Table "Squads of insects" (names, description, characteristics)

Insects are a class of arthropod invertebrate animals. According to the current classification, they, along with millipedes, are included in the subtype of tracheal breathing. The name of the class comes from the word "chop." From the French "insecte" and Latin "insectum" the concept literally translates as "notched animal". Consider these representatives of the fauna in more detail. At the end of the article will be presented the table "Squads of insects."

General information

A chitinized cuticle is present on the body of insects. It forms an ecoskeleton. The structure of insects is quite simple. It has three sections: head, abdomen and chest. Considering the structure of insects, three pairs of legs are distinguished. They are attached to the thoracic region. In many groups, a pair of wings are attached to its second and third segments. Body size varies from 0.2 mm to 30 cm and more.

Life cycle

It includes the embryonic development of insects. It is called the "egg phase." A postembryonic period is also distinguished. It is accompanied by metamorphosis. It comes in two forms. Depending on this, detachments of insects with incomplete conversion are distinguished. They go through the phases of the egg, larva and imago. Completed metamorphosis is characterized by four stages. In this case, the development of insects includes the phases of the egg, larva, pupa and imago. In the first, the larvae have an external resemblance to adult individuals. The difference between them is body size, embryo, or the complete absence of wings and genitals. The larvae of animals passing through four phases have a worm-shaped shape. Only in adults do all the necessary signs of the order appear. At the adult stage, resettlement and reproduction occur. The class of insects includes a wide variety of creatures. In total, more than a million species are described. They are considered the largest group of animals in nature and occupy all kinds of ecological zones. They are found everywhere, even in Antarctica.

Metamorphosis

The vast majority of insects with a complete transformation in their development goes through four phases. However, there are exceptions in nature. For example, the so-called hypermetamorphosis is noted among the pilots. It involves five, six or more phases. They are presented as special (additional) larval stages. Each such stage is called triungulin. Another exception is neoteny. This term refers to the ability to reach maturity and reproduce in the larval phase. At the same time, females do not go through two stages at once: pupae and adults. As for the males, they can develop in the usual cycle.

Incomplete Insect Squads

In most of these animals, the lifestyle of the larvae and adults has much in common. The former are represented by quite diverse forms. Specialists combine them into two main groups. The first includes larvae similar to adult individuals, the second, respectively, differing from them. The former are called nymphs, and the latter - true. Larvae may resemble adults in both biological and morphological terms. As a rule, they live in the same environment, they feed similarly. True larvae show sharp differences from adults in appearance, distribution area, and food. For them to become adults, he must go through the pupal phase. For some species, the so-called intermediate stage, the subimago, is characteristic. As a rule, it takes place in the development of aquatic animals. Individuals at this stage have signs of adults, but they have not yet reached puberty.

Biology: orders of insects. Cockroaches

A typical representative is a red cockroach. It is believed that the appearance of such insects in the house indicates sloppy owners. These animals come out of shelters at night. Their main food is improperly stored foods. A female cockroach has an ootek at the end of the abdomen - the so-called egg case. They dump it in the trash. Eggs develop from the ooteka, from which, accordingly, larvae appear. They are white and similar to adults. Subsequently, they darken.

Termites

The table "Squads of insects" characterizes these animals as public. They live in very large families. A feature of termites is the division of labor. In families there are males, workers, soldiers, "queens" (females). Termitniki (insect nests) can reach impressive sizes. For example, in the African savannah you can find gigantic nests up to 10-12 m. At the same time, the underground part can reach a diameter of 60 m. The main food for termites is wood. They damage wooden buildings, crops. Currently, about 2.5 thousand termites are described.

Lice

This unit includes wingless parasites. These animals parasitize on mammals and humans. The head louse lives in the hair and glues nits to them (the so-called her eggs). Clothes insects live in folds of clothes. They lay their eggs directly on the fabric. The larvae emerging from them do not differ externally from adult individuals. Female lice are considered very prolific. For a month they can give offspring of several hundred insects. Being external parasites, lice have a number of features. For example, tenacious claws are present on their paws, they do not have wings, since they do not need them. The mouth apparatus of lice is piercing-sucking. These animals are carriers of various diseases. One of them is typhus.

