Insects Encyclopedia

Praying Mantis — The insect order Mantodea or mantises consists of approximatively 2,300 species worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats, of which a majority are in the family Mantidae. For most of the past century, only this single family was recognized within the order, and the term “mantid” was therefore historically used for any member of the order; technically, however, …

Mosquito — The mosquitos are insects which make up the family Culicidae. They have a pair of scaled wings, a pair of halteres, a slender body, and long legs. The females of most mosquito species suck blood (hematophagy) from other animals, which has made them one of the most deadly disease vectors known to man, killing millions of people over …

Midge — Midges are widely distributed in the United States and Canada. The most common midges people complain about are non-biting nuisance pests belonging to the family Chironomidae. The general public often refers to them as “gnats.” Chironomus midges are similar in appearance to the mosquito, but they cannot bite. Midges have plumose antennae that resemble a small feather. They …

Mantisfly — Mantispidae is a family of small (20–47 mm) neuropterous insects, known as mantid-flies, mantid lacewings or mantis-flies. Mantisflies (family Mantispidae, order Neuroptera) resemble the praying mantis in having a lengthened prothorax and the front legs fitted for grasping prey. They are generally less than 25 mm (1 in) long and have four membranous wings. The adults feed on …

Locust — Locust is the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae. The origins and an apparent extinction of certain species of locust—some of which reached 6 inches (15 cm) in length—are unclear. These are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory. They form bands as nymphs and swarms as adults …

Leaf Beetle — Beetles in the family Chrysomelidae are commonly known as leaf beetles. This is a family of over 35,000 species in more than 2,500 genera, one of the largest and most commonly-encountered of all beetle families. Leaf beetles are partially recognizable by their tarsal formula, which appears to be 4-4-4, but is actually 5-5-5.They are distinguished with difficulty …

Lacewing — Green lacewings are insects in the very large family Chrysopidae of the order Neuroptera. There are three subfamilies (Apochrysinae, Nothochrysinae and Chrysopinae), 87 genera and about 1,300 species. Lacewings are widespread insects; the genus Chrysoperla is very common in North America. Their larvae are voracious predators, attacking most insects of suitable size, especially soft-bodied ones (aphids, caterpillars and …

Ladybug — Coccinellidae is a family of beetles, known variously as ladybirds (British English, Australian English, South African English), ladybugs (North American English) or lady beetles (preferred by some scientists). The family name comes from its type genus, Coccinella. Coccinellids are found worldwide, with over 5,000 species described, more than 450 native to North America alone. Coccinellids are small insects, …

Japanese Beetle — The Japanese beetle is a beetle about 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) long and 1 cm (0.4 inches) wide (smaller in Canada), with shiny copper-colored elytra and a shiny green top of the thorax and head. It is not very destructive in Japan, where it is controlled by natural enemies, but in America it is a serious pest …

Katydid — The family Tettigoniidae, known in American English as katydids and in British English as bush-crickets, contains more than 6,400 species. It is part of the suborder Ensifera and the only family in the superfamily Tettigonoidea. They are also known as long-horned grasshoppers, although they are more closely related to crickets than to grasshoppers. Tettigoniids may be distinguished from …