1. What is an insect?
Taxonomy: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Physical Features: Hard exoskeleton (adults), 6 legs, 3-part body, 2 antennae Diverse and Abundant!! More than one million described species!! Represent more than half of ALL living organisms on Earth!!

2. Insect Body Plan

3. Centipedes & milipedes
Not Insects!!
spiders
scorpions
Isopods
Centipedes & milipedes

4. Familiar Insect Orders
Hymenoptera: bees, wasps & ants; many social species
Coleoptera: beetles; hardened wings called elytra
Lepidoptera: moths and butterflies; nectar-feeding (proboscis)
Orthoptera: grasshoppers, crickets and locusts
Diptera: “true” flies, mosquitoes, gnats

5. Pollinators Are Cool!