Entomology
and functions
Introduction to Insects: Structures
and Functions
The Insects
Fossil records indicate insects
on land more than 300 million
years (Mid Paleozoic Era)
From an ancient lineage that
included trilobites and
crustaceans which abundant in
the oceans over 500 million
years ago.
But we are surrounded by
crustaceans. Most of which are
aquatic insects shared the terrestrial
habitat with various relatives such as
spiders, ticks, mites and scorpions.
This Group of belongs to the Phylum
Arthropoda. This insects the following
characteristics.
1. Body segmented
- The segments usually grouped
in two or three rather distinct
regions.
2. Paired Segmented Appendages
- From which the Phylum gets its
name
3. Bilateral Symmetry
Example: Butterfly
4. Chitinous Exoskeleton
- Periodically shed and renewed
as the animal grows
* Ecdysis- Process of molting
* Schlerotization/Tanning- Hardening of
exoskeleton
* Teneral body- Soft
5. A tubular alimentary canal
- With mouth and its anus
6. An open circulatory system
- The only blood vessel usually
being a tubular structure dorsal
to the alimentary canal with
lateral opening in the
abdominal region
7. Body cavity of the blood or
hemocoel
8. The nervous system consisting
of an anterior ganglion or brain
located above the alimentary
canal
- A pair of connectives extending
from thre brain around the
alimentary canal and paired
ganglionated nerve cords
located below the alimentary
canl
9. The skeletal muscles striated
- Somewhat tubular
- Has lines that run along the
length
- Responsible for contractions
*striated- Located at the Mid-Rib
10. Excretion usually by means of
tubes (Malpighian tubules) that
empty into the alimentary
canal
- The excreted materials passing
to the outside by way of the
anus
11. Respiration
- By means of gills or tracheae
and spiracles
*Spiracles- openings; lateral surface of
the abdomen
12. The sexes nearly always
separate
Arthropoda is divided into 4 smaller
goups called classes
+ Crustacea: 10 + legs, 2 body
regions, mandibles, 2 pairs of
antennae. No wings
+Myriapoda: 2 pairs of legs per
segment, 2 body regions, mandibles, 1
pair of antennae. NO WINGS
+ Arachnida (Cheliorata): 8 legs, 2
body regions, chelicerae, no antannes.
No wings
+ Insecta: 6 legs, 3 body regions,
mandibles, 1pair of antennae. 0,-2-4 of
wings
Arachnida (Chelicerata)
- Have no antennae and the
mouthparts are chelicerae
which are not homologous to
the mouthparts of insects
- They are an 8 legged group on
the evolutionary line that
diverged from the insects in the
mid Paleozoic era
Myriapoda (Centipedes, Millipedes)
- Have antennae, mandibles,
maxillae and tracheal system
but have only two body regions
and they add segments as they
molt (Anamorphosis)
- In the early myriapod lineage,
certain segments and legs were
not added at molting
(epimorphic)
At least of the animals
currently occupying the earth
are insects ( 1.5 million
species)
Of all insect species in the
world less than 1 % considered
to be pests (99% beneficial or
not considered as pests)
Eat about anything imaginable Renaissance: Rise of Natural History
occupy about every imaginable
niche
WHY INSECTS ARE SO SUCCESFUL?
- They have wings (dispersive)
- Diverse mouthparts
Relation of Insects to Humans
1. Benificial (Pollination, Honey,
Beewax, Silk [ 65-75 million
pounds produced annually],
shellac, dyes breakdown raw
material, aerate soil, biocontrol
of weeds etc)
2. Aesthetic value (Jewelry, pets,
nice to look at)
3. Injurious (Plants, stored foods,
woods, fabrics, humans and
animals)
What is Entomology?
Increasingly bound definition
Use insects as biological test
cases
Entomologists also expected to
know about arachnids, some
other arthropods
History
Ancient Times: insects use as symbols
of culture worship
Late 1800s: entomological science
with advent of large scale agriculture
and economic need to control pests.
Institutionalized Entomology in US.
