Insects 101: Classifying to Order
Order
COMMON NAMES
NOTES
Arachnida (Class)
Spiders, Mites, Ticks, Daddy Longlegs
Blattodea
Cockroach
Chilopoda (Class)
Centipedes
Coleoptera
“sheathed wing”
Beetles
Collembola
Springtails
Crustacea (Class)
Crayfish, Sowbugs, Lobsters, Shrimp
Dermaptera
“skin wings”
Earwigs
Diplopoda (Class)
Millipedes
Diptera
“two wings” –
Flies have only
one pair! Often
hairy.
Ephemeroptera
Flies, Mosquitoes, Gnats, Midges
Hemiptera
“half wings”
True Bugs (stink, plant, squash, boxelder,
bed) Cicadas, leafhoppers, aphids, scale,
mealybugs
Scale Insects, Mealybugs, Whiteflies,
Aphids, Adelgids, Cicadas, Leafhoppers
2 body segments
4 pairs of legs (8!)
-Spiders are predators of insects, some mites are major plant pests and some are beneficial, ticks are important vectors of some serious diseases, most daddy longlegs are predators or feed on
dead animals
Decomposers, urban
Simple
Chewing
2 pair
On Ground
In Wood/Leaf Litter
In Buildings
15+ body segments
Beneficial predator of other arthropods
15+ pairs of legs (1 per segment)
-Predators of insects, spiders and other small animals, some are household pests
Pollinators, decomposers, plant feeders, Urban (ladybeetles), Megafauna
Complete
Chewing
2 pair – The outer pair are
All Habitats
(Hercules beetles), Seasonal insects (Asian long-horned beetle, EAB)
hardened and the inner
pair are membranous.
Simple- Without
Chewing
None
On Plants
Metamorphosis
In Leaf Litter
2 body segments
Sowbugs feed on decaying plant
5 pairs of legs
matter, but will sometimes attack
-Sowbugs can be minor pests, crayfish sometimes appear in lawns near water,
young plants
many are delicious to eat!
Elongate, flattened insects with strong, movable forceps on the abdomen.
Simple – Gradual
Chewing
2 pair – Short, hardened
On Plants
Metamorphosis
outer wings and folded,
In Leaf Litter
membranous, ear shaped
inner wings
14+ body segments
Fungus and decaying plant material …
30+ pairs of legs (2 legs/segment)
but at times can be destructive to
-Most eat decaying plant material, a few are greenhouse and garden pests, some
vegetables or other plants in
are household pests
greenhouses
-Pollinators, decomposers, megafauna (crane flies, horse flies), medically
Complete
Chewing,
1 pair
All Habitats
important (mosquitoes),.
Sucking, Piercing
-Most larvae are legless. Fly larvae called maggots.
(mosquito) or
Sponging
(housefly)
Simple –
Vestigial (no
2 pair
Near Water
Incomplete
longer used for
Metamorphosis
feeding)
Plant feeders, urban (BB, SB), medically important (BB), seasonal insects
Simple – Gradual
Piercing-sucking
2 pair – first pair are ‘half
On Plants
Adults and
(Periodical cicadas, BMSB)
Metamorphosis
wings’, second pair is
In Leaf Litter
nymphs
membranous
In Water
Simple – Gradual
Sucking
Winged and unwinged
Many carry
Metamorphosis
forms
plant pathogens
Homoptera
Sub-order
Mayflies
METAMORPHOSIS
MOUTHPARTS
WINGS
Habitat
What causes
damage?
Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital, family, or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Issued in
furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; Jewel E. Hairston, Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State,
Petersburg. http://www.ext.vt.edu
Hymenoptera
Isoptera
‘equal wings’ –
wings are of equal
size and shape
Lepidoptera
Mantodea
Mecoptera
Neuroptera
Odonata
Wasps, bees, ants, sawflies, horntails,
velvet ants, honey bees, European
hornets, fire ants, Asian needle ants
Termites
Pollinators (W,B,A) decomposers (A),
Plant feeders (S,H,B), Megafauna (W,B,V), medically important (W,B,A), seasonal
insects (HB, EH, FA, ANA)
Urban
Complete
Chewing-lapping
2 pair
On Ground
On Plants
Simple- Gradual
Metamorphosis
Chewing
2 pair
Near Soil and Wood
In Buildings
Butterflies, moths, caterpillars, cutworms
Pollinators, plant feeders, season insects (gypsy moths, squash stem borer)
Complete
-Larvae are
voracious eaters
Chewing (larvae)
or siphoning
(adult)
2 pair – Membranous
wings covered with small
scales
On Plants
Mantids
Scorpionflies
Lacewings, Antlions, Snakeflies,
Mantispids, Dustywing, Alderfly,
Dobsonflies
Dragonflies, Damselflies
Megafauna
Megafauna
Megafauna
Simple
Complete
Complete
-Many are aquatic
as larvae
Simple –
Incomplete
Simple – Gradual
Metamorphosis
Chewing
2 pair
On Plants
Chewing
2 pair
Insect Predators
Chewing
2 pair
On Plants
Near Water
On Ground
Near Water
Chewing
2 pair – Forewings are
elongated, narrow and
hardened. Hind wings are
membranous.
On Plants
On Ground
In Buildings
Adults and
Nymphs
Simple
Simple
Chewing
Chewing or
Sucking
Chewing
2 pair
None
On Plants
On Birds or
Mammals
Near Water
Piercing-Sucking
None
On Birds or
Mammals
Rasping-sucking
Chewing
2 pair – Slender, featherlike, with fringed hairs
None
Chewing
2 pair
On Plants
In Leaf Litter
In Leaf Litter
In Buildings
Near Water
Megafauna
Orthoptera
Crickets, Grasshoppers, Katydids, Praying
Mantid
Phamatodea
Phasmida
Phthiraptera
Walking Sticks
Walkingsticks
Lice
Plant Feeders, Megafauna
Plecoptera
Stoneflies
Megafauna
Siphonaptera
Fleas
Urban, Medically important
Symphyla (Class)
Symphalans
15-22 body segments
10-12 pairs of legs
-Can be serious pests of vegetables, tree seedlings and greenhouse crops
Thysanoptera
Thrips
Thysanura
Silverfish
Trichoptera
Caddisflies
Urban, medically important
Simple –
Incomplete
Compete
Simple – Gradual
Metamorphosis
Simple – Without
Metamorphosis
Complete
2 pair
IMPORTANT TO GARDENER:
 ORDERS OF Insects
 CLASSES OF Non-Insects (‘Insect Look alikes’)
ORDERS OF Other Insects Commonly seen
Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital, family, or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Issued in
furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; Jewel E. Hairston, Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State,
Petersburg. http://www.ext.vt.edu