what is the body of an insect called

What are the parts of the body of an insect?

The most visible parts of the body of an adult insect are: the head, the antennae, the mouthparts, the thorax, the wings, the legs, and the abdomen.

What is the abdomen of an insect?

Abdomen. The abdomen is the posterior of the three body regions of an adult insect. It is composed of 11 segments. The abdomen bears the external genitalia of the insect. In female insects these consist of an ovipositor.

What is the classification of an insect?

Definitions and circumscriptions vary; usually, insects comprise a class within the Arthropoda. As used here, the term Insecta is synonymous with Ectognatha. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes and one pair of antennae.

What is the meaning of Insecta?

Insects or Insecta (from Latin insectum) are hexapod invertebrates and the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Definitions and circumscriptions vary; usually, insects comprise a class within the Arthropoda. As used here, the term Insecta is synonymous with Ectognatha.

What are insects body parts?

An insect has three body parts. The front part is called the head. The middle part is called the thorax. The last part is called the abdomen.

Does an insect have a body?

*Insect bodies have three parts (head, thorax, abdomen). *Insects have one pair of antennae.

What is the end of an insect called?

The bottom horizon of insect mouthparts is the labium which is made of two fused maxilla-like structures and bears labial palps.

Do insects skeleton?

To answer this question, we need to first clarify that insects do have a skeleton. They do not have an internal skeleton like we do, known as an endoskeleton. Rather, the outside of their bodies is their skeleton, an exoskeleton.

Do insects feel pain?

They found that such neuropeptides are produced in insects during traumatic events, suggesting they are capable of descending order of nociception, which is possible evidence of them feeling pain.

Do insects fart?

Again, probably not. “The most common gases in insect farts are hydrogen and methane, which are odorless,” Youngsteadt says. “Some insects may produce gases that would stink, but there wouldn't be much to smell, given the tiny volumes of gas that we're talking about.”

Why do insects have 3 body parts?

The insect body is divided into three parts: the head, thorax, and abdomen. The head is specialized for sensory input and food intake; the thorax, which is the anchor point for the legs and wings (if present), is specialized for locomotion; and the abdomen for digestion, respiration, excretion, and reproduction.

Do insects have organs like humans?

Muscle and nerve cells also work alike in humans and insects. We both have brains, hearts, digestive tracts, reproductive organs, and muscles that do more or less the same things. Humans and insects all require oxygen and food and they all produce wastes.

What is an insect?

Insects are part of an animal group known as 'arthropods'. Arthropods are known as such in that they utilize hard protective exterior cases known as an 'exoskeleton'. Arthropods contain a host of well-known multi-legged creatures including arachnids (spiders), millipedes and crustaceans (ocean lobsters and crabs).

What are the parts of an insect?

There a three basic parts to an insect - the head, thorax ( the central portion of the body) and abdomen (the ball typically seen on many insects). The head of an insect is where the main receptor parts are located. Typically, you will find the eyes, mouthparts constituting the mouth and biting parts (which also serve to guide food into the mouth), ...

What is the exoskeleton of an insect?

This exoskeleton makes up the entire surface of the insect's body, put together by separate plates meeting the joints of the body and legs. Arthropods do have muscles within the exoskeleton, but the muscles attach to the exoskeleton itself (as opposed to muscles attaching to ligaments and tendons, which attach themselves to bones in a human body. Movement is accomplished through these moving muscles, which in turn, move the plated exoskeleton parts. Exoskeletons are primarily made of a substance known as 'chitin', which is comparable to our real-world plastic. This substance is made to be 'self-libricated' to prevent the surface of the insect from drying out.

What is the central location of the more powerful muscles used in operating the wings and legs of an insect?

The thorax is also the central location of the more powerful muscles used in operating the wings and legs of the insect. The wings of most insects are setup with a support structure of thickened veins. The pattern of these veins varies from insect to insect.

What are the sensory organs that allow insects to use their senses?

Typically, you will find the eyes, mouthparts constituting the mouth and biting parts (which also serve to guide food into the mouth), and a pair of antennae, which are sensory organs that allow the insect to use it's smell, taste, touch and 'hearing' abilities.

