WHAT ARE INSECTS?

Insects are a remarkable group of organisms consisting of more than 1 million known species, more than all other animal species combined. More than 80,000 insect species have been described in North America alone. Insects inhabit a wide range of environments and exhibit phenomenal diversity in form and role. They exist as parasites, herbivores (plant-eaters), predators of other insects or related arthropods, and scavengers and detritivores (organisms that feed on dead and decaying plants and animals). Most insect species provide direct or indirect benefits to humans.

The Class Insecta is the largest in Phylum Arthropoda, the animals characterized by a segmented body, paired jointed legs, and a hardened external skeleton (exoskeleton). Adult insects can be recognized by the fusion of segments to form three distinct body regions: head, thorax, and abdomen. For most adult insects, the head has a pair of antennae; the thorax has three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings.