Insects Highly Successful Animal Class
Insects Objectives
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Provide the characteristics for animals in Class Insecta, and identify characteristics of species in several insect Orders.
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Summarize the specific characteristics of insects in Order Coleoptera, including the structures and life cycle of beetles.
Insects have three body parts: a head, thorax (chest) and abdomen. They also have three sets of legs.
Most arthropods have compound eyes. Each of the smaller “eyes” has its own retina and photoreceptors. Compound eyes have a large view angle and can detect rapid movement. In some cases compound eyes can also detect polarized light that indicates the presence of food or water.
This video provides an overview of the insect Orders you are likely to encounter.
Some people mistakenly call all insects “bugs.” Bugs are the correct name for insects classified in Order _____.
Beetles
If you turn over a rock, you may find a beetle, they are incredibly numerous and found in a wide variety of habitats.
Coleoptera, the beetle order, is the largest order in kingdom Animalia. There are more than 300,000 named species of beetles, more than all of the named species of plants on Earth.
Beetles have a hard exoskeleton covering their wings, called an elytra, which protects their bodies and helps store water and/or oxygen.
The elytra are iridescent and are commonly collected for use in jewelry.
This hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules) has opened its elytra, and can unfurl its wings for flight.
Beetles and many other insect species have complex life cycles.
This photo shows the stages of the mealworm beetle (Tenebrio molitor Linnaeus 1758)
Mealworm larvae are commonly used as food for reptiles and amphibians.
This video shows the life cycle of mealworm beetles.
You won’t see the small light-color eggs, but keep a lookout for the larvae, pupa, and adult beetles.
Animal Biology Portfolio Update
Your final portfolio will be a collection of your work matched with the nine learning outcomes. This video provides an update on what to work on this week to make sure the portfolio is progressing.
Insects are invertebrates; the next section introduces vertebrates, including rodents.
Check your knowledge. Can you:
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provide the characteristics for animals in Class Insecta, and identify characteristics of species in several insect Orders?
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summarize the specific characteristics of insects in Order Coleoptera, including the structures and life cycle of beetles?
Go back to the Linnaeus Page
Go forward to the Vertebrates Page
Classification Lecture Guide Contents
The material from this guide and corresponding lecture is assessed on the weekly quiz.
Back to Species
Module 4
This Guide
Classification