How many pairs of eyes does an insect have?

The thorax, or mid-section, typically holds the wings (if the insect can fly), usually two pairs (for a total of 4 wings) and 3 sets of legs (for a total of 6 legs).

What part of an insect's body is sticky?

The abdomen makes up the last, and probably the most recognizable, part of the insect.

What is an insect?

Insects or Insecta (from Latin insectum) are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates and the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Definitions and circumscriptions vary; usually, insects comprise a class within the Arthropoda. As used here, the term Insecta is synonymous with Ectognatha. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen ), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes and one pair of antennae. Insects are the most diverse group of animals; they include more than a million described species and represent more than half of all known living organisms. The total number of extant species is estimated at between six and ten million; potentially over 90% of the animal life forms on Earth are insects. Insects may be found in nearly all environments, although only a small number of species reside in the oceans, which are dominated by another arthropod group, crustaceans, which recent research has indicated insects are nested within.

What is the Latin word for an insect?

A calque of Greek ἔντομον [ éntomon ], "cut into sections", Pliny the Elder introduced the Latin designation as a loan-translation of the Greek word ἔντομος ( éntomos) or "insect" (as in entomology ), which was Aristotle 's term for this class of life, also in reference to their "notched" bodies.

How many Malpighian tubules are there in an insect?

Insects may have one to hundreds of Malpighian tubules (element 20). These tubules remove nitrogenous wastes from the hemolymph of the insect and regulate osmotic balance. Wastes and solutes are emptied directly into the alimentary canal, at the junction between the midgut and hindgut.

What are the three parts of an insect's body?

The segments of the body are organized into three distinctive but interconnected units, or tagmata: a head, a thorax and an abdomen. The head supports a pair of sensory antennae, a pair of compound eyes, zero to three simple eyes (or ocelli) and three sets of variously modified appendages that form the mouthparts. The thorax is made up of three segments: the prothorax, mesothorax and the metathorax. Each thoracic segment supports one pair of legs. The meso- and metathoracic segments may each have a pair of wings, depending on the insect. The abdomen consists of eleven segments, though in a few species of insects, these segments may be fused together or reduced in size. The abdomen also contains most of the digestive, respiratory, excretory and reproductive internal structures. Considerable variation and many adaptations in the body parts of insects occur, especially wings, legs, antenna and mouthparts.

How do insects use their digestive system?

An insect uses its digestive system to extract nutrients and other substances from the food it consumes. Most of this food is ingested in the form of macromolecules and other complex substances like proteins, polysaccharides, fats and nucleic acids. These macromolecules must be broken down by catabolic reactions into smaller molecules like amino acids and simple sugars before being used by cells of the body for energy, growth, or reproduction. This break-down process is known as digestion .

How many species of beetles are there in the world?

Globally, averages of these estimates suggest there are around 1.5 million beetle species and 5.5 million insect species, with about 1 million insect species currently found and described.

What is the largest insect in the Paleozoic era?

The higher level relationship of the insects is unclear. Fossilized insects of enormous size have been found from the Paleozoic Era, including giant dragonflies with wingspans of 55 to 70 cm (22 to 28 in). The most diverse insect groups appear to have coevolved with flowering plants .

What are the parts of an insect's body?

The insect body is divided into three parts: the head, thorax, and abdomen. The head is specialized for sensory input and food intake; the thorax, which is the anchor point for the legs and wings (if present), is specialized for locomotion; and the abdomen for digestion, respiration, excretion, and reproduction. Although the general function of the three body regions is the same across all insect species, there are major differences in basic structure, with wings, legs, antennae, and mouthparts being highly variable from group to group.

What is the head of an insect?

The head in most insects is enclosed in a hard, heavily sclerotized, exoskeletal head capsule' . The main exception is in those species whose larvae are not fully sclerotised, mainly some holometabola; but even most unsclerotised or weakly sclerotised larvae tend to have well sclerotised head capsules, for example the larvae of Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. The larvae of Cyclorrhapha however, tend to have hardly any head capsule at all.

