Insects 101: Classifying to Order

Insects 101: Classifying to Order

Order / COMMON NAMES / NOTES / METAMORPHOSIS / MOUTHPARTS / WINGS / Habitat / What causes damage?
Arachnida (Class) / Spiders, Mites, Ticks, Daddy Longlegs / 2 body segments
4 pairs of legs (8!)
-Spiders are predators of insects, some mites are major plant pests and some are beneficial, ticks are important vectors of some serious diseases, most daddy longlegs are predators or feed on dead animals
Blattodea / Cockroach / Decomposers, urban / Simple / Chewing / 2 pair / On Ground
In Wood/Leaf Litter
In Buildings
Chilopoda (Class) / Centipedes / 15+ body segments
15+ pairs of legs (1 per segment)
-Predators of insects, spiders and other small animals, some are household pests / Beneficial predator of other arthropods
Coleoptera
“sheathed wing” / Beetles / Pollinators, decomposers, plant feeders, Urban (ladybeetles), Megafauna (Hercules beetles), Seasonal insects (Asian long-horned beetle, EAB) / Complete / Chewing / 2 pair – The outer pair are hardened and the inner pair are membranous. / All Habitats
Collembola / Springtails / Simple- Without Metamorphosis / Chewing / None / On Plants
In Leaf Litter
Crustacea (Class) / Crayfish, Sowbugs, Lobsters, Shrimp / 2 body segments
5 pairs of legs
-Sowbugs can be minor pests, crayfish sometimes appear in lawns near water, many are delicious to eat! / Sowbugs feed on decaying plant matter, but will sometimes attack young plants
Dermaptera
“skin wings” / Earwigs / Elongate, flattened insects with strong, movable forceps on the abdomen. / Simple – Gradual Metamorphosis / Chewing / 2 pair – Short, hardened outer wings and folded, membranous, ear shaped inner wings / On Plants
In Leaf Litter
Diplopoda (Class) / Millipedes / 14+ body segments
30+ pairs of legs (2 legs/segment)
-Most eat decaying plant material, a few are greenhouse and garden pests, some are household pests / Fungus and decaying plant material … but at times can be destructive to vegetables or other plants in greenhouses
Diptera
“two wings” – Flies have only one pair! Often hairy. / Flies, Mosquitoes, Gnats, Midges / -Pollinators, decomposers, megafauna (crane flies, horse flies), medically important (mosquitoes),.
-Most larvae are legless. Fly larvae called maggots. / Complete / Chewing, Sucking, Piercing (mosquito) or Sponging (housefly) / 1 pair / All Habitats
Ephemeroptera / Mayflies / Simple – Incomplete Metamorphosis / Vestigial (no longer used for feeding) / 2 pair / Near Water
Hemiptera
“half wings” / True Bugs (stink, plant, squash, boxelder, bed) Cicadas, leafhoppers, aphids, scale, mealybugs / Plant feeders, urban (BB, SB), medically important (BB), seasonal insects (Periodical cicadas, BMSB) / Simple – Gradual Metamorphosis / Piercing-sucking / 2 pair – first pair are ‘half wings’, second pair is membranous / On Plants
In Leaf Litter
In Water / Adults and nymphs
Homoptera
Sub-order / Scale Insects, Mealybugs, Whiteflies, Aphids, Adelgids, Cicadas, Leafhoppers / Simple – Gradual Metamorphosis / Sucking / Winged and unwinged forms / Many carry plant pathogens
Hymenoptera / Wasps, bees, ants, sawflies, horntails, velvet ants, honey bees, European hornets, fire ants, Asian needle ants / Pollinators (W,B,A) decomposers (A),
Plant feeders (S,H,B), Megafauna (W,B,V), medically important (W,B,A), seasonal insects (HB, EH, FA, ANA) / Complete / Chewing-lapping / 2 pair / On Ground
On Plants
Isoptera
‘equal wings’ – wings are of equal size and shape / Termites / Urban / Simple- Gradual Metamorphosis / Chewing / 2 pair / Near Soil and Wood
In Buildings
Lepidoptera / Butterflies, moths, caterpillars, cutworms / Pollinators, plant feeders, season insects (gypsy moths, squash stem borer) / Complete
-Larvae are voracious eaters / Chewing (larvae) or siphoning (adult) / 2 pair – Membranous wings covered with small scales / On Plants
Mantodea / Mantids / Megafauna / Simple / Chewing / 2 pair / On Plants
Mecoptera / Scorpionflies / Megafauna / Complete
Neuroptera / Lacewings, Antlions, Snakeflies, Mantispids, Dustywing, Alderfly, Dobsonflies / Megafauna / Complete
-Many are aquatic as larvae / Chewing / 2 pair / On Plants
Near Water
On Ground / Insect Predators
Odonata / Dragonflies, Damselflies / Megafauna / Simple – Incomplete / Chewing / 2 pair / Near Water
Orthoptera / Crickets, Grasshoppers, Katydids, Praying Mantid / Simple – Gradual Metamorphosis / Chewing / 2 pair – Forewings are elongated, narrow and hardened. Hind wings are membranous. / On Plants
On Ground
In Buildings / Adults and Nymphs
Phamatodea / Walking Sticks / Plant Feeders, Megafauna
Phasmida / Walkingsticks / Simple / Chewing / 2 pair / On Plants
Phthiraptera / Lice / Urban, medically important / Simple / Chewing or Sucking / None / On Birds or Mammals
Plecoptera / Stoneflies / Megafauna / Simple – Incomplete / Chewing / 2 pair / Near Water
Siphonaptera / Fleas / Urban, Medically important / Compete / Piercing-Sucking / None / On Birds or Mammals
Symphyla (Class) / Symphalans / 15-22 body segments
10-12 pairs of legs
-Can be serious pests of vegetables, tree seedlings and greenhouse crops
Thysanoptera / Thrips / Simple – Gradual Metamorphosis / Rasping-sucking / 2 pair – Slender, feather-like, with fringed hairs / On Plants
In Leaf Litter
Thysanura / Silverfish / Simple – Without Metamorphosis / Chewing / None / In Leaf Litter
In Buildings
Trichoptera / Caddisflies / Complete / Chewing / 2 pair / Near Water

IMPORTANT TO GARDENER:

·  ORDERS OF Insects

·  CLASSES OF Non-Insects (‘Insect Look alikes’)

ORDERS OF Other Insects Commonly seen

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