Insects
Diversity,
Regulation &
Locomotion
Insect Diversity
 There
are 26 orders and
superorders in the class Hexapoda
 Insects range from microscopic
arthropods to large insects that are
over 12” long!
 They occupy almost every terrestrial
environment on earth
Insect Flight
 Insects
were first to fly
 Two types:
–
Direct (synchronous) flight
 Muscles
–
contract on down and up beats
Indirect (asynchronous) flight
 Muscles
change the shape of the
exoskeleton
 The exoskeleton “clicks” and moves the
wings
Other Forms of Insect Locomotion
 Walking
(3+ legs on ground)
 Running (3 or fewer legs on ground)
 Jumping
saltatory legs
– changing shape of the exoskeleton
until it catapults the insect
–
Insect Nervous Regulation
Johnston’s organs – hearing
 Tympanic organs – hearing
 Compound eyes – sight
 Some insects can have chemosensors
on feet or antennae
 Some insects use their second ganglia
for specialized responses (mating,
escaping)

Insect Chemical Regulation
 Endocrine
system controls
Ecdysis
– Osmoregulation
– Metabolism
– Heart rate
–
 Pheromones
control many
specialized behaviors