In the entomology lab, you were given the characteristics for eight Orders of insects, and you were taught proper curatorial techniques. You will be expected to identify insects to the level of Order, without the use of a key. Here are two ways to learn the orders (not just memorize the salient features).
1. Create a dichotomous key that allows you to key out only the eight orders for which you are responsible. The key in your lab manual deals with over double that number.
2. A similar approach would be to fill in this table
with descriptive terms. Note that rarely will one feature alone (e.g. sucking
mouth parts) allow for unambiguously defining an Order.
|
(sucking / chewing) |
(size/texture/number) |
|
(in- / complete) |
Odonata |
|
video of nymph feeding on adult hemipterans | ||
Orthoptera |
note the wing buds on the
nymph Hemimetabolous = incomplete |
|||
Hemiptera | ||||
Homoptera | Adult emerging from nymphal exoskeleton | |||
Coleoptera |
|
|
||
Diptera |
|
|||
Lepidoptera | ||||
Hymenoptera | wasp |
|
Department of Biology St. Francis Xavier University B2G 2W5 |