van Klink, Roel (24 April 2020), "Meta-analysis reveals declines in terrestrial but increases in freshwater insect abundances", Science, 368 (6489): 417–420, Bibcode: 2020Sci...368..417V, doi: 10.1126/science.aax9931, PMID 32327596, S2CID 216106896 Hadley, Debbie. "Where do insects go in winter?". About.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012 . Retrieved 19 April 2012.

For males, the reproductive system is the testis, suspended in the body cavity by tracheae and the fat body. Most male insects have a pair of testes, inside of which are sperm tubes or follicles that are enclosed within a membranous sac. The follicles connect to the vas deferens by the vas efferens, and the two tubular vasa deferentia connect to a median ejaculatory duct that leads to the outside. A portion of the vas deferens is often enlarged to form the seminal vesicle, which stores the sperm before they are discharged into the female. The seminal vesicles have glandular linings that secrete nutrients for nourishment and maintenance of the sperm. The ejaculatory duct is derived from an invagination of the epidermal cells during development and, as a result, has a cuticular lining. The terminal portion of the ejaculatory duct may be sclerotized to form the intromittent organ, the aedeagus. The remainder of the male reproductive system is derived from embryonic mesoderm, except for the germ cells, or spermatogonia, which descend from the primordial pole cells very early during embryogenesis. [62] :885 Respiratory system The tube-like heart (green) of the mosquito Anopheles gambiae extends horizontally across the body, interlinked with the diamond-shaped wing muscles (also green) and surrounded by pericardial cells (red). Blue depicts cell nuclei. The class Insecta is divided into many subgroups, each of which contains species which are more closely related to the other members of their own group than they are to other insects. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1940). "ἔντομος". A Greek-English Lexicon. Perseus Digital Library. Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies) Dragonflies are unable to fold their wings flat across their bodies. By comparison the class Mammalia (the mammals) contains around 6,000 living species, and the class Reptilia (the reptiles) contains just over 10,000 living species.

Workers are females who take care of the running of the colony. Each of the various classes of worker plays a specific role, which can include care of the young, foraging, and defending the nest. The second segment of an insect’s antenna houses an organ named the Johnston’s organ. This organ is only found in insects, and its presence can therefore be used to distinguish insects from other, non-insect hexapods. We hope that you have enjoyed this exploration of Insecta. Below is a selection of other insect-related articles on Active Wild:

Coevolution and Pollination". University of Cincinnati. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009 . Retrieved 9 May 2009. Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in the reproduction of plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Most flowering plants require an animal to do the transportation. While other animals are included as pollinators, the majority of pollination is done by insects. [145] Because insects usually receive benefit for the pollination in the form of energy rich nectar it is a grand example of mutualism. The various flower traits (and combinations thereof) that differentially attract one type of pollinator or another are known as pollination syndromes. These arose through complex plant-animal adaptations. Pollinators find flowers through bright colorations, including ultraviolet, and attractant pheromones. The study of pollination by insects is known as anthecology.

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See also: Defense in insects Perhaps one of the most well-known examples of mimicry, the viceroy butterfly (top) appears very similar to the monarch butterfly (bottom). [139] The precise definition of the taxon Insecta and the equivalent English name "insect" varies; three alternative definitions are shown in the table. Belostomatidae is a family of insects better known as “giant water bugs” or “ toe-biters.” Most species in the Belostomatidae family are relatively large (2 cm or more) with some of the largest, such as Lethocerus, exceeding 12 cm, and nearly reaching the dimensions (length and mass) of some of the larger beetles in the world. Braak, Nora; Neve, Rebecca; Jones, Andrew K.; Gibbs, Melanie; Breuker, Casper J. (November 2018). "The effects of insecticides on butterflies – A review". Environmental Pollution. 242 (Pt A): 507–518. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.06.100. PMID 30005263. S2CID 51625489.

The internal phylogeny is based on the works of Sroka, Staniczek & Bechly 2014, [28] Prokop et al. 2017 [29] and Wipfler et al. 2019. [30] Insecta

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Very low sounds are also produced in various species of Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Mantodea and Neuroptera. These low sounds are simply the sounds made by the insect's movement. Through microscopic stridulatory structures located on the insect's muscles and joints, the normal sounds of the insect moving are amplified and can be used to warn or communicate with other insects. Most sound-making insects also have tympanal organs that can perceive airborne sounds. Some species in Hemiptera, such as the corixids (water boatmen), are known to communicate via underwater sounds. [110] Most insects are also able to sense vibrations transmitted through surfaces.

With each molt the outer exoskeleton is replaced and the insect becomes ever more like its adult version. Female insects have an organ at the rear of their bodies known as an ovipositor. This is used for laying eggs, and allows the insect to correctly position the eggs while they are being laid. Insects: The Ultimate Guide. Facts, pictures and information on Insecta – the largest class of animals on Earth. Discover the characteristics of insects, their life-cycles, the roles they play in their ecosystems, and why they are so important for life on Earth…Kapoor, V.C.C. (1998). Principles and Practices of Animal Taxonomy. Vol.1 (1sted.). Science Publishers. p.48. ISBN 978-1-57808-024-3. Tscharntke, Teja; Klein, Alexandra M.; Kruess, Andreas; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf; Thies, Carsten (August 2005). "Landscape perspectives on agricultural intensification and biodiversity and ecosystem service management". Ecology Letters. 8 (8): 857–874. Bibcode: 2005EcolL...8..857T. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2005.00782.x. S2CID 54532666. a b Sasaki, Go; Sasaki, Keisuke; Machida, Ryuichiro; Miyata, Takashi; Su, Zhi-Hui (2013). "Molecular phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of Hexapoda and suggest the paraphyly of Entognatha". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 13: 236. doi: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-236. PMC 4228403. PMID 24176097.