleoptera

3b.No armor-like cover over wings ______#4

4a.Triangular wings, scales covering entire wing, mouth a long

proboscis______Order Lepidoptera

4b.Wings not triangular, mouth not a long proboscis ______#5

5a.All four wings similar in size and shape ______#6

5b.Four wings not similar in size and shape ______#8

6a.Eyes cover head almost entirely ______Order Odonota

6b.Eyes do not cover head entirely ______# 7

7a.Mouthparts beak-like far beneath head, wings

“half-armored”______Order Hemiptera

7b.Mouthparts not beak-like, non-armored wings ______Order Plecoptera

8a.Long hind-legs for jumping, flat-sided head ______Order Orthoptera

8b.Legs not elongated, normal round head ______#9

9a.Body is oval-shaped and flattened______Order Blattodea

9b.Body not oval-shaped and flattened ______#10

10a.Insect has a constricted waist______Order Hymenoptera

10b.Insect does not have a constricted waist ______Order Embiopotera

Order Descriptions:

Diptera: “true flies”; includes flies, gnats, midges, and mosquitoes

Mantodea: mantis family including the praying mantis

Coleoptera:beetle family; makes up ~40% of all insect species; armor-like forewings

Lepidoptera: moth and butterfly family; all possess scale-covered wings and bodies and a proboscis for feeding

Odonata: dragonflies and damselflies; characterized by large, rounded heads covered largely by complex compound eyes

Hemiptera: “true bugs”; characterized by beak-like mouthparts found underneath the head, used for sucking sap. Often partially-hardened wings look like an “X”

Orthoptera: grasshoppers, crickets and locusts; long hind legs for jumping

Blattodea: cockroaches; flattened, oval-shaped bodies

Hymenoptera: bees, wasps and ants; constricted waists; forewings and hindwings “hook” together