The Insects Portal
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Insects (from Latin insectum) are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and a pair of antennae. Insects are the most diverse group of animals, with more than a million described species; they represent more than half of all animal species. (Full article...)
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- ... that the beetle Caryobruchus gleditsiae is named after the legume Gleditsia triacanthos, although it lives exclusively on palms?
- ... that the larvae of the common green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea usually consume aphids, but when food is scarce they will eat each other?
- ... that the "black-margined loosestrife beetle", Galerucella calmariensis, was introduced to North America for biological pest control against the invasive Lythrum salicaria?
- ... that Edward L. Kessel assembled the world's most comprehensive collection of Platypezidae flat-footed flies?
- ... that in the north, the North American paper wasp Polistes annularis has rust-red markings on a predominantly black thorax, but in the south, the thorax is mostly rust-red with black markings?
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Mayflies (subimago of Rhithrogena germanica pictured) comprise around 2,500 species of insects which belong to the Order Ephemeroptera. They are aquatic insects whose immature stage usually lasts one year in fresh water, while the adults are short-lived, surviving from a few minutes to a few days.
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