Insect Biology Flashcards
What is tagmosis?
Clumping together of body segments into functional units. Segmented - small divisions.
What are the three insect tagma?
- Head
- Thorax
- Abdomen
Name the different types of mouth parts.
- chewing
- piercing-sucking
- rasping
- chewing-lapping
- siphoning
- sponging
- chewing-sponging
What two mouth parts are the most common?
chewing, piercing-sucking
What are the structures of the thorax?
“Bucket of Chicken” … legs ‘n wings.
What are the functions (and structures) of the abdomen?
- Digestion / excretion
- Respiration … spiracles
- Reproduction … testes / ovaries, spermatheca, accessory glands, ovipositor
What are spiracles?
Tiny holes that let air in, mostly on abdomen. Not “mouthbreathing” - insects never pant.
What is a stinger?
Modifed ovipositor (in females).
Why is there a special procedure for removing a honeybee stinger and not a wasp stinger?
Honeybee stingers are barbed; venom sac can remain if caution is not exercised.
What is the function of the accessory gland?
- produces venom
- cements eggs to surfaces
- gall production
Discuss chewing mouth parts.
Most common, damage is easily visible.
Found in grubs, armyworms, cutworms, and most predators.
Discuss piercing-sucking mouthparts.
Second most common, disease vectors.
Rostorum (beak) enables insect to eat plant liquids, blood, etc…
Discuss rasping mouth parts.
Asymmetrical. Pierce, then suck.
Found in thrips.
Discuss chewing-lapping mouth parts.
Chew, then lap up liquids.
Found in bee / wasp adults.
Discuss siphoning mouth parts.
Hose-like projection for sucking liquids.
Unique to Lepidoptera.
Discuss sponging mouth parts.
Dabbing of surfaces / liquids.
Found in houseflies.
Discuss chewing-sponging mouth parts.
Slashing, then sponging.
Found in dragonflies and horseflies.
Name four types of leg variations.
- Natatorial
- Raptorial
- Saltatorial
- Fossorial
Define natatorial.
For swimming, found in aquatic beetles.
Define raptorial.
For catching prey, found in preying mantis.
Define saltatorial.
For jumping, found in grasshoppers.
Define fossorial.
For digging, found in mole crickets.
Name three types of wing variations.
- Hemelytra
- Elytra
- Tegmina
Define hemelytra.
Half hard, half leathery wings.
