L4 - Insect Orders 2

Question 1

What order do beetles belong to?

Answer 1

Coleoptera

Question 2

What is the largest order of insects?

Answer 2

Coleoptera - 3000+ species

Question 3

Describe these characteristics of coleoptera:

a) mouthparts
b) forewings
c) larvae

Answer 3

a) mandibulate chewing mouthparts
b) forewings are modified into rigid elytra
c) larvae have sclerotized head capsules, usually with thoracic legs

Question 4

What are the 4 sub-orders of Coleoptera?

Answer 4

1) Adephaga - gluttonous - ground beetles, green tiger beetle
2) Polyphagia - <90% of species - ladybirds, rove beetles, scarab beetles, blister beetles, stag beetle, true weevils

Less important:

3) Archostemata
4) Myxophaga

Question 5

What order are endo-parasites of Hemiptera

Answer 5

Strepsiptera (translation: “twisted wing”’)

Question 6

Describe the morphology of Strepsiptera

Answer 6

Males - large head with bulging eyes, reduced forewings

Females - similar to larva

Question 7

What order are ‘true flies’?

Answer 7

Diptera

Question 8

What are these features of Diptera like?

a) wings
b) mouthparts
c) larvae

Answer 8

a) Mesothoracic wings only - hindwings are modified into halters
b) Mouthparts vary - some have no function, some are sucking and piercing
c) Larvae are apodous - no feet (maggots)

Question 9

What are the 2 suborders of Diptera

Answer 9

1) Nematocera - more primitive - elongated bodies and many-segmented, often feathery antennae - mosquitoes and crane flies
2) Brachycera - rounder bodies and much shorter antennae

Question 10

Name the 3 important infra orders in Brachycera

Answer 10

1) Muscomorpha - higher flies - horseflies, drosophila
2) Asilomorpha - lower flies - robber fly, house fly
3) Tabanomorpha - horse fly, tsetse fly

Question 11

What disease does the Tsetse fly carry?

Answer 11

Carries trypanosomes, which causes sleeping sickness in humans, and trypanosomosis in animals

Question 12

What order do Fleas belong to?

Answer 12

Siphonaptera

Question 13

What kind of parasite are Siphonaptera and what are their mouthparts like?

Answer 13

Fleas are ectoparasites (lives on the outside of its host)

They have piercing and sucking mouthparts with no mandibles

Question 14

What are the 4 suborders of Lepidoptera

Answer 14

1) Glossata (98% - includes all with a coiled proboscis)
2) microterigoidia
3) Agnathiphagoidea
4) heterobathmiodea

Question 15

What 6 super-families does Glossata include?

Answer 15

1) Noctuoidea - owlet moths
2) Sphingidae -hawk moth
3) Geometroidea - swallow moths and geometrids
4) Papilinoidia - true butterflies
5) Hesperiodea - skipper butterflies
6) Hedyloidea - butterfly moths

Question 16

Which superfamilies’ of Glossata hold their wings vertical at rest?

Answer 16

Geometroidea, Papilinoidia, Hesperiodea

Question 17

Describe these morphological features in Hymenoptera

a) Body
b) Mouthparts
c) Wings

Answer 17

a) They are waisted - formed from the last thoracic segment and 1st abdominal segment (mesosoma)
b) mandibulate mouthparts for chewing and sucking
c) Simple wing venation

Question 18

What are the 2 sub orders of hymenoptera?

Answer 18

1) Symphyta - unwaisted wasps - wood wasps and sawflies (saw-like ovipositor)

2) Apocrita:
a) Aculeata - bees ants and stinging wasps
b) Parasitica - parsitoids wasps - minute in size, endo or ecto parasites, parsitoids of Lepidoptera