*Monoculture- there will be no
biodiversity because of culturing only
one species on a certain place which
will vulnerable to more powerful
predators
Importance of Arthropods
Natural World
- Short-term effects on humans
are neutral or diffuse but
immense
Contributions of Insects to:
+ Community structure
- Nutrient cycling, vegetation
structure (Phytophagy,
pollination, seed dispersal)
+ Population dynamics
- Predators and parasites,
disease transmission
+ Food Web
- Food for other animals
The little things that run the world-
E.O Wilson
Anthropocentric World
- Best defines as MONEY
Negative Effects
Agriculture: competition for
food and Fiber (apple maggot,
bark beetles)
Domestic: damage to property
and goods (termites, silverfish,
dermestids)
Medicine: Parasites and disease
(malaria, WNV via mosquitoes)
Positive Effects
Agriculture: Biocontrol and
pollination (Parasitoid wasps,
honey bees and soolitory bees)
Medicine: antibiotics, chronic
disease treatment, maggot
debridement, apitheraphy
(honeybee venom, maggot)
Commerce: products,
conchineal, silk wax and honey
(scale insects, silk moths,
honey bees)
Science: research subjects
(vinegar fruit flies, tobacco
hornworm, honey bees)
Aesthetics: art and imagination
(butterflies, beetles and
fireflies)
Foods: nutrition, environmental
and economic sustainability
*Apiery- Bee keeping
Diversity
Estimates 5-80 million species
5/6 of all known animal life on
earth (Planet of Insects)
Beetles (Order Poliopthera)
- Most diverse order so far
- Irwins tropical canopy work
- Bias in sampling
Insects Evolutionary/Ecological
Success (Richness & Numbers)
Relative size (more inches)
Short generation time (Rapid
Evolution)
Holometabolism
(Metamorphosis)
Powered light
Sensory and motor neuron
sophistication
Pre-adapted for coevolution
with other organisms
Geological age
Sexual selection
Phytophagy
How old are insects?
- Oldest known hexapod:
Rhynella precursor [collembola,
380 my]
- Oldest known insect: Eopterum
deveconum [Archeognatta, 370
my]
Origin of the Orders
Most present orders had
evolved by the Permian period
245-285 my
Most of the rest had evolved by
the Cretaceous Period 65-285
my
Sociality in the insects is
atleast as old as the
Cretaceous Period possibly the
Jurassic Period 145-210 my
Orders of Insects
Class Insecta
- Three tagmata; Head, thorax
and abdomen
- Thorax, with three pairs of legs,
two pairs of wings in adult
stage
- Head, with one pair of
antennae
- Respiartion by trachea
- Terrestrial & fresh water
inhabitants
 - All have one pair of antennae, a Egg stage: egg - Cerci absent; 3-segmentted
head, thorax and abdominal
regions, three pairs of legs Larval stage: 1st to 3rd instar Diplura
- Adults usually have wings (use
Pupal stage : pupa - Compound eyes absent
of trachea)
- Antennae longer than head
Adult stage: adult - With 10 or more bead-like
Life Cycle Groups
segments
*grubs- larval stage - Abdomen with 10 visible
Incomplete
Egg, nymph, adult stages segments
No Metamorphosis - Carci presnet
Examples of this is
A. long and slender
Cockroaches Some consider more groups B. forceps like in appearance
Complete insect-like and place in - Tarci, one segmented
Egg, larva, pupa, adult - Short, lateral style and
different class or subclass
stage Adults do not have wings and eversible vesicles presemt on
may more after becoming modt of the first 7 abdominal
*Naiads- incomplete life cycle
mature segments
*Egg stage- egg
Thysanura: silverfish, firebrats Microcoryphia
*Nymphal stage- instar Collembolla: springtails
- Bridetails are wingles, scaley
*Adult stage- adult Protura insects that are usually found
on the soil surface
*Hatching- 1st instar Derived Charcteristics - While they look similar to
silverfish
Every Instar stage undergoes - Eyeless - They are more cylindrical with
ecdysis - Antennae absent large compound eyes that are
- Tentorium absent
connected in the center of their
*Stadia- gap of every instar (1st to 2nd ) - Forelegs enlarged with many
head
sensilla
- Bristletails live in grassy or
