Orders Orthoptera Blattaria Mantodea Phasmida

All Orders today share the following characteristics: Pterygotes Also true for remaining orders Neoptera wing flexing Gradual metamorphosis Chewing mouthparts Leathery wings (tegmina) when present

ORTHOPTERA ortho = straight + ptera = wing (Grasshoppers / Locusts / Crickets / Katydids) Antennae filiform Chewing mouthparts Pronotum shield like, covering much of thorax Front wings narrow, leathery (tegmina) Hind legs usually adapted for jumping

Shorthorned Grasshopper Hind legs modified for jumping Antennae shorter than or not much longer than pronotum ( usually less than ½ body length) Tympanum on first abdominal segment Ovipositor (when present) is short Cerci short

Longhorned Grasshopper Hind legs modified for jumping Antennae much longer than pronotum (usually much longer than ½ body length) Ovipositor (when present) is laterally flattened; either sword-like or sickle-like Tympanum on fore tibia Cerci long

Cricket Hind legs modified for jumping Antennae much longer than pronotum (usually longer than ½ body length) Tympanum on fore tibia Ovipositor spear-like Cerci long

Metamorphosis Paurometabolous (gradual) (egg, nymph, adult)

Economic Importance Orthoptera is one of the largest and most important groups of plant-feeding insects. These insects feed on all types of plants and often cause serious economic damage.

Swarms of grasshoppers (locusts) regularly appear in parts of Africa, Asia, and North America and destroy crops over wide land areas. Mole crickets are major pests in lawns and golf courses in the southern United States.

Orthoptera Sound Production stridulation Tympanum Temperature

Blattaria (Cockroaches) Antennae slender, filiform Pronotum oval, shield-like, covering much of the head and thorax Legs adapted for running Front wings thickened Cerci short, multi-segmented Chewing mouthparts

Gradual or Paurometabolous Metamorphosis Gradual or Paurometabolous (egg, nymph, adult)

What do roaches eat? Where do they live? Cockroaches are scavengers or omnivores. Where do they live? They are most abundant in tropical or subtropical climates, but they also inhabit temperate and boreal regions. They are commonly found in close association with human dwellings where they are considered pests.

Reproduction When cockroaches lay eggs, the female's reproductive system secretes a special capsule around her eggs – Ootheca

Economic Importance Cockroaches are among the most cosmopolitan of all insect pests They are associated with human dwellings throughout the world, hiding in cracks and crevices during the day and emerging at night to forage for food and water They may carry a variety of human pathogens on their bodies Dead roaches (and their feces) provoke respiratory allergies in sensitive people

However, cockroaches also have proven to be very useful as research tools, particularly for the study of insect physiology and toxicology Madagascar roaches, slow-moving cockroaches are sometimes kept as pets

Mantodea

“soothsayer” or “kind of grasshopper” (mantids/preying mantis) MANTODEA “soothsayer” or “kind of grasshopper” (mantids/preying mantis) Head triangular with well- developed compound eyes Chewing mouthparts Prothorax elongate with large, spiny front legs adapted for catching prey (raptorial) Front wings thickened

Gradual or Paurometabolous Metamorphosis Gradual or Paurometabolous (egg, nymph, adult)

Mantids are Predators Mantids have elongate bodies that are specialized for a predatory lifestyle: long front legs with spines for catching and holding prey a head that can turn from side to side cryptic coloration for hiding in foliage or flowers

Economic Importance Generally considered to be highly beneficial insects because they feed on other insects, but…. …since they are cannibalistic, and also feed on other beneficial insects, their value as biocontrol agents is rather limited.

Phasmida

(Walkingsticks / Stick Insects) PHASMIDA "phasm" = phantom (Walkingsticks / Stick Insects) Chewing mouthparts Body long, cylindrical Prothorax shorter than meso- and metathorax Leg segments long and slender Wings often reduced or absent

Gradual or Paurometabolous Metamorphosis Gradual or Paurometabolous (egg, nymph, adult)

All species are herbivores Most walkingsticks are slow-moving insects, a behavior pattern that is consistent with their cryptic lifestyle In a few tropical species, the adults have well-developed wings, but most phasmids are brachypterous (reduced wings) or secondarily wingless Stick insects are most abundant in the tropics where some species may be up to 12 inches in length

Economic Importance In temperate zones, walkingsticks are seldom abundant enough to cause injury to their host plants. In the tropics, however, some species have been known to defoliate forest trees and cause economic losses to shrubbery and shade trees.