The New Childrens Encyclopedia

114

Incredible insects

Insects are the most successful animals on

Earth. There are more than one million

known species, but scientists think there

may be millions more still to be

discovered. Many other

life-forms rely on insects:

most plants use them as

pollinators, and lots of

animals are insect-eaters.

The abdomen

contains most of the

digestive system and the

reproductive system.

Adult insects respire

(breathe) by taking in

air through spiracles—

openings along the

thorax and abdomen.

Most insects have two

pairs of wings. In this

wasp the front and hind

wings are linked. In beetles

and many bugs the front

wings form hard cases called

elytra, which protect the softer

hindwings below.

Insects have

one pair of

antennae, or

feelers, which

they use to explore their

environment. Insects use

their feelers in many

different ways: to touch,

smell, taste, and even hear

(by picking up vibrations

in the air).

TAKE A LOOK: INSECT MOUTHS

 SPONGER Flies

soak up liquid foods

through a spongy tube.

 SUCKER Butterflies

uncurl their long, thin

proboscis to use as a straw

for sucking up nectar.

 STABBER Mosquitoes

have needle-sharp stabbing

mouthparts for piercing

skin and sucking up blood.

Labium

Spongelike

labellum

Proboscis

Different types of insect eat very

different foods, and so the mouthparts

of each species are suited to different

styles of feeding. Some insects have

jaws shaped into pincers to kill their

prey, or tiny clippers for cutting plant

leaves. In many other insects the

jaws are replaced by other

specialized mouthparts.

The thorax is packed

with muscle to power

the legs and wings.

Piercing stylet

TELL ME MORE...

An insect’s body is made up of

three parts: the head, thorax,

and abdomen. These parts are

linked by the exoskeleton, the

circulatory system, soft tissue,

and nerves, which control

the insect’s body functions.

Abdomen

Thorax

Head

The head contains

sense organs such as

eyes and antennae.

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