Bed bugs

The table "Squads of insects" includes in this category of various pests of crops. One of the famous is a bug bug. He sucks the contents of the grain from cereal plants. In residential premises, you can find a flea bug. This insect creates a lot of inconvenience for humans. In fresh water reservoirs the bug-water-boat lives. It feeds on insects that fall into the water. Among bugs and predators, for example, a bug-gladun. It attacks fish fry and various invertebrate animals. All representatives of this group are called semi-winged insects.

Other categories

Diptera insects prefer to eat plant juices. This category, for example, includes aphids. It exists in nature in a variety of forms and causes significant damage to crops. Diptera insects are considered carriers of viral diseases that are dangerous to plants. For example, among them there are various cicadas, which can reach large sizes (up to 5-6 cm). In the order of Orthoptera, mainly herbivorous insects are included. However, you can meet among them predators. For example, representatives such as cabbage, locust are well known. The grasshopper is included in the order of orthoptera. It lives in the grass, in the steppes and in meadows. He has a club-shaped, long ovipositor. Kapustyanka swims and flies well, has digging legs. It causes great damage to the underground parts of plants that grow in the garden (cucumbers, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, etc.). For some species of locusts, mass reproduction is characteristic. In such cases, they, gathering in huge flocks, fly away over a long distance (up to several thousand kilometers). At the same time, along the way, they destroy all cultivated plants. The group of grandmother includes predatory insects. Their names are quite interesting. For example, grandma-rocker, grandma-dosoresia and others. They are considered the best flyers. They are very maneuverable. They can freeze in the air, show exceptional mobility, develop high (up to 100 km / h) speed. They attack their victim directly in flight.

Beetles

These are coleoptera insects. They are considered the largest community of all. Their number reaches 300 thousand species. Beetles live in a variety of conditions of fresh water and land. Their body sizes range from 0.3 to 155 mm. Many beetle insects cause great damage to crops. For example, the Colorado potato beetle is known in the world. He was brought to Russia from America. The bug-beetle damages crops. Beetroot weevil harms sugar beets. Beetle larvae damage potato tubers and tree roots. Bark beetle is also known. He makes strokes in bast fibers and bark, damages valuable breeds. Many members of the squad harm food supplies. For example, such are pea kernels, beetle-beetle beetles, and grain-beetle beetles. The squad also includes a pipe driver. In spring, this beetle in a special way cuts the leaf to the main vein. Part of the plate fades and loses its elasticity. The beetle folds it and lays eggs there. So he takes care of the offspring. Present among the bugs and beneficial insects. The names of such species are gloomy. For example, beetle beetles and pustules. Many individuals are very beautiful in appearance and can reach impressive sizes. Such, for example, are the stag beetle and stag, which are listed in the Red Book.

Butterflies

They are lepidopteran insects. These animals have a number of distinguishing features. One of the main ones is the diverse coloring of the wings. The group includes: cabbage, urticaria, silkworm and others. In the Far East, you can meet quite large representatives of the detachment. As a rule, these are moths. The wingspan reaches the width of the expanded notebook. Flakes on their surface are capable of refracting light. Due to this, the color becomes iridescent. Butterfly larvae are called caterpillars. They differ in a long body and have a gnawing apparatus. The salivary glands secrete silk threads. Cocoons are woven from them before pupation. Adults are considered excellent pollinators of plants. Most caterpillars feed on leaves. In doing so, they cause great damage to cultural plantings. The main parasites, for example, are apple moths, cabbage whites, silkworms, goldfish, etc. Some caterpillars damage food products and spoil flour. Oak and mulberry silkworms are bred to obtain silk.

Group of diverse species

Hymenoptera insects are bees, riders, wasps, bumblebees, sawflies and others. All these animals lead a different lifestyle. Some representatives are herbivorous. Their larvae cause significant damage to grain and other plants. Such, for example, are pine and bread sawflies. Their larvae look very similar to butterfly larvae. In this regard, they are often called false caterpillars. Sawers have a very specific ovipositor. It is intended for cutting in the plant tissues the pockets in which the females lay their eggs.

