Bugs For Beginners

Learn the Insect Orders

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  • Bees, wasps and ants belong to the order Hymenoptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Ants like this one, along with bees, wasps and sawflies belong to the order Hymenoptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Aphids like these, along with cicadas and scale insects belong to the insect order Homoptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Barklice and booklice may be winged or wingless and belong to the insect order Psocoptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Beetles outnumber all other animal species on earth and they belong to the order Coleoptera. width:400;;height:300
  • True bugs like stink bugs and their relatives belong to the order Hemiptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Butterflies, moths, and their caterpillars belong to the order Lepidoptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Caddisflies resemble moths but do not have "powder" on their wings. They are aquatic ad larvae and belong to the order Trichoptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Centipedes are not insects, but rather belong to a related group in the Myriapoda (many legs). width:400;;height:300
  • Walkingsticks and leaf mimics belong to the order Phasmatodea. width:400;;height:300
  • Damselflies and dragonflies belong to the order Odonata. width:400;;height:300
  • Campodeids have two long tails while Japygids have small pinchers. Both belong to the order Diplura. width:400;;height:300
  • Ferocious as they look, dobsonflies are harmless. They belong to the order Megaloptera, along with alderflies. width:400;;height:300
  • While there is some disagreement on the exact methods for categorizing them, lice like this dog louse may be considered to belong to the order Phthiraptera (includes all lice) or separated into Mallophaga (just chewing lice) and Anoplura (just sucking lice). width:400;;height:300
  • Dragonflies and damselflies belong to the order Odonata. width:400;;height:300
  • Earwigs belong to the order Dermaptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Fleas currently are believed to be a strange version of scorpionflies, but traditionally are given their own order called Siphonaptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Flies belong to the order Diptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids belong to the order Orthoptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Leafhoppers, froghoppers and spittlebugs belong with scales, cicadas and aphids in the order Homoptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Lacewings, antlions and owlflies belong to the order Neuroptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Mantids belong to the order Mantodea. width:400;;height:300
  • Mantidflies may resemble mantids or wasps, but belong with the lacewings in the order Neuroptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Mayflies belong to the order Ephemeroptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Twisted wing parasites like this one may be parasites of wasps or leafhoppers and belong to the order Strepsiptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Woodlice, or pillbugs are related to crustaceans in the Isopoda and are not insects. width:400;;height:300
  • Roaches belong to the order Blattodea. width:400;;height:300
  • Scorpionflies belong to the order Mecoptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Silverfish and firebrats belong to the order Thysanura. width:400;;height:300
  • Spiders are not insects and belong to the Arachnids. width:400;;height:300
  • Springtails clearly have only six legs, but some consider them to be different enough to be excluded from the insect clan. They are in the Order Collembola. width:400;;height:300
  • Stoneflies are a fly fisher's favorite. They belong to the order Plecoptera. width:400;;height:300
  • While there is some disagreement on the exact methods for categorizing them, lice like this human louse may be considered to belong to the order Phthiraptera (includes all lice) or separated into Mallophaga (just chewing lice) and Anoplura (just sucking lice). width:400;;height:300
  • Termites may have evolved from roaches. They belong to the order Isoptera but could also be considered as distinct members of the Blattodea. width:400;;height:300
  • Thrips for one, thrips for many (like sheep) belong to the order Thysanoptera. width:400;;height:300
  • Webspinners or foot spinners make silk with their feet and belong to the order Embioptera or Embiodea or Embiidina, depending on who you ask. width:400;;height:300


Blattodea
Coleoptera
Collembola
Dermaptera
Diplura     
Diptera     
Embioptera
Ephemeroptera
Hemiptera
Homoptera
Hymenoptera
Isoptera
Lepidoptera
Mantodea
Mecoptera
Megaloptera
Microcoryphia

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