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The Insects Portal

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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A. wedmannae holotype

Archimyrmex is an extinct genus of ant in the formicid subfamily Myrmeciinae, described by palaeoentomologist Theodore Cockerell in 1923. The genus contains four described species, Archimyrmex rostratus, Archimyrmex piatnitzkyi, Archimyrmex smekali and Archimyrmex wedmannae. Archimyrmex is known from a group of Middle Eocene fossils which were found in North America, South America, and Europe. The genus was initially placed in the subfamily Ponerinae, but it was later placed in Myrmeciinae; it is now believed to be the ancestor of the extant primitive genus Myrmecia from Australia. Despite this, Archimyrmex is not a member to any tribe and is regarded as incertae sedis within Myrmeciinae. However, some authors believe Archimyrmex should be assigned as incertae sedis within Formicidae. These ants can be characterised by their large mandibles and body length, ranging from 13.2 to 30 mm (0.52 to 1.18 in). They also have long, thin legs and an elongated mesosoma (thorax) and petiole. (Full article...)

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... that species in the fossil ant genus Myrmeciites are named for Hercules, Goliath, and a river?
... that Euploea alcathoe, the common crow butterfly, may pass through several generations in a year?
... that the female sand wasp Ammophila sabulosa digs burrows in sandy ground, provisioning each burrow with a food supply of paralysed caterpillars, always laying one egg on the first caterpillar?
... that larvae of the toadfly make their way through the nostrils of the common toad and eat its flesh?
... that the rice stink bug, a major pest of rice kernels, can possibly be ignored when found on standing maize?

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

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

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Simosyrphus grandicornis is an Australasian species of hoverfly (Diptera: Syrphidae), and is one of the two most common hoverflies in Australia, alongside Melangyna viridiceps. Pictured above is a pair of S. grandicornis mating in flight.

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WikiProject Insects

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