Bumblebees

They are very good pollinators. These hymenopteran insects are considered public. Their families exist only for one summer. They arrange their nests in hollows, nests, birdhouses. The female is engaged in construction. She arranges wax cells for laying eggs. In each of them is placed a stock of food - pollen mixed with honey. The appeared larvae eat up the reserve, after 2-3 weeks they begin to weave cocoons and turn into pupae. Working bumblebees, males and females come out of them. By the end of the season, up to 500 individuals can be in a large nest. By fall, the old uterus, working bumblebees and males die. Young females are hiding for the winter.

The bees

They bring the greatest benefit of all public hymenopteran insects. Honey bees are considered excellent pollinators. They produce very useful products for humans: honey, royal jelly, wax, propolis. They are used for food, they are in demand in cosmetology, medicine, in the manufacture of perfumes, paints, varnishes and so on. In a bee colony, all members closely interact with each other. The prosperity of the clan without drones and uterus, working individuals is impossible.

Mosquitoes

These are dipteran insects. Distinguish between ordinary and malaria mosquitoes. Their distinctive feature is the presence of one transparent pair of wings. The second pair turned into a "hummer". The habitat of a simple mosquito is a damp, swampy area. They become especially numerous by the middle of summer. The oral apparatus is equipped with a stabbing proboscis. With it, they pierce the skin and suck out blood. Mosquito larvae are worm-shaped. They live in still water. There they develop, feed, gradually turning into pupae. They, in turn, also remain in stagnant water. However, since they cannot eat, they soon become adults. Common and malarial mosquitoes differ in landing. The first holds the body parallel to the surface on which it sits. The malaria mosquito bulges the back high.

Flies

These are also dipteran insects. They, unlike mosquitoes, have short antennae. Their larvae are white, usually headless and legless. They have a worm-shaped shape. Housefly larvae inhabit and develop in sewage, dung heaps, and kitchen waste. Here the female lays eggs. Before pupation, the larvae creep out of the waste, penetrate the soil, where they turn into pupae. Adults fly everywhere and look for food. From cesspools, they fly to food products, transferring microbes and pathogens of dangerous gastrointestinal diseases.

Other groups

There are retina-winged insects in nature . This is a relatively small group. It has about 6 thousand species. Such insects have an elongated body with soft integuments. Their color is brown or pale green. Two pairs of their wings are covered with a network of veins. This group includes representatives such as ant lions, lacewings, mantipses. Most of the retina are predators. They first appeared in the Permian period. The subsequent formation of the group took place under the influence of geological and climatic changes of the Mesozoic. Dragonfly insect is considered a very good flyer. These animals have a relatively large body. Their head is mobile, large eyes are located on it. The dragonfly insect lives mainly in humid subtropics and tropics. In the Russian Federation, it is distributed practically over the entire territory (except for arid areas).

Scheme

The following table, "Squads of insects," briefly describes the characteristics of some of the animals discussed above.

Natural enemies

These are various pathogenic microorganisms, predatory and parasitic invertebrates. Many vertebrates also feed on insects. Natural enemies (entomophages) can destroy them at any growth phase. Today, there are microorganisms acting as various pathogens of viral, bacterial diseases of insects.

Currently, more than 400 species of fungi are described that can cause certain pathologies. A fairly large group of natural insect enemies are considered parasitic worms that provoke nematode diseases. Among invertebrates hunting the animals in question, arachnids (scorpions, spiders, phalanges, ticks, etc.) and millipedes should be noted. Of vertebrates, various types of fish, amphibians, are dangerous. For example, the diet of frogs consists of 95% of insects. Natural enemies are also birds, reptiles, mammals. In particular, bats, aardvarks, anteaters and others are dangerous to insects. Within these groups there are entire communities specializing exclusively in these animals. The number of insects on the planet reaches 90% of all living things. Their role in nature is extremely important. In terms of biomass, herbivorous insects are several times higher than other phytophage animals. This is due to the fact that they consume the bulk of plant growth. Parasitic and predatory insects are considered natural regulators of the populations of those organisms that act as their main food. They themselves are food for many vertebrate and invertebrate animals.