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Insects (from Latin insectum) are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and a pair of antennae. Insects are the most diverse group of animals, with more than a million described species; they represent more than half of all animal species. (Full article...)

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Mantis religiosa, Romania

Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks. Their elongated bodies may or may not have wings, but all Mantodea have forelegs that are greatly enlarged and adapted for catching and gripping prey; their upright posture, while remaining stationary with forearms folded, has led to the common name praying mantis.

The closest relatives of mantises are termites and cockroaches (Blattodea), which are all within the superorder Dictyoptera. Mantises are sometimes confused with stick insects (Phasmatodea), other elongated insects such as grasshoppers (Orthoptera), or other more distantly related insects with raptorial forelegs such as mantisflies (Mantispidae). Mantises are mostly ambush predators, but a few ground-dwelling species are found actively pursuing their prey. They normally live for about a year. In cooler climates, the adults lay eggs in autumn, then die. The eggs are protected by their hard capsules and hatch in the spring. Females sometimes practice sexual cannibalism, eating their mates after copulation. (Full article...)

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... that the water cricket Velia caprai can travel twice as fast after spitting on the water?
... that along with the giant lacewings, the moth lacewing family are regarded as the most primitive living Neuroptera?
... that the timothy plant bug causes "sticky dough"?
... that the Queen's executioner lives in Windsor Great Park and feeds on weevils and nectar?
... that the maize weevil is a serious pest of maize in the United States, and also infests standing crops and cereals in all tropical areas of the world?

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The following are images from various insect-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Male genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 2Stylized diagram of insect digestive tract showing malpighian tubule, from an insect of the order Orthoptera. (from Insect morphology)
Image 3Mazothairos, a Carboniferous member of the now extinct order Palaeodictyoptera. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 4Generalized arthropod biramous limb. Trueman proposed that an endite and an exite fused to form a wing. (from Insect flight)
Image 5The female genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 6The Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) have direct flight musculature, as do mayflies. (from Insect flight)
Image 7Fossil gnat in amber, a well-preserved insect fossil. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 8Head 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 9Venation of insect wings, based on the Comstock-Needham system (from Insect morphology)
Image 10Diagram of a typical insect leg (from Insect morphology)
Image 11A pie chart of described eukaryote species, showing just over half of these to be insects (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 12Frenulo-retinacular wing coupling in male and female moths (from Insect flight)
Image 13A tau emerald (Hemicordulia tau) dragonfly has flight muscles attached directly to its wings. (from Insect flight)
Image 14Mayfly nymph with paired abdominal gills (from Insect flight)
Image 15The abdominal terminus of male scorpionflies is enlarged into a "genital bulb", as seen in Panorpa communis (from Insect morphology)
Image 16Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) of Papua New Guinea (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 17
Insect morphology
Legend of body parts
Tagmata: A – Head, B – Thorax, C – Abdomen.
1. antenna
2. ocelli (lower)
3. ocelli (upper)
4. compound eye
5. brain (cerebral ganglia)
6. prothorax
7. dorsal blood vessel
8. tracheal tubes (trunk with spiracle)
9. mesothorax
10. metathorax
11. forewing
12. hindwing
13. mid-gut (stomach)
14. dorsal tube (heart)
15. ovary
16. hind-gut (intestine, rectum & anus)
17. anus
18. oviduct
19. nerve cord (abdominal ganglia)
20. Malpighian tubes
21. tarsal pads
22. claws
23. tarsus
24. tibia
25. femur
26. trochanter
27. fore-gut (crop, gizzard)
28. thoracic ganglion
29. coxa
30. salivary gland
31. subesophageal ganglion
32. mouthparts
(from Insect morphology)
Image 18Evolution has produced astonishing variety of appendages in insects, such as these antennae. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 19Scanning electron micrograph of a cricket spiracle valve (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 20Larva of beetle, family Cerambycidae, showing sclerotised epicranium; rest of body hardly sclerotised (from Insect morphology)
Image 21Reconstruction of a Carboniferous insect, the palaeodictyopteran Mazothairos (from Insect flight)
Image 22Mandibles of Rhyniognatha hirsti, it may be an oldest insect, but also possible to be a myriapod. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 23Cross-section of wing vein (from Insect morphology)
Image 24Direct flight: muscles attached to wings. Large insects only (from Insect flight)
Image 25The 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 26Indian moon moth (Actias selene) with some of the spiracles identified (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 27Closeup of a fire ant, showing fine sensory hairs on antennae (from Insect morphology)
Image 28Bumblebee defecating. Note the contraction of the anus, which provides internal pressure. (from Insect morphology)
Image 29Hoverfly (Philhelius pedissequum) has indirect flight musculature. (from Insect flight)
Image 30Reconstruction Strudiella devonica as a possible hexapod (from Evolution of insects)
Image 31Variety of male structures in Phlebotominae (Diptera, Psychodidae) (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 32Larva of Syrphid fly, member of Cyclorrhapha, without epicranium, almost without sclerotisation apart from its jaws. (from Insect morphology)

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Credit: Fir0002

Insects are the only group of invertebrates known to have evolved flight. Insects possess some remarkable flight characteristics and abilities, still far superior to attempts by humans to replicate their capabilities.

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WikiProject Insects

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