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Blattaria
Cockroaches
(Blattaria)
medium to large insects evolved for tropical habitats. Several
prominent species now find suitable abodes in the relatively
warm, moist conditions associated with human habitation. Generally
flattened
in structure with most species having four wings. This order
shares similarities with both the Isoptera (termites) and grasshoppers
(Orthoptera). Segmented antennae. Development gradual.
Orthoptera
Grasshoppers and their kin (Orthoptera)
medium to large insects. Live on land. Forewings leathery. Hindwings
folded fan-like (some have no wings). Development gradual. Chewing
mouth-parts. Both nymphs and adults cause damage.
Dermaptera
Earwigs (Dermaptera)
small insects with typical pincer-like tail. Usually four small
wings. Segmented antennae. Development gradual. The european
earwig is occasionally a pest of gardens, ornamentals, small
trees and homes.
Isoptera
Termites (Isoptera)
ant-like insects, small and soft-bodied. Some have four long wings. Live in colonies. Specialized castes for working, fighting and
reproduction. Reproductive castes have four long wings. Chewing
mouth. Parts. Development gradual. The injurious termites
are generally placed in two groups: the dampwood and subterranean
types. The dampwood termite does not usually feed on sound wood,
whereas the subterranean termite can be found in sound wood buildings
and cause considerable damage if not controlled.
Anoplura & mallophaga
Lice (Anoplura)
small, wingless insects with piercing and sucking mouth-parts. Body flattened. Legs with claws for clinging to warm-blooded
animals. Biting lice or bird lice (Mallophaga) are small flat,
wingless parasitic insects with chewing mouthparts. They feed
on feathers, hair, wool and skin scales. Examples of injurious
lice are the chicken body louse and cattle biting louse. True
lice or sucking lice (Anoplura) are small flat, wingless parasitic
insects with mouthparts formed for piercing skin and sucking
blood. The body louse can be a vector of disease in humans. Short-
and long-nosed cattle lice can be pests of beef and dairy cattle.
Thysanoptera
Thrips (Thysanoptera)
mostly very small insects about 3 mm long with piercing and sucking
mouthparts. Some feed on plants and are very injurious in greenhouses
or on vegetable crops. Onion thrips nymphs and adults cause severe
damage to onion crops. western flower thrips cause malformed
and spotted flowers. Some species of thrips can also transmit
plant virus diseases.
Homoptera
Leafhoppers, aphids, and scale insects (Homoptera)
small to medium insects, most with two pairs of similar wings hold
sloping of sides of body. Jointed beak for sucking attached to
base of head. Land insects. Some scale-like. There are winged
and wingless species and many sizes and shapes of insects in
this order. They cause damage to many crops and ornamental plants. Aphids have a complex method of reproduction which involves the
production of a series of generations without fertilization;
some of the broods may be wingless, others winged. Scale insects
are usually small and are protected during most of their life
cycle by a hardened covering or scale. San jose scale is a pest
of many fruit trees and ornamentals. The secretion of honey-dew
by aphids and scale insects may result in the growth of a black
unsightly mold on the surface of leaves and stems. Many of these
insects can also transmit viruses which cause very destructive
plant diseases.
Hemiptera
True bugs (Hemiptera)
range from small to large in size. Two pairs of wings, with forewings
partly thickened. Jointed beak for sucking arises from front
of head. Development is gradual. Examples include stink bugs
which feed on many fruits and vegetables and lygus bugs which
are serious pests of seed crops, especially of alfalfa.
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Odonata
Dragonflies and their kin (Odonata)
fairly large insects with two pairs of long, equal-sized wings. Body long and slender. Antennae short. Immature insects are aquatic. Development in three stages.
Ephemeroptera and plecoptera
Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) and stoneflies (Plecoptera)
both with two pairs of transparent, veined wings. In mayflies,
hindwings are smaller; in stoneflies they are larger. Mayflies
have long, 2 or 3-pronged tails.
Neuroptera
Nerve-winged insects (Neuroptera)
the two pairs of wings, usually equal in size, are netted with
veins. Four stages of development: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Chewing mouth-parts. Long antennae.
Mecoptera
Scorpionflies (Mecoptera)
small insects with two pairs of slender, generally spotted wings. Legs long. Antennae long also. Beak-like chewing mouth-parts. Larvae live in soil.
Trichoptera
Caddisflies (Trichoptera)
most larvae live in fresh water. Some build ornamented case. Adults
with two pairs of wings with long, silky hairs and with long
antennae. Mouth-parts reduced.
Lepidoptera
Moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera)
medium to large insects with two pairs of scaly wings. Sucking
mouth-parts. Antennae knob-like or feathery. Development in four
stages. Some larvae are known as caterpillars, cutworms or hornworms. This group includes some of the most severe insect pests such
as the codling moth, army worm, cabbage worm, tent caterpillars,
the alfalfa, celery and cabbage loopers, and the peach twig borer.
Diptera
Flies and their kin (Diptera)
two-winged, small to medium insects, with sucking mouth-parts. Antennae small, eyes large. Second pair of wings reduced to balancing
organs. Development in four stages. The immature stages are usually
known as maggots. The adults of this group include many well
known insects such as house flies, mosquitoes, gnats, horse flies
and deer flies. Some can be a danger to human health because
they transmit diseases. The larvae of some are leaf-miners. Agricultural
insect pests in this order include the cherry fruit fly, the
onion and cabbage maggot and the carrot rust fly.
Siphonaptera
Fleas (Siphonaptera)
small wingless insects with piercing and sucking mouthparts. The
immature stages are wormlike and quite different from the adults. The adults of dog and cat fleas are well-known pests of domestic
animals and man. Some species of fleas can transmit human diseases.
Coleoptera
Beetles (Coleoptera)
forewings modified to thickened covers. Mind wings thin, folded. Size from small to large. Chewing mouth-parts. Antennae usually
short. All have four life stages. Some aquatic. Many of their
larvae are commonly called grubs. Some grubs live in the soil
and feed on plant roots. Others bore into plant stems. The larvae
of click beetles are called wireworms which feed on the roots,
bulbs and crowns of plants and are especially destructive to
germinating seeds. Bark beetles, which bore through the bark
of trees, are considered the most destructive insect pests of
forests.
Hymenoptera
Bees, wasps, and ants (Hymenoptera)
small to medium-size insects. Many social or colonial. Two pairs
of thin, transparent wings. Hindwings smaller. Mouth-parts for
chewing or sucking. Only insects with stingers. Development in
four stages. This group includes many beneficial species as well
as some pest species.
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