In this video we are going to take a look at some of the characteristics that define
the different insect orders.
All insects consist of the same basic anatomy.
They all possess three body segments, the head, the thorax and the abdomen, and adult
insects all possess 3 pairs of legs.
But each order of insect differs in one way or another and have characteristic features
that aid in differentiating each group of insect.
The first two orders are; the Zygentoma (which are the silverfish) and the Archaeognatha
(which are the jumping bristletails).
Members of both orders all possess three long caudal filaments; the lateral filaments are
called cerci and the medial one is called the epiproct.
The difference between the orders is that the cerci are nearly the same length as the
epiproct in the Zygentoma whereas the cerci are much shorter than the epiproct in the
Archaeognatha.
The next order is the Ephemeroptera, commonly known as the Mayflies.
Member of this order are aquatic and are characterised by having long caudal filaments at the tip
of the abdomen.
They also have a single claw on each leg.
They have two terrestrial winged stages, the subimago stage and the final sexually mature
imago adult stage.
In these stages they have wings that are not able to be folded over their abdomen and instead
are held upright over their backs.
They possess one large forewing, and the second set of wings are either absent or much smaller
in size.
The next order is the Odonata, which are the dragonflies and the damselflies.
Members of the odonata are also not able to fold their wings over their abdomen similar
to the mayflies, and as such hold them outstretched or hold them over their backs.
They vary from the mayflies in that they always have two sets of wings, where both sets of
wings are of similar size.
They also have long slender bodies, culminating in a large head housing very large compound
eyes and short antenna.
The next order is the Orthoptera, which are the grasshoppers and the crickets.
Members of the Orthoptera characteristically possess a set of elongated and muscular hind
legs specialised for jumping.
They also have mouthparts designed for biting and chewing in addition to possessing large
compound eyes.
The next order are the Mantodea, which are the mantises.
Members of the Mantodea have triangular heads with large eyes, and a flexible neck that
allows the head to be swivelled.
They also have enlarged raptorial forelegs specialised for grasping prey.
The next order are the Blattodea which are the cockroaches and the termites.
Cockroaches are characterised by having flattened bodies and a large pronotum that covers most
of the head.
Termites are characterised by the presence of a social system.
The next order are the Phasmatodea, which are the stick insects and leaf insects.
Members of this order are adapted to be cryptic on the plant species they are living around.
Stick insects resemble twigs and branches, whereas leaf insects resemble leaves.
The next order is the Plecoptera, which are the stoneflies.
They have flattened bodies, with wings folded horizontally over the back of their bodies.
The tarsi on the hind legs are segmented into three segments and they have long filiform
antennae.
The next order is the Dermaptera, which are the earwigs.
Earwigs are elongated insects characterised by the presence of specialised cerci that
have formed forcep-like pincers at the end of the abdomen.
Some possess a set of leathery forewings called tegmen, these are short and act as coverings
for the hindwings that are pleated and folded up under the forewings.
The next order is the Embioptera, which are the webspinners.
The characteristic feature of the Embioptera is the presence of an enlarged tarsomere on
the first pair of short, sturdy legs which contain silk-producing glands.
These are used to make their tubular silk galleries in which they live.
Members of this order are all small and narrow in shape with sensitive cerci for backwards
movement in the silk gallery tunnels.
The next order is the Hemiptera, this order includes an array of insects including the
cicadas, aphids, planthoppers and the sheild bugs.
Members of this order possess sharp, pointed tube-like mouthparts specialised for piercing
and sucking.
The suborder Heteroptera also known as the true bugs, such as the shield bugs, have wings
that are hardened at the base and sit flat over the abdomen.
The next suborder, which are the hoppers, such as the cicadas and planthoppers, have
wings that are held tent like over the abdomen.
The third suborder, which include the aphids and scale insects, have soft bodies and are
often wingless.
The next order is the Thysanoptera, which are the thrips.
Members of this order are small, have slender bodies, and their heads are narrower than
the thorax.
Those that have wings have wings that are rode-like and fringed.
The next order is the Phthiraptera, which are the lice.
Members of this order are small, wingless and are all parasitic.
The next order are the Hymenoptera, which are the ants, bees, wasps and sawflies.
The characteristic feature of this order is the presence of hamuli on the hindwing, hook
like structures that work to lock onto the forewing holding the two pairs of wings together.
The majority of the hymenoptera (all those except the sawflies) also characteristically
possess a constricted waist.
The next order is the Trichoptera, which are the caddisflies.
The characteristics feature of this order is the presence of hairy wings that are folded
roof-like over their backs at rest.
The next order is the Lepidoptera, which are the butterflies and moths.
The characteristic feature of this order is the presence of scales covering their wings
and body.
They also usually possess a coiled proboscis specialised for sucking.
The next order is the Diptera, which are the flies.
The characteristic feature of this order is the presence of one set of functional wings,
the forewings and hindwings that are reduced into small mechanosensory organs called halteres.
The next order is the Mecoptera, which are the scorpionflies.
The characteristic feature of this order is the presence of a long tube-like beak with
the mouthparts being on the tip.
In some species the males have a distinctive curvature of the abdomen over the back giving
the appearance of a scorpion tail.
The next order is the Siphonaptera, which are the fleas.
These are small insects that lack wings and possess tube-like mouthparts adapted for piercing
and sucking.
The next order is the Neuroptera, which are the lacewings.
They are soft bodied insects that have four large membranous wings that give these insects
their lace like appearance.
The next order is the Megaloptera, which are the alderflies and the dobsonflies.
The characteristic feature of this order is the presence of an enlarged anal area of the
hind wing, that is pleated and folds up like a fan at rest.
The next order is the Raphidioptera, which are the snakeflies.
Members of this order have an extended prothorax giving the appearance of a long neck, and
in females they have long ovipositors.
They also have two pairs of wings that are the same shape and size.
The next and second to last order is the Strepsiptera, which are the twisted-wing parasites.
The characteristic feature of this order is observed in the males and it is the twisted
angle at which the hindwings are held at rest.
The forewings in males are reduced to halteres.
The final order is the Coleoptera, which are the beetles.
The defining characteristic of this orders is that their forewings have adapted into
hardened wing cases called elytra.
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