Entomology/Entomology Insect List

This page will provide information about each taxon on the 2015 Official Insect List for the event Entomology. The page will be structured with information for: Below the bulleted list of information, the same information will be present, but in "paragraph" form. It will take up less space in this format, and will be easier to fit onto a cheat sheet. Feel free to utilize whichever format you see fit, and keep in mind that the "paragraph" format is very abbreviated and can be confusing. The information will be in the following order when presented in "paragraph" format:
 * Head (contains information about mouthparts, antennae, eyes, and head in general)
 * Thorax (contains information about wings, legs, locomotion, flight, and thorax in general)
 * Abdomen (contains information about internal anatomy and abdomen in general)
 * Sexual Dimorphism (contains information about genitalia, differences between male/female forms, and courtship/mating rituals)
 * Life Cycle (contains information about life cycle, development, and life length)
 * Miscellaneous Anatomy (contains information about size, color, and shape where applicable)
 * Human Impact (contains information about how the insect can be helpful/harmful to humans, along with any diseases the insect may spread)
 * Habitat (contains information about the habitat in which the insect lives, along with its behavioral habits, e.g. nocturnal/diurnal)
 * Diet (contains information about what the insect feeds on and its biological niche)
 * Sociality (contains information about the social habits of the insect, not applicable for all)
 * Explanation of Name (contains information explaining the reason behind the scientific name of the insect, not applicable for all)
 * Miscellaneous (contains all miscellaneous information about the insect that is not related to anatomy)
 * Audubon Plate Numbers- FAMILIES ONLY (For those using the Audubon Field guide, this section will contain the numbers of all ID plates located in the front of the book that the taxon appears on. The page number will be in parentheses before the plate numbers.  For example, if a family was found on page 333 and plates 11, 22, and 33, the format would be (333) 11, 22, 33)

Mouthparts; Antennae; Eyes; Head in general; Wings; Legs; Locomotion/Flight; Thorax in general; Abdomen in General; Internal Anatomy; Genetalia/Gender differences (male, female); Development/Courtship; Life Length; Size; Color; Shape; Other features/adaptations; Season; Impact/Uses; Diseases; Habitat; Distribution; Niche; Diet; Habits/How they spend time; Sociality; Taxon info/explanation of place in group; Explanation of Name; Misc Stuff about discovery, evolution, whatever; For some taxons, it is necessary to know information about the immature forms and life cycle. These taxons will include a section with said information, located below the information for adult forms.

As one can probably tell, this page is written in cheat-sheet shorthand. Some commonly used abbreviations include:
 * FL: Foreleg
 * ML: Middle Leg
 * HL: Hind Leg
 * FW: Front Wing
 * HW: Hind Wing
 * Abd: Abdomen
 * mm: Millimeters
 * Usu: Usually

At the end of the information section for each order that contains families, there will be a table listing the families and their defining traits. These tables can be very useful in ID'ing, and will be helpful to add to a cheat sheet, along with pictures. For Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera, the Audubon book contains pages with wing venation diagrams that are helpful in distinguishing between certain families.

Protura (telsontails, proturans)
Entognathous, sucking mouthparts all enclosed within head capsule, consist of thin mandibles & maxillae, use mouthparts to scrape off food partibles, which thdy draw into mouth & mix with saliva; No antennae; No eyes; Head Conical, Pseudoculi (eye shaped organs for smell) present (may be remnants of vestigal antennae); Wingless; FL used as sensory function, 5 segmented, each leg tipped with a single claw; 12 Abdominal Segments (newly hatched have 9, each time they molt, one is added), Small ventral styli located on abdominal segments 1-3, Cerci & Abdominal filaments entirely absent; Genitalia are internal & the genital opening lies between the eleventh segment & the telson of the adult; Some lack a tracheal system (All gas exchange occurs through the integument); .6-1.5mm; Unpigmented, most white or ivory; Postanal Telson @ end of cylindrical body; None pests, help break down/recycle organic nutrients; Always moist, usu in the humus & leaf mold of temperate deciduous forests, some live 10” underground; Uncommon; Herbivores; Organic matter released by decay & mycorrhizal fungi, dead Acari, & mushroom powder in culture; Most primitive hexapods, smallest arthropod class; “proto” – first (original) “ura” – tail; Discovered by Antonio Sylvestri in 1907 near Syracuse, New York;
 * Head: Entognathous (retracted within the head), sucking mouthparts, consist of thin mandibles & maxillae, use mouthparts to scrape off food particles, which they draw into mouth & mix with saliva; No antennae; No eyes; Head Conical, Pseudoculi (eye shaped organs for smell) present (may be remnants of vestigial antennae);
 * Thorax: Wingless; FL used for sensory function, 5 segmented, each leg tipped with a single claw;
 * Abdomen: 12 Abdominal Segments (newly hatched have 9, each time they molt, one is added), Small ventral styli located on abdominal segments 1-3, Cerci & Abdominal filaments entirely absent; Some lack a tracheal system (All gas exchange occurs through the integument);
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Genitalia are internal & the genital opening lies between the eleventh segment & the telson of the adult;
 * Misc Anatomy: .6-1.5mm; Unpigmented, most white or ivory; Postanal Telson @ end of cylindrical body;
 * Human Impact: None are pests, help break down/recycle organic nutrients;
 * Habitat: Always moist, usu in the humus & leaf mold of temperate deciduous forests, some live 10” underground; Uncommon;
 * Diet: Organic matter released by decay & mycorrhizal fungi, dead Acari, & mushroom powder in culture; Herbivores
 * Explanation of Name: roto” – first (original) “ura” – tail;, refers to the lack of advanced or specialized structures at the back of the abdomen
 * Misc: Most primitive hexapods, smallest arthropod class; Discovered by Antonio Sylvestri in 1907 near Syracuse, New York;

Collembola (springtails, snow fleas)
Piercing-sucking, entognathic mouthparts; Antennae short with 4-6 segments: Compound eyes absent or reduced to a cluster of not more than 8 ommatidia; Wingless; Most have short legs; Unique, tube-like structure, the collophore is located ventrally on the first abdominal segment (possibly helps maintain water balance by absorbing fluid), Forked jumping organ (furcular) on 4th abdominal segment; The furcula is retracted against the ventral wall of the abdomen & held there, in cocked position, by a special catch (the tenaculum) on the third abdominal segment. Effective adaptation for avoiding predation; Genital opening on 5th abdominal segment; Young similar in appearance to adults but paler, some parthenogenetic, most sexual; 1-5mm; Variety of colors; Variable body shapes; Body frequently clothed with scales; Decompose/ recycle organic materials, some are plant pests; Common in grassy/wooded areas decaying organic matter, spores, some inhabit the intertidal zone; Common, worldwide; Scavengers, use ants or termites as a host (commenalism); Feed on decaying vegetation & soil fungi; Most abundant soil-dwelling arthropods; “coll” – glue, “embol”- wedge (referring to furcula); Appear to have evolved in cold climate;
 * Head: Piercing-sucking, entognathic mouthparts; Antennae short with 4-6 segments: Compound eyes absent or reduced to a cluster of not more than 8 ommatidia;
 * Thorax: Wingless; Most have short legs, 1 segmented tarsi;
 * Abdomen: Unique, tube-like structure, the collophore is located ventrally on the first abdominal segment (possibly helps maintain water balance by absorbing fluid), Forked jumping organ (furcular) on 4th abdominal segment; The furcula is retracted against the ventral wall of the abdomen & held there, in cocked position, by a special catch (the tenaculum) on the third abdominal segment. Effective adaptation for avoiding predation;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Genital opening on 5th abdominal segment;
 * Life Cycle: Young similar in appearance to adults but paler, some parthenogenetic, most sexual reproduction;
 * Human Impact: Decompose/ recycle organic materials, some are plant pests;
 * Habitat: Common in grassy/wooded areas decaying organic matter, spores, some inhabit the intertidal zone; Common, worldwide;
 * Diet: Scavengers, use ants or termites as a host (commenalism); Feed on decaying vegetation & soil fungi;
 * Explanation of Name: “coll” – glue, “embol”- wedge (referring to furcula that was once thought to function as an adhesive organ);
 * Misc: Most abundant soil-dwelling arthropods; Appear to have evolved in cold climate;

Diplura (diplurans)
Chewing/biting mouthparts; Antennae longer than head w/ 10 bead-like segments; Lack Eyes; Wingless; 3 pairs of walking legs, regenerate lost legs through molts, Tarsi 1 segmented; Move thru soil by pushing with wormlike movements or using tunnels/crevices; Abd 10 visible segments, Paired cerci at rear (either pincer like in appearance OR long & slender {means they’re herbivores}), small, eversible vesicles on the ventral side of first 7 abdominal segments that help regulate the body's water balance, possibly by absorbing moisture from the environment; Sexes are separate & fertilization is external, Males produce sperm packets (spermatophores) & glue them to the substrate on the end of little stalks, Females use their genital opening to gather spermatophores & then lay their eggs on little stalks inside a crevice or small cavity in the ground; Molt many times throughout life; 2-5mm; Whitish in color, cerci usually darker; Elongated body; Some cerci adapted to break off if mishandled (autotomy); Not pests, Important decomposers; Found- grassy places in New Zealand, Australia, Live in moist soil, leaf litter, or humus; Common (but seldom seen because of size & reclusive habits); Predators OR herbivores if have long cerci; Wide variety of other soil-dwellers, including collembola, mites, symphyla, insect larvae, & even other diplurans OR vegetable debris & fungal mycelia (animal prey preferred); Among most primitive hexapods; “Diplo” – two, “Ura” – tails;
 * Head: Chewing/biting mouthparts; Antennae longer than head w/ 10 bead-like segments; Lack Eyes;
 * Thorax: Wingless; 3 pairs of walking legs, regenerate lost legs through molts, Tarsi 1 segmented; Move thru soil by pushing with wormlike movements or using tunnels/crevices;
 * Abdomen: Abdomen with 10 visible segments, Paired cerci at rear (either pincer like in appearance OR long & slender {means they’re herbivores}), small, eversible vesicles on the ventral side of first 7 abdominal segments that help regulate the body's water balance, possibly by absorbing moisture from the environment;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Sexes are separate & fertilization is external, Males produce sperm packets (spermatophores) & glue them to the substrate on the end of little stalks, Females use their genital opening to gather spermatophores & then lay their eggs on little stalks inside a crevice or small cavity in the ground;
 * Life Cycle: Molt many times throughout life
 * Misc Anatomy: 2-5mm; Whitish in color, cerci usually darker; Elongated body; Some cerci adapted to break off if mishandled (Autotomy);
 * Human Impact: Not pests, Important decomposers;
 * Habitat: Grassy places in New Zealand, Australia, Live in moist soil, leaf litter, or humus; Common (but seldom seen because of size & reclusive habits);
 * Diet: Predators OR herbivores if have long cerci; Eat Wide variety of other soil-dwellers, including collembola, mites, symphyla, insect larvae, & even other diplurans OR vegetable debris & fungal mycelia (animal prey preferred);
 * Explanation of Name: “Diplo” – two, “Ura” – tails;
 * Misc: Among the most primitive hexapods

Thysanura (bristletails, silverfish)
Short mandibles, unspecialized mouthparts; Antennae long, thread-like, & multi-segmented; Compound eyes small or absent; Wingless; Abdomen with ten complete segments, 11th segment elongated to form a median cadual filament; 3 cerci (nearly as long as median cadual filament), styliform appendages located on abdominal segments 7-9; Elaborate Courtship ritual (male spins a silken thread between the substrate & a vertical object then depositsa sperm packet beneath the thread & gets a female to walk through. When her cerci contact the silk thread, she picks up the spermatophore with her genital opening. Sperm enters her reproductive system & she eats the empty sperm packet; Relatively long lived, 3 years; Less than 1 cm long; Sliver scales covering bodies; Flattened, elongated, oval-shaped; Can cause extensive damage to household goods (wallpaper paste, book bindings, starch, cardboard, paper products); Domestic & sylvan (wooded) habitats worldwide; Common; Scavengers/browsers; Eat many things- algae, lichens, or starchy vegetable matter…; Hide under stones/leaves during the day & emerge after dark for food; "thysano-" fringed, ‘ura’- tail;
 * Head: Short mandibles, unspecialized mouthparts; Antennae long, thread-like, & multi-segmented; Compound eyes small or absent;
 * Thorax: Wingless
 * Abdomen: Abdomen with ten complete segments, 11th segment elongated to form a median cadual filament; 3 cerci (nearly as long as median cadual filament), styliform appendages located on abdominal segments 7-9;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Elaborate Courtship ritual (male spins a silken thread between the substrate & a vertical object then depositsa sperm packet beneath the thread & gets a female to walk through. When her cerci contact the silk thread, she picks up the spermatophore with her genital opening. Sperm enters her reproductive system & she eats the empty sperm packet;
 * Life Cycle: Relatively long lived, 3 years;
 * Misc Anatomy: Less than 1 cm long; Sliver scales covering bodies; Flattened, elongated, oval-shaped;
 * Human Impact: Can cause extensive damage to household goods (wallpaper paste, book bindings, starch, cardboard, paper products);
 * Habitat: Domestic & sylvan (wooded) habitats worldwide; Common; Hide under stones/leaves during the day & emerge after dark for food;
 * Diet: Scavengers/browsers; Eat many things- algae, lichens, or starchy vegetable matter…;
 * Explanation of Name: "thysano-" fringed, ‘ura’- tail; refers to the long, fringed filaments on the abdomen

