ENTOMOLOGY

• Insects are invertebrates that have 3 segmentations and 3 pairs of legs.
• The body segments are divided into 3 tagmata and each possesses appendages with specialized functions: head, thorax, and abdomen.
• The head is specialized for food gathering and manipulation, sensory perception, and neural integration.
• Sensory organs: pair of antennae, compound eye, and 3 simple eyes called the ocelli.
• The antennae functions in sensory perception and is composed of the scape, pedicel, and flagellum.
• The mouthpart functions for food gathering and consumption and is composed of the labrum (upper lip), mandibles (teeth), maxillae (pincers - steady and manipulate food), labium (lower lip), hypopharynx (tongue-like structure), and epipharynx (sensory lobe in the labrum).
• The thorax bears the locomotory organs such as the legs and wings.
• Thorax is divided into 3 segments that are heavily sclerotized: (first) prothorax, (middle) mesothorax, and (last) metathorax. The part containing the wings is called the pterothorax.
• Dorsal sclerites (nota), lateral sclerites (pleura), and ventral sclerites (sterna).
• Forelegs (prothoracic legs), midlegs (mesothoracic legs), and hindlegs (metathoracic legs).
• Forewing (mesothoracic wings) and hindwings (metathoracic wings).
• Insects has 6 legs and each leg contains 5 segments: coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia, and tarsus.
• Fossorial (digging), saltatorial (jumping), raptorial (grasping), natatorial (swimming), cursorial (walking), and corbiculate (pollen-gathering).
• The abdomen contains the appendages that functions for reproduction, digestion, circulation, and respiration.
• The dorsal and ventral abdominal segments are termed the terga and sterna.
• The tympanum is a sound reception organ. The spiracle is the main organ for insect respiration.
• Reproductive structures are found in the 9th segment in males (aedeagus or penis and (often) pair of claspers) and the 8th and 9th segments in females (ovipositor and copulatory openings).
• Arachnids have two body segments (abdomen and cephalothorax), 4 pairs of legs, chelicerae, and pedipalp.
• Spiders have a pedicel that connects the prosoma and opisthosoma.
• The two segments in mites are gnathosoma and idiosoma.
• Most insects have wings making them a lot mobile and for them to easily find food and escape their enemies.
• Insects have changed and been well-adapted in different habitats and conditions resulting to differences in legs, mouthparts, and antennas.
• Insects are able to produce 10 times or more which have also helped in adaptations and survival.
• In pest management, proper identification of insects is key to the reduction of infestations. Correct identification makes easier management and more effective because in contrast to that false identification is time-consuming and costly.
• Hymenoptera is the most beneficial order because of the species within the order, bees are pollinators and parasitic wasps functions as parasitoids
• Harmful orders: Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Thrysanoptera, Orthoptera, and Diptera
• Beneficial orders: (predators) Neuroptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Odonata, Diptera, and Dermaptera
• Urban pests: Diptera, Phthiraptera, Siphonaptera, Hemiptera, Blattodea, Coleoptera, and Isoptera
• Lepidoptera - siphoning mouthparts with scaly membranous wings.
• Diptera - one pair of functional wings (other pair are halteres).
• Hymenoptera - hindwings are distinctly smaller and are clipped to the forewings with hamuli.
• Dermaptera - has chewing mouthparts and has a forcep-like cerci.
• Coleoptera - has chewing mouthparts and elytra wings.
• Orthoptera - has tegmen wings and modified legs (saltatorial or fossorial).
• Odonata - has membranous wings that contains nodus and stigma.
• Thysanoptera - has sucking mouthparts and fringe type of wings.
• Hemiptera - has sucking mouthparts and hemelytron wings.
• Phasmatodea - are stick- or leaf-like.
• Mantodea - has tegmen wings and grasping forelegs.
• Blattodea - has tegmen wings and has shield-like pronotum.