*Mayfly- 1st day, 24 hrs. life (dont wooded areas under leaves,
have mouth) Other Characteristics
stones, rocks, barks and in
- Very small less than 2 mm long dead wood
Water: Epimeroptera, Dychoptera,
- Andomen with 12 segmented - They feed primarily on algae
Trichoptera, Odonata
as adults but also feed on linens, mosses
Complete Life Cycle - Mouthparts entognathrous and decaying plant matter
 Thysanura
- Silverfish and firebrats
- No wings as adults
- 2,3 caudal appendages (two
cerci and sometimes central
telson
- Adults may continue to molt
Collembola
- Springtails
- No wings as adults, caudal
appendages designed for
jumping (furcula and colliphore)
- Adults may molt
Simple Metamorphosis
Ephemeroptera (Mayflies,
shadflies)
Odonata (Dragonflies,
damselflies)
Orthoptera (grasshopers,
crickets, cockroaches, mantids,
walking sticks)
Dermaptera (earwigs)
Precoptera (stoneflies)
Isoptera (termites)
Ephemeroptera
- Mayflies, Shadflies, Canadian
soldiers
- Front wings large, triangular
held over body at rest
- Hindwings smaller absent
- Aquatic nymphs with
abdominal gills
- Caudal appendages (2 or 3)
long
- Chewing mouthparts often non-
functional in adult
Odonata
- Dragonflies and damselflies
- Front and hind wings are
narrow with many cross veins,
membrabous
- Aquatic nymphs (naiads)
- Predatory with caudal or rectal
gills
- Antennae bristle-like no
abdominal cerci (chewing
mouthpart)
Orthoptera
- Cockroaches, grasshopers,
crickets, preying mantids and
walking sticks
- Front wings leathery
- Hindi wings double folded
- Abdominal cerci forceps-like
(chewing mouthparts)
Dermaptera
- Front wings short, leathery
- Hindi wings double folded
- Abdominal cerci forceps-like
(Chewing mouthparts)
Plecoptera
- Front wings narrow
- Hind wings folded fanlike
- Aquatic nymphs (naiads)
- With the abdominal cerci
- Straight moderately
Isoptera
- Termites
- Social insects
- Winged reproducers with both
wings some size and
membranous
- Straight on curved antennae
consists of beadlike segments
- Abdomen breadlly joined to
throrax, no cerci
- Chewing mouthparts
Incomplete Metamorphosis Cycle
Hemiptera (true bugs and bug-
like insects)
Thysanoptera (thrips)
Psocoptera (barklice and
bookilice)
Phitiraptera (Biting and sucking
lice)
Hemiptera
- Suborder heteroptera
- True bugs
- Front wings half leathery and Psocoptera - Using maggots for therapy (for
half membranous diabetic pattern collection)]
- Hind wing membranous - Front wings with reduced
- Usually long antennae venation Collecting Methods
- Sucking mouthparts from front - Hind wings reduced or absent
of head - Wings often absent 1. Passive Collection
- Distinctive frontal bulge on Using traps
Hemiptera head 2. Active collection
- Long antennae - Using collecting nets for finding
- Suborder Auchenorrhyncha - Chewing mouthparts insects
- Bug-like insects: cicadas, leaf, - Booklice are extremely
plant and tree hoppers flattened *Using killing jar or bottle and or
- Front wings same texture rather bottle and solid killen agent
throughout leathery or
membranous Killing equipments
- Wings often absent Phthiraptera
- Long or bristle like antennae Bag (mail bag)
- Sucking mouthparts - Mallophaga Kill jar
- Arise from back of the head or - Biting lice; 2.7 k.p.p Different sizes of vials with 90%
- Very flat and small
between front legs ethanol
- No wings
- Chewing the mouthparts Forceps
Hemiptera Wear long sleeves with a vest
- External parasites or birds and
mammals Repellant
- Suborder Stenorrhyncha
Strong knife
- Bug-like insects: psyllids,
Diptera Need to label vials
whiteflies, aphids, mealybugs
Small fine brush
and scales - Flies, midges, mosquitoes Hand lens
- Front wings membranous
Thysanoptera - Hind wings reduced to small Types of Net
balance organ-haltere
- Jb
- Mouthparts piercing, sucking or Aerial Net
- Small front and hind wings
- Blode like with hair fringe sponging sucking Sweeping net
- Often absent - Larvae wireworm shaped or Aquatic Net
- Mouthparts modified rasping maggots with chewing or
sucking rasping mouthparts
- Antennae short
Maggot Debreedment