Ants

Ants are one of the most widely recognized types of insects, and for good reason, too! There are very few places in the world that don’t have a native population of ants. While ant species differ in color and shape, they all have a large, round head, compound eyes and a body that is segmented into three sections. Even though they aren’t as colorful as many of the other insects are, ants still come in varying shades of red, brown, orange and black. It’s estimated that there are more species of beetles than any other type of insect. They belong to the Coleoptera order, and they all exhibit a head, thorax and abdomen. The majority of beetles are not segmented in a way that it’s easy to recognize between the three parts without getting up close. There are many different color variations of beetle, including, metallic green, black, red, yellow, orange and purple. Some beetles have wings, which are protected under a hard covering called the elytra.   Did you know that bees are a close cousin the ant? There are both solitary and communal species of bees, and some even come out during the night. Aside from the normal yellow and black coloration, some bees are actually a metallic green, blue or black. Like many other flying insects, bees drink their meals through an appendage called a proboscis. Although many people refer to stinging insects, like bees and wasps, as poisonous, that’s actually an incorrect way to classify them. Instead, the proper description is venomous, because they inject the venom into whatever they are stinging. Like a butterfly, moths start out as caterpillars, too. The easiest way to tell a moth apart from a butterfly is to look at the antennae. If the insect has feathery looking antennae, then it is probably a moth. Although most moths are not as brightly colored as butterflies are, there are some species that have very bright colors. Moths are better left unhandled, because their delicate wings can be damaged very easily. As one of the most coveted orders of insect, butterflies exhibit a huge range of diversity. Although most people automatically associate all butterflies with bold, bright colors and large wings, some actually have a very drab coloration. The longest part of their lifecycle occurs during the larva stage, when they are a caterpillar. Once a butterfly emerges from the cocoon, they only live for a few weeks. A butterfly can usually be distinguished from a moth by their slender, smooth antennae.   Centipedes usually live outdoors in damp areas such as under leaves, stones, boards, tree bark, or in mulch around outdoor plantings. When these centipede habitats are near a home’s foundation, centipedes will wander inside where they may be found at floor level almost anywhere. If accidentally injured, larger centipedes may bite, causing some pain and slight swelling. Actually, their “bites” are not caused by their jaws or mouthparts, but by the front legs which are modified to look and function like jaws and contain venom glands. Smaller species are not large enough to penetrate human skin. Centipede bites are usually not serious, but an antiseptic should be used on the wound and a physician consulted in all cases where the skin is punctured. Most flies can be identified by their large, compound eyes, small bodies and well developed wings; however, there are some flies that have evolved without wings, as well. There are four stages to the fly lifecycle: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The majority of flies live for less than a week after they reach adulthood. It’s important to remember that true flies, which belong to the order Diptera, are different from other types of flying insects, like dragonflies and whiteflies Grasshoppers come in many different sizes and colors, so that they can camouflage with the foliage that they eat, and some grow even larger than your hand. They are characterized by their long, powerful hind legs that allow them to jump such great distances. In addition to jumping, grasshoppers also use their wings to travel around looking for food, shelter and a mate. Sometimes, you can even find them traveling in large swarms, much to the dismay of farmers. Unfortunately, Aranae, which is the order spiders belong to, is surrounded by a lot misinformation. They are one of the most feared groups of insects due to their secretive nature, diet and the myths that surround their behavior; however, without spiders, other insects, like flies, mosquitoes and grasshoppers, would quickly overrun the ecosystem. There are many different species that can be found in your own backyard, like jumping spiders and orb weavers.