The orders containing the largest number of species are: Coleoptera (beetles), Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps) and Diptera (true flies). Common Insect Characters
Insects have what we call an exoskeleton, or a hard, shell-like covering on the outside of their body. They have three main body parts: head, thorax, and abdomen. They have a pair of antennae on the top of their heads. Insects have three pairs of legs. Insect and Bug Facts: Moths have ears on their wings so they can avoid bats.
Monarch caterpillars shed their skin four times before pupating, growing to more than 2,700 times their original size.
There may be as many as 3,000 different types of insects, more than all other animal and plant species combined.
Of the large number of insects, only a small number – one percent – are harmful to humans. Most insects are either harmless or actually beneficial. For example, without bees to pollinate the flowers, the plants would have no way to reproduce and we would have nothing to eat!
Lobsters can eat their own weight of food in one day. A person eats his own body weight in about half a year.
Why are insects so successful?
Of all the creatures on earth, insects are the main consumers of plants… Insects are thought to be so successful because they have a protective shell or exoskeleton, are small, and can fly. Their small size and ability to fly allow them to escape from enemies and spread out to new environments.
Insects found on crops are useful to humans.
Key insect pests include the corn rootworm beetle, Japanese beetle, Mexican beetle, and leafhoppers. Late-season lepidopteran worms, such as the fall armyworm, western bean cutworm, and European corn borer, can damage ears and pods. Insect pests like Japanese beetles can create opportunities for fungal infection or rot.
Insects are crucial components of many ecosystems, where they perform many important functions. They aerate the soil, pollinate flowers, and control insects and plant pests… As decomposers, insects help create topsoil, the nutrient-rich layer of soil that helps plants grow.
A minority of insects are considered pests because they are harmful to humans or other animals. One of the reasons insects can be harmful is because some of them can sting, bite, or even spread disease… Also, some of the deadliest diseases are carried by insects.