Portal:Insects

Errata

Bookworm is a general name for any insect that is said to bore through books.

The damage to books that is commonly attributed to "bookworms" is often caused by the larvae of various types of insects, including beetles, moths, and cockroaches, which may bore or chew through books seeking food. The damage is not caused by any species of worm. Some such larvae exhibit a superficial resemblance to worms and are the likely inspiration for the term, though they are not true worms. In other cases, termites, carpenter ants, and woodboring beetles will first infest wooden bookshelves and later feed on books placed upon the shelves, attracted by the wood-pulp paper used in most commercial book production. (Full article...)

• ... that Parachartergus apicalis will attack Camponotus atriceps if they try to tend their treehoppers?
• ... that the Philippine hornet Vespa luctuosa has the most lethal venom by weight of any known wasp species?
• ... that amber fossils of ants carrying the extinct mealybug genus Electromyrmococcus represent the oldest record of symbiosis between mealybugs and Acropyga ants?
• ... that the extinct Protosialis casca is one of only two known alderflies from the West Indies?
• ... that the bone skipper came back from the dead after 160 years to feed on rotting bones?

• List of largest insects
• List of data deficient insects
• List of least concern insects
• List of near threatened insects
• List of vulnerable insects
• List of endangered insects
• List of critically endangered insects

Image 2Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) of Papua New Guinea (from Insect biodiversity)

Image 3Closeup of a fire ant, showing fine sensory hairs on antennae (from Insect morphology)

Image 4Larva of

Syrphid fly, member of Cyclorrhapha, without epicranium, almost without sclerotisation apart from its jaws. (from Insect morphology

)

Image 5The Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) have direct flight musculature, as do mayflies. (from Insect flight)

Image 6A pie chart of described eukaryote species, showing just over half of these to be insects (from Insect biodiversity)

Image 7Mandibles of Rhyniognatha hirsti, it may be an oldest insect, but also possible to be a myriapod. (from Evolution of insects)

Image 8Frenulo-retinacular wing coupling in male and female moths (from Insect flight)

Image 9Diagram of a typical insect leg (from Insect morphology)

Image 10The abdominal terminus of male

scorpionflies is enlarged into a "genital bulb", as seen in Panorpa communis (from Insect morphology

)

Image 11Scanning electron micrograph of a cricket spiracle valve (from Respiratory system of insects)

Image 12Head of Orthoptera, Acrididae. a:antenna; b:ocelli; c:vertex; d:compound eye; e:occiput; f:gena; g:pleurostoma; h:mandible; i:labial palp; j:maxillary palps; k:maxilla; l:labrum; m:clypeus; n:frons (from Insect morphology)

Image 13Variety of male structures in Phlebotominae (Diptera, Psychodidae) (from Insect reproductive system)

Image 14Male genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)

Image 15Indian moon moth (Actias selene) with some of the spiracles identified (from Respiratory system of insects)

Image 16Generalized arthropod biramous limb. Trueman proposed that an endite and an exite fused to form a wing. (from Insect flight)

Image 17Cross-section of wing vein (from Insect morphology)

Image 18Mazothairos, a Carboniferous member of the now extinct order Palaeodictyoptera. (from Evolution of insects)

Image 19Evolution has produced astonishing variety of appendages in insects, such as these antennae. (from Evolution of insects)

Image 20Fossil gnat in amber, a well-preserved insect fossil. (from Evolution of insects)

Image 21Stylized diagram of insect digestive tract showing malpighian tubule, from an insect of the order Orthoptera. (from Insect morphology)

Image 22Hoverfly (

Xanthogramma pedissequum) has indirect flight musculature. (from Insect flight

)

Image 23Reconstruction of a Carboniferous insect, the palaeodictyopteran Mazothairos (from Insect flight)

Image 24Mayfly nymph with paired abdominal gills (from Insect flight)

Image 25Larva of beetle, family Cerambycidae, showing sclerotised epicranium; rest of body hardly sclerotised (from Insect morphology)

Image 26The development of insect mouthparts from the primitive chewing mouthparts of a grasshopper in the center (A), to the lapping type (B) of a bee, the siphoning type (C) of a butterfly and the sucking type (D) of a female mosquito.
Legend: a – antennae
c – compound eye
lb – labium
lr – labrum
md – mandibles
mx – maxillae (from Insect morphology)

Image 27Venation of insect wings, based on the Comstock-Needham system (from Insect morphology)

Image 28Direct flight: muscles attached to wings. Large insects only (from Insect flight)

Image 29Bumblebee defecating. Note the contraction of the anus, which provides internal pressure. (from Insect morphology)

Image 30A tau emerald (

Hemicordulia tau) dragonfly has flight muscles attached directly to its wings. (from Insect flight

)

Image 31The female genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)

Image 32Reconstruction

Strudiella devonica as a possible hexapod (from Evolution of insects

)