Telling Insects Apart
Nearly 100,000 insect species live in North America. Scientists group
these species into orders. Many of the insects you are most likely see
belong to twelve orders. You will also probably come across other
insects and some non-insect creatures such as spiders, mites, scorpions,
and centipedes.
Dragonflies and Damselflies
Dragonflies and damselflies skim across waterways looking for
other insects to eat. These hunters belong to the order Odonata,
which means “tooth jawed.”
Green Darner
© Jim Roetzel
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Mantids
Mantids can not be confused with any other insects! These long,
lean, bug-eyed hunters use their front legs to snatch other
insects. They belong to the order Mantodea.
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Praying Mantis
© Jim Roetzel
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Southeastern Lubber
Grasshopper © Brian Kenney.
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Crickets and Grasshoppers
Crickets and grasshoppers have strong hind legs for jumping.
They belong to the order Orthoptera, which means “straight
wings.” Over 23,000 species hop worldwide; North America has
about 1,000 species.
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Bees,
Wasps, and Ants
Bees, wasps, and ants belong to the order Hymenoptera, which
means “membrane wings.” The two wings on each side of these
insects’ bodies zip together with little hooks, making each pair
work like one big wing.
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Yellow Jacket
© E. R. Degginger - Color-Pic, Inc.
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Butterflies and Moths
Butterflies and moths soar on wings covered with tiny scales
that give them their color and flash and also their order name,
Lepidoptera, which means “scale wings.” About 125,000 species of
butterflies and moths exist; 12,000 live in North America.
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Orange Sulphur © Brian
Kenney
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Spiders
Spiders are not insects, but with 3,000 species of them living
in North America, you will likely see them as you look for
insects. They belong to the order Araneae.
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Goldenrod Spider
© Peter Hartlove
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May Beetle
© Scott Camazine
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Beetles
Beetles belong to the largest order in the animal kingdom. Their
order name is Coleoptera, which means “sheath wings.”
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Cockroach
© E. R. Degginger - Color-Pic, Inc.
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Cockroaches
Cockroaches belong to the order Blattodea from the Latin word
for cockroach. They rarely fly, preferring to slip into thin
cracks and crevices. Those dwelling in human homes are the best
known, but many species live in tropical forests.
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Flies
and Mosquitoes
Flies and mosquitoes belong to the order Diptera, which means
“two wings.” Unlike most other insects, which have four wings,
they have only two. The other set is reduced to a pair of little
knobs.
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Mosquito
© Edward S. Ross
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Assassin Bug with Honey Bee. © Brian Kenney |
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True
Bugs
True bugs are the only insects that really are bugs. Their
order name is Hemiptera, which means “half wings.”
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Periodical Cicada
© John Serrao
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Cicadas and Kin
Cicadas, leafhoppers, and aphids all dine on plants. These
insects are part of the order Homoptera, which means “similar
wings.”
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Mayflies
Mayflies belong to the order Ephemeroptera, which means
“short-lived wings,” referring to the brief life of the adult
mayfly. Some mayflies live for a few days, while others live for
just a few hours.
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Mayfly
© Charles W. Melton
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Earwigs
Earwigs often have leathery front wings, which give them their
order name of Dermaptera, or “skin wings.”
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Riparian Earwig ©
Brian Kenney
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