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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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Worker policing is a behavior seen in colonies of social hymenopterans (ants, bees, and wasps) whereby worker females eat or remove eggs that have been laid by other workers rather than those laid by a queen. Worker policing ensures that the offspring of the queen will predominate in the group. In certain species of bees, ants and wasps, workers or the queen may also act aggressively towards fertile workers. Worker policing has been suggested as a form of coercion to promote the evolution of altruistic behavior in eusocial insect societies.^{[dubious – discuss]}

Proposed mechanisms for the recognition of worker-laid eggs or active reproductive workers include marker hydrocarbons on the surface of queen-laid eggs, cuticle hydrocarbons on reproductive workers, and recognition of nest-mates. In rare cases, worker-laid eggs carry mimicked queen hydrocarbons and escape policing, a condition known as the anarchic syndrome. (Full article...)

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... that Euprenolepis procera is the first ant discovered that harvests and feeds on mushrooms?
.. that Milton Levine founded Uncle Milton's Toys, best known for its ant farm, with ants from the species Pogonomyrmex californicus?
... that Acromis spinifex is one of the few tortoise beetles that shows maternal care of its young?
... that the population density of Moroccan locust nymphs can reach several thousand individuals per square metre (11 sq ft)?
... that picnic beetles are attracted to beer?

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

Image 1Reconstruction Strudiella devonica as a possible hexapod (from Evolution of insects)
Image 2Diagram of a typical insect leg (from Insect morphology)
Image 3Bumblebee defecating. Note the contraction of the anus, which provides internal pressure. (from Insect morphology)
Image 4Mayfly nymph with paired abdominal gills (from Insect flight)
Image 5Hoverfly (Xanthogramma pedissequum) has indirect flight musculature. (from Insect flight)
Image 6Generalized arthropod biramous limb. Trueman proposed that an endite and an exite fused to form a wing. (from Insect flight)
Image 7Larva of Syrphid fly, member of Cyclorrhapha, without epicranium, almost without sclerotisation apart from its jaws. (from Insect morphology)
Image 8Scanning electron micrograph of a cricket spiracle valve (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 9The female genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 10Venation of insect wings, based on the Comstock-Needham system (from Insect morphology)
Image 11Indian moon moth (Actias selene) with some of the spiracles identified (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 12Male genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 13Evolution has produced astonishing variety of appendages in insects, such as these antennae. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 14A pie chart of described eukaryote species, showing just over half of these to be insects (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 15
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 16Closeup of a fire ant, showing fine sensory hairs on antennae (from Insect morphology)
Image 17Stylized diagram of insect digestive tract showing malpighian tubule, from an insect of the order Orthoptera. (from Insect morphology)
Image 18The abdominal terminus of male scorpionflies is enlarged into a "genital bulb", as seen in Panorpa communis (from Insect morphology)
Image 19Variety of male structures in Phlebotominae (Diptera, Psychodidae) (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 20Cross-section of wing vein (from Insect morphology)
Image 21Fossil gnat in amber, a well-preserved insect fossil. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 22Reconstruction of a Carboniferous insect, the palaeodictyopteran Mazothairos (from Insect flight)
Image 23Larva of beetle, family Cerambycidae, showing sclerotised epicranium; rest of body hardly sclerotised (from Insect morphology)
Image 24Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) of Papua New Guinea (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 25A tau emerald (Hemicordulia tau) dragonfly has flight muscles attached directly to its wings. (from Insect flight)
Image 26Head 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 27Mazothairos, a Carboniferous member of the now extinct order Palaeodictyoptera. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 28The 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 29Direct flight: muscles attached to wings. Large insects only (from Insect flight)
Image 30Mandibles of Rhyniognatha hirsti, it may be an oldest insect, but also possible to be a myriapod. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 31Frenulo-retinacular wing coupling in male and female moths (from Insect flight)
Image 32The Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) have direct flight musculature, as do mayflies. (from Insect flight)

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Credit: Fir0002

Gryllotalpa brachyptera is a mole cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae), native to Australia. Mole crickets are thick-bodied insects about 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in) long, with large beady eyes and shovel-like forelimbs highly developed for burrowing and swimming. The adult mole cricket may fly as far as 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) during the mating season, is active most of the year, and spends the winter in hibernation.

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WikiProject Insects

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