1. Grain Biosecurity
Lesson 3 | Insect Identification

2. What is an insect? Antenna Simple eye Head Compound eye Thorax
Front wing
Abdomen
Hind wing
Leg

3. How do you classify insects?

4. Classifying insects KINGDOM PHYLUM CLASS ORDER FAMILY GENUS SPECIES
Classification is the grouping of organisms based on common features. There are levels of classification, the further you go, the more alike the organisms. When classifying insects you look for common features like wings, mouthparts and antennae. Colour, size and shape are not really important until you get to the species level.

5. KINGDOM
PHYLUM
CLASS
ORDER
FAMILY
GENUS
SPECIES
Animalia
All animals
Arthropoda
All arthropods (animals with exoskeletons)
Insecta
All insects
Hymenoptera
Just bees, ants & wasps
Formicidae
All ants
Myrmecia
Approx 4,000 species
desertorum
Just Bulldog ants

6. Front legs with strong spines for grasping
Classifying an insect
Two pairs of wings
One pair of wings 1 6 5 3
Front wings form a protective cover
Front wings don’t
form protective cover 2
Sucking mouthparts
Chewing
mouthparts 3
Wings rigid & meet in straight line down back
Wings not rigid 4 1 2
Head hidden by hood-like structure
Head free and exposed 5 4
Beetle
Coleoptera
Front legs with strong spines for grasping 6
Cockroach
Blattodea
Praying Mantis
Mantodea

7. Classifying an insect 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 Two pairs of wings
One pair of wings 1 1
Front wings form a protective cover
Front wings don’t
form protective cover 2 2 3
Front and hind wings have similar texture
Front and hind wings different 3 4
Wings covered with scales
Wings membranous 4
Mouthparts are a coiled tube 5 5
Butterfly or moth
Lepidoptera

8. Classifying an insect 1 2 3 1 4 2 5 3 5 4 6 6 7 7 Two pairs of wings
One pair of wings 1
Front wings form a protective cover
Front wings don’t
form protective cover 2
Front & hind wings are different
Front & hind wings have similar texture 3 1
Wings covered in scales
Wings membranous 4 2 3 5
Wings don’t slope down
Wings slope down like a roof 5 4 6
Front & hind wings different size
Front & hind wings similar size 6 7
Body has a narrow ‘waist’ 7
Wasp, bees & ants
Hymenoptera