How many segments are there in an insect's abdomen?

The ground plan of the abdomen of an adult insect typically consists of 11–12 segments and is less strongly sclerotized than the head or thorax. Each segment of the abdomen is represented by a sclerotized tergum, sternum, and perhaps a pleurite. Terga are separated from each other and from the adjacent sterna or pleura by a membrane. Spiracles are located in the pleural area. Variation of this ground plan includes the fusion of terga or terga and sterna to form continuous dorsal or ventral shields or a conical tube. Some insects bear a sclerite in the pleural area called a laterotergite. Ventral sclerites are sometimes called laterosternites. During the embryonic stage of many insects and the postembryonic stage of primitive insects, 11 abdominal segments are present. In modern insects there is a tendency toward reduction in the number of the abdominal segments, but the primitive number of 11 is maintained during embryogenesis. Variation in abdominal segment number is considerable. If the Apterygota are considered to be indicative of the ground plan for pterygotes, confusion reigns: adult Protura have 12 segments, Collembola have 6. The orthopteran family Acrididae has 11 segments, and a fossil specimen of Zoraptera has a 10-segmented abdomen.

What is the cuticle of an insect?

The cuticle provides muscular support and acts as a protective shield as the insect develops. However, since it cannot grow, the external sclerotised part of the cuticle is periodically shed in a process called "moulting". As the time for moulting approaches, most of the exocuticle material is reabsorbed.

What is the outer skeleton of an insect?

The insect outer skeleton, the cuticle, is made up of two layers; the epicuticle, which is a thin, waxy, water-resistant outer layer and contains no chitin, and the layer under it called the procuticle. This is chitinous and much thicker than the epicuticle and has two layers, the outer is the exocuticle while the inner is the endocuticle. The tough and flexible endocuticle is built from numerous layers of fibrous chitin and proteins, criss-crossing each other in a sandwich pattern, while the exocuticle is rigid and sclerotized. The exocuticle is greatly reduced in many soft-bodied insects, especially the larval stages (e.g., caterpillars ). Chemically, chitin is a long-chain polymer of a N-acetylglucosamine, a derivative of glucose. In its unmodified form, chitin is translucent, pliable, resilient and quite tough. In arthropods, however, it is often modified, becoming embedded in a hardened proteinaceous matrix, which forms much of the exoskeleton. In its pure form, it is leathery, but when encrusted in calcium carbonate, it becomes much harder. The difference between the unmodified and modified forms can be seen by comparing the body wall of a caterpillar (unmodified) to a beetle (modified).

What are the antennae on an insect's head called?

Antennae, sometimes called "feelers", are flexible appendages located on the insect's head which are used for sensing the environment. Insects are able to feel with their antennae because of the fine hairs ( setae) that cover them. : 8–11 However, touch is not the only thing that antennae can detect; numerous tiny sensory structures on the antennae allow insects to sense smells, temperature, humidity, pressure, and even potentially sense themselves in space. : 8–11 Some insects, including bees and some groups of flies can also detect sound with their antennae.

What is the name of the appendage on an insect's head that is used to sense the environment?

Closeup of a fire ant, showing fine sensory hairs on antennae. Antennae, sometimes called "feelers", are flexible appendages located on the insect's head which are used for sensing the environment. Insects are able to feel with their antennae because of the fine hairs ( setae) that cover them.

What is the basic anatomy of an insect?

Basic External Insect Anatomy. Insects are all related, they share a common ancestor at the base of their family tree. From this ancestor all insects inherited a basic anatomy and body plan. The diversity in form, and ultimately function, found in insects is a result of changes made to basic anatomical elements such as legs or mouthparts.

What are the legs of insects?

Thankfully, just like mouthparts, all insect legs contain the same basic parts. From proximal(toward or against the body) to distal(away from the body) the parts of an insect leg are: coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia, and tarsus . The tarsus almost always has one or two clawsat the type used to grasp the substrate. The figure Insect Legs, right, shows legs modified for numerous purposes: A, running; B, jumping; C, digging; D, grasping; E, catching; F, walking and digging; G, reduced leg used for walking and digging; H, male leg modified for grasping females during mating.

