Insects

• A very small animal with a hard covering over its body.
• Most kinds of insects have a body that is divided into three parts.
• Most insects also have three pairs of legs and one or two pairs of wings. Insects are arthropods.

Some insects are:

Insects	Basic Information
Ants	1. More than 12,500 of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. 2. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists. 3. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few dozen predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organized colonies that may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals.
Bees	1. Bees are flying insects known for their role in pollination and in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey and beeswax. 2. There are over 16,000 known species of bees in seven recognized biological families. 3. They are found on every continent except Antarctica. 4. Bees are adapted for feeding on nectar and pollen, the former primarily as an energy source and the latter primarily for protein and other nutrients.
Butterfly	1. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly colored wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. 2. Butterflies have the typical four-stage insect life cycle. 3. Some species are pests because in their larval stages they can damage domestic crops or trees; other species are agents of pollination of some plants. 4. Culturally, butterflies are a popular motif in the visual and literary arts.
Mosquitoes	1. Mosquitoes (alternate spelling mosquitos) are a group of about 3500 species of small insects that are a type of fly. 2. The saliva of the mosquito transmitted to the host with the bite can cause itching and a rash. 3. Females of most species have tube-like mouthparts which can pierce the skin of the host in order to extract blood, which contains protein and iron needed to produce eggs.
Beetles	1. Found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions. 2. These are attractively colored making them objects of collection and decorative displays. 3. Over 300 species are used as food, mostly as larvae; species widely consumed include mealworms and rhinoceros beetle larvae.
Mantis	1. Mantises are an order of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 430 genera in 15 families. 2. They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks. 3. They normally live for about a year. In cooler climates, the adults lay eggs in autumn, then die. The eggs are protected by their hard capsules and hatch in the spring.

Some facts:

• The number of insect species is believed to be between six and ten million.
• Insect bodies have three parts, the thorax, abdomen and head.
• Some insects, such as gerridae (water striders), are able to walk on the surface of water.
• Bees, termites and ants live in well organized social colonies.
• Most spiders are harmless to humans but a few spider species, such as the black widow, can bite humans and inject venom.
• Some cicadas can make sounds nearly 120 decibels loud.
• Only male crickets chirp.
• Ants leave trails and communicate with each other using pheromones as chemical signals.