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The Wonderful World of Insects

James A. BethkeNursery and Floriculture Farm Advisor

University of California Cooperative Extension

Taxonomy

The Insects

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Animal KingdomInvertebrates (Phyla)1. Porifera - sponges2. Cnidaria - jellyfish, corals3. Platyhelminthes - flatworms, flukes, and tapeworms4. Nemata - roundworms, Trichina, filaria5. Mollusca - snails, slugs, clams, and oysters6. Echinodermata - starfish, sea cucumbers; sea urchin7. Annelida - segmented worms, leeches, earthworms8. Arthropoda - insects, spiders, crayfish, millipedes

Vertebrates (Phylum)9. Chordata - fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals

Phylum ArthropodaArthropoda (Classes)

insects, spiders, crayfish, millipedes

body composed of ring like segments, jointed appendages, exoskeleton, bilateral symmetry, ventral nerve cord, dorsal heart.

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ClassificationClassification of the common housefly:

Kingdom AnimalPhylum ArthropodaClass InsectaSubclass PterygotaDivision EndopterygotaOrder DipteraFamily MuscidaeGenus MuscaSpecies domesticaAuthor (Linnaeus)

Scientific name = Musca domestica (L.)

What Makes a Bug a Bug?Three very important characteristics separate insects from all other arthropods and animals.

Six legs

Three body parts

Wings

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Mimic

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PART IIThe Insects

Insects (Class Insecta) are a major group ofarthropods and the most diverse group ofanimals on the Earth, with over a milliondescribed species—more than double thenumber of all other living organismscombined.

Successful TaxaThe most abundant in numbers of species3/4 of all animals are insects >1/2 of all living organisms are insects

Largest group are the beetles followed by butterflies and moths;wasps, ants, & bees; flies; true bugs (more species of bees than mammals)

Number of species is only an estimate since many are still not named- 800,000 to 1 million to 30 million

Enormous diversity and found in most environments

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Bugs are involved in every part of your life

Directly - food, nuisance, bites, stingsUrban Entomology, Medical Entomology Indirectly - food prices, pollination, crop pests, medical advances, geneticsAgricultural Entomology, Biological Control, Invasive Species

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Pests/Pesticide• Insects/Insecticide• Mites/Miticide• Nematodes/Nematicide• Snails and Slugs/Molluscicide• Weeds/Herbicide

Classification of Pests

• Insect has 6 legs, three body parts, wings• Mites and others have more than 6 legs, two body parts, all are wingless• Arthropods have exoskeleton• Snails and slugs are mollusks• Nematodes are round worms

Metamophosis• Insects, like all arthropods, have to shed their

skin to grow.• Two Types of metamorphosis

• Complete (Holometabolous)• Egg, larva (grub, caterpillar), pupa, adult

• Incomplete (Hemimetabolous)• nymph (naiad), adult

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Mouth Parts

Feeding Behavior

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Feeding Behavior

Thrips

Spider mites

Whiteflies Mealybugs & Soft ScalesSharpshooters

LeafhoppersPsyllidsPit Forming Psyllids