Insect Classification Lesson {plus a printable!} -

Insects are fascinating creatures. This insect classification lesson will help you learn more about them.

As you already know, insects are everywhere and there are a lot of them! One million species of insects have been identified and there are thought to be another 5-6 million species waiting to be discovered. That makes insects the largest class of animals on Earth.

Found in nearly every ecosystem on Earth, with the exception of the poles, insects can thrive in conditions other animals cannot. While some of us might think they are creepy, the truth is they are essential to the ecosystems they inhabit and many insects are very beneficial to humans.

Insect Classification – The Characteristics Of Insects

Insects are found in many different environments. They come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. However, all insects share several defining characteristics that set them apart from other animals. All insects have:

3 pair of legs
an exoskeleton
usually have wings at some stage in life
antennae
3 body segments: head, thorax, and abdomen
life cycle involves metamorphosis (either complete or incomplete)

Related post: Insect Printable Worksheet

Insect Classification Lesson

Scientists have worked hard to attempt to identify all living things. They are not done yet. Almost daily, new species of plants, animals, fungus, or bacteria are discovered. Scientists have taken all the identified species on Earth and have sorted them into groups based on similar characteristics. These groups are broken down into yet smaller groups.

Dividing things into smaller, similar groups is called classification. The science of dividing, or classifying, living things is called taxonomy. The taxonomic insect classification is Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Arthropoda, and Order Insecta.

The Class Insecta can be further divided into 29-32 Orders depending upon the classification system used. Species in each order share unique characteristics that set them apart from other insects, yet have the same traits that all insects share. Let’s outline a few of the more common orders containing familiar insects.

Coleptera (beetles)

the largest order of any animal with approximately 370,000 known species
makeup 25% of all known plants and animals
found in every ecosystem except salt water and polar ice caps
the exoskeleton is very hard
have biting mouthparts
2 pairs of wings, one for flying and one for a protective covering
larvae are considered “grubs”
life cycle – complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult)

Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)

second largest animal order with over 160,000 known species
have large wings covered in tiny scales
wings are often brilliantly colored or patterned
adults feed on nectar gathered by a long tube that extends from their mouths called a proboscis
“taste” with their feet
life cycle – complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult)
differences between butterflies and moths

Hymenoptera (ants, bees, and wasps)

2 pair of wings
bees visit flowers to collect pollen and nectar
may have chewing mouthparts or tubes to collect nectar from flowers
can smell with their antennae
wasps visit flowers to prey on smaller insects (often pests)
well developed compound eyes
can be social or solitary
social species have a highly developed social structure
life cycle – complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult)

Diptera (flies, gnats, mosquitoes)

2 pair of wings
forewings are used for flight and hindwings are used for balance
well developed compound eyes
mouthparts designed to suck or pierce, not bite
feed on liquids
life cycle – complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult)
considered pests and some are disease carriers

Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets)

well developed mandibles and can bite
2 pair of wings – hindwings for flight and forewings are leathery wing protectors
large hind legs allow them to jump
can “sing” or “chirp” by rubbing parts of their bodies together
life cycle – incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult)
grasshoppers eat plants, crickets hunt smaller insects

Hemiptera (“true bugs”, cicadas, aphids)

piercing mouthparts to suck the juice from plants or animals
some species have 2 pair of wings, some have 1 pair, and others have no wings
life cycle – incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult)
considered agricultural pests

Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)

relatively large insects with long bodies
2 pair of similarly sized wings that are transparent and veined
large heads and large compound eyes
very small antennae
life cycle – incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult)
adults eat smaller insects

Insect Order Printable

This handy insect order printable will help your students remember what they learned in the insect classification lesson above. Just fill out the form below and it will be emailed to you.

Insect Collection

Want to make your insect classification lesson hands-on? Check out How To Create An Insect Collection. You can, also, use this insect printable worksheet to study individual bugs.