Ephemeroptera (mayflies)
Adults don’t feed- vestigial mouthparts; Antennae short, bristle like; Compound eyes large, cover most of head; Wings- 4 membranous, many veins, FW large & triangular, HW smaller & fan-shaped; FL held in front of body; Abdomen slender, bearing two (or sometimes three) long terminal filaments; Digestive system is filled with air, making them light enough to float; Paired genital openings; Males fly in swarms; Females fly into the swarm & are quickly grabbed by a male. Copulation takes place in flight, & the female usually lays her clutch of eggs within minutes or hours. Males die shortly after mating; females usually die soon after oviposition; (During copulation, the two penes of the male are inserted simultaneously into the two openings of the female. Sperm is transferred quickly (there is no spermatophore) & eggs are fertilized immediately); a few reproduce parthenogenically (no males have been found); When it is done developing as a naiad, it leaves the aquatic environment, often rising to the water surface in a bubble of air, molts to a winged form (the subimago) & flies to a nearby leaf or stem (subimago- a brief transitional stage that molts again into a sexually mature adult (imago)). The imago usually has transparent wings & a smooth, shiny exoskeleton in contrast to the cloudy wings & dull, pubescent body of the subimago; Adults live for a single day; 1-30mm; Color varies (almost clear- brown/black); Some emerge in late April, most in May, can be seen until Sept, in north; Ecological indicators of water quality, bait (many popular fishing "flies" are tied to resemble mayflies. Anglers have names for the stages -- dun is the subimago & spinner is the imago), food for fish. Mass emergences can cause problems; Immatures are aquatic ; Most herbivores; Adults don’t feed (young- algae & other aquatic plant life scavenged from surrounding habitat); Ephemera- “short lived”, “wing”;
 * Head: Vestigial mouthparts; Antennae short, bristle like; Compound eyes large, cover most of head;
 * Thorax: Wings- 4 membranous, many veins, FW large & triangular, HW smaller & fan-shaped; FL held in front of body;
 * Abdomen: Slender, bearing two (or sometimes three) long terminal filaments; Digestive system is filled with air, making them light enough to float;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Paired genital openings; Males fly in swarms; Females fly into the swarm & are quickly grabbed by a male. Copulation takes place in flight, & the female usually lays her clutch of eggs within minutes or hours.  Males die shortly after mating; females usually die soon after oviposition; (During copulation, the two penes of the male are inserted simultaneously into the two openings of the female.  Sperm is transferred quickly (there is no spermatophore) & eggs are fertilized immediately); a few reproduce parthenogenically (no males have  been found);
 * Life Cycle: When it is done developing as a naiad, it leaves the aquatic environment, often rising to the water surface in a bubble of air, molts to a winged form (the subimago) & flies to a nearby leaf or stem (subimago- a brief transitional stage that molts again into a sexually mature adult (imago)). The imago usually has transparent wings & a smooth, shiny exoskeleton in contrast to the cloudy wings & dull, pubescent body of the subimago; Adults live for a single day;
 * Misc Anatomy: 1-30mm; Color varies (almost clear- brown/black);
 * Human Impact: Ecological indicators of water quality, bait (many popular fishing "flies" are tied to resemble mayflies. Anglers have names for the stages -- dun is the subimago & spinner is the imago), food for fish.  Mass emergences can cause problems;
 * Habitat: Immatures are aquatic
 * Diet: Adults don’t feed (young- algae & other aquatic plant life scavenged from surrounding habitat);
 * Explanation of Name: derived from the Greek "ephemera" meaning short-lived, and "ptera" meaning wings. This is a reference to the short lifespan of most adult mayflies
 * Misc: Some emerge in late April, most in May, can be seen until Sept, in north;

Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)
Mandibulate; Antennae very short, bristle-like; Compound eyes large, cover most head (3 ocelli), up to 28,000 facets; Wings- 4 membranous, many veins, similar in size & shape, stigma (distinctively pigmented cell) on leading edge Dragonfly- base of HW broader, Damsel- Base of wings harrow & stock like; Legs used to catch prey/cling to vegetation; Agile fliers; Long, slender abdomen; Wingspan 20-190mm; Blue, green, yellow…; Damsel- long & slender, Dragon- robust; Beneficial (pest control, mosquitoes), eat bees (pests to beekeepers), can be threat to poultry in some parts of Europe; Transmit Prosthogoniums pellucidus (parasitic flatworm) to chicken; Freshwater habitats worldwide, males defend territory; All carnivorous predators; Eat small insects like mosquitoes & gnats; Odonto= “tooth” (strong tooth on mandible), AKA- "snake doctors", "devil's darning needles", & "mosquito hawks"; ''*Labial mask adapted for catching prey (folded under throax & head when not in use, can be extended rapidly towards potential prey. Hooked lobes at the tip of the labium grasp or impale the prey & draw it back to the mouth as the labium retracts; External wingpads in later stages; Antennal seg shape useful in ID; Well-developed compound eyes; Around 15-30-60mm; Body robust; Body long & slender, 3 leaf-like gills at end of abdomen; dragonfly naiads- gills are located internally within the rectum here bellows-like contractions of the rectal muscles cause oxygenated water to circulate in & out; Sit-and-wait predators (sit until prey comes, then grabs it with labium); Naiads feed on other aquatic life like mayfly naiads, small crustaceans, annelids, & mollusks; Male grasps female by head/thorax, bends her abdomen so her genetailia can be grasped by organs holdin sperm, female bends abdomen to receive sperm; Eggs laid singly in fresh water, females often hover over open water & dip their abdomen as they oviposit. Eggs hatch into aquatic immature (naiads); Develop into instars with 9-14 molts, nymphs grow/