What is the proboscis of a mosquito?

The proboscis of the mosquito contains all the major mouthparts. A: Expanded mosquito proboscis. B: Cross section of proboscis. The color of each mouthpart is the same throughout all the anatomy figures. See text for details. Modified from Folsom 1914. The head can be divided into general regions (see General Insect Head Regions and Mouthparts, ...

What is the appendage of an insect's maxilla?

Generally each maxilla bears an appendage, the maxillary palpus that is used for food handling and may contain taste or smell organs called sensillae. The bottom horizon of insect mouthparts is the labium which is made of two fused maxilla-like structures and bears labial palps .

What is the term used to describe the life cycle of an insect?

Hemimetabolousand/or Paurometabolous:egg, multiple instars, adult. "Simple metamorphosis" is the common term used to describe this life cycle. The immatures tend to look like miniature versions of the adults, except in the immature the head is larger in proportion to the body, wings are not fully formed and appear as wing buds, and reproductive structures are not developed. The Grasshopper Life Cycleand Squash Bug Life Cycle(right) are good examples. Insect orders with this life cycle are grouped under the term Exopterygotabecause of visible wing buds on the immatures. Major orders of insects in this group include Orthoptera(grasshoppers and crickets), Blattodea(cockroaches), Isoptera(termites), Plecoptera(stoneflies), Thysanoptera(thrips), Hemiptera(true bugs), and Phthiraptera(lice).

Why do insects lose their gut contents?

Loss of the gut contents is a problem if the insect relies on gut microorganisms (gut fauna) to help with digestion. The gut fauna often lives in the hind gut (termites, for example). Suddenly the gut fauna is lost and must be replenished with every molt. Insects do not have kidneys.

What is the digestive system of insects?

Digestive/excretory system: Insects have a complete digestive system just like vertebrates (tube from the mouth to the anus) but it differs in a very important way (see Digestive System, left). The insect digestive system has three major regions, foregut, midgut, and hindgut. [1] .

Insects vs. Bugs

Insects are animals in the class Insecta with six legs, two antennae, and three body segments—a head, thorax, and abdomen. Flying insects can include flies, butterflies, wasps, bees, grasshoppers, and beetles. On the other hand, true bugs are a specific type of insect. They belong to the order Hemiptera.

How to Identify Flying Insects

To identify flying insects, you should observe their behavior, shape, size, and habitat.

The Most Common Flying Insects

Common flying insects include bees, wasps, flies, mosquitoes, butterflies, moths, beetles, and dragonflies. Even some ants and termites can fly when they need to leave their colonies. In most cases, it’s best to avoid killing flying insects unless they become a pest in the house or your plants.

The Most Common Flying Insects in the House

Common flying insects in the home include types of flies such as drain flies, fungus gnats, fruit flies, and house flies. These small brown or black flies are attracted to damp conditions or decaying organic matter. Depending on the climate, cockroaches can be common flying insects in the house that can become a pest.

Bees (Anthophila)

Bees are common flying insects that are seen throughout the summer as they fly between flowers, pollinating them and collecting nectar. Most species of bees have identifiable black and yellow stripes and fuzzy bodies. However, various distinguishing features help identify individual bee species.

Wasps (Hymenoptera)

Wasps are a group of common flying insects with a recognizable smooth, slender body covered in black and yellow bands. One of the characteristic features of all wasps is the slim waist between the abdomen and thorax. Although most species of wasps are yellow and black, some are red, black, or brown.

Hornets (Vespa)

A hornet is a type of giant wasp with a large, striped body and dark brown and orange or yellow bands. There are three species of hornet, but the European hornet is the most prevalent in North America. The giant hornet has a reddish-brown head and thorax and a yellow and brown body.

Overview

Morphology and physiology

Etymology

Definitions

Phylogeny and evolution

Diversity

Reproduction and development

Senses and communication

Overview

External

Anatomy summary

Internal

Internal morphology of different taxa

See also