BioImages: The Virtual Field-Guide (UK)
INSECTA (insects)
| Notes (MWS) | Insects are characterised by having six legs. Of course there are exceptions: many larvae have no or additional legs (but these are stumpy and obviously different); some adults, especially parasitic forms, have reduced legs. Finally juvenile mites, copepods are six-legged. Insects have a chitin exoskeleton. Because this is impermeable to gases, they have a system of branching internal breathing tubes (trachaea) connecting to the ouside through paired openings (spiracles) on each segment (generally). Because the exoskeleton is stiff, it is shed (ecdysis) regularly during growth; the number of moults is usually constant for a given species, and the stages between are called instars. Insects are the most species-rich group of organisms on the planet. |
| Diagnostic features | Almost all insects have six-legs, at least when adult. Almost all organisms with six legs are insects - the exceptions are very tiny, although spiders and harvestmen can lose two legs, so care needs to be taken. Any cold-blooded organism with wings (ie not bird or bat) is an insect. |
Subtaxa
| Rank | Taxon |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subclass | APTERYGOTA (wingless insects) | 9 | |||||
| Order | COLLEMBOLA (springtails) | 6 | 23 | 9 | |||
| Order | THYSANURA (silver fish and bristle-tails) | 3 | 31 | 12 | 4 | 1 | |
| Subclass | PTERYGOTA (winged insects) | 5057 | |||||
| Division | ENDOPTERYGOTA (insects with wings developing internally) | 4690 | 9211 | 6152 | 401 | 1315 | 10948 |
| Division | EXOPTERYGOTA (insects with wings developing externally) | 367 | 945 | 645 | 18 | 199 | 532 |
Suggested Literature
Identification Works
| British Journal of Entomology and Natural History (BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST.) | Journal |
| Entomologist's Gazette (Ent. Gazette) | Journal |
| Entomologist's Monthly Magazine | Journal |
| Entomologist's Record and journal of variation | Journal |
| Insects & Spiders from Finland : http://www.kolumbus.fi/hannu.j.tanner/coleoptera/ |
Web Site/Page |
| Micropics: http://micropics.org.uk/ | Web Site/Page |
| Photos of Insects: http://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/insects/index.htm | Web Site/Page |
| Proceedings and Transactions of the British Entomological and Natural History Society (Proc. Trans. Br. Ent. Nat. Hist. Soc.) | Journal |
| Chinery, M., 2005 | Complete British Insects |
| Imms, A.D., 1957 | General Textbook of Entomology |
| Lepidoptera and some other life forms: http://www.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/intro.html | Web Site/Page |
General Works
INSECTA may also be covered by literature listed under:
|
BIOTA (living things) |
Eukaryota (eukaryotes) |
ANIMALIA (animals) |
ARTHROPODA (arthropods) |
HEXAPODA (hexapods) |
Feeding and other inter-species relationships
Associated with INSECTA:
Insecta may be associated with more taxa listed at higher taxonomic level
|
ANIMALIA (animals) |
References
| Benson, R.B., 1952 | Hymenoptera: 2. Symphyta. Section (b) |
| Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M., 1985 | Flora of the British Isles |
| Darwin, C., 1875 | Insectivorous Plants |
| Moss, M, Spooner, B. & Mitchell, D.W., 2007 | Two rare and interesting entomogenous fungi from south-east England |
| Stace, C., 1997 | New Flora of the British Isles (Ed 2) |
| van Emden, F.I., 1954 | Diptera: Cyclorrhapha Calyptrata (I) Sect (a) Tachinidae and Calliphoridae |
| Waterhouse, G.M. & Brady, B.L., 1982 | Key to the Species of Entomophthora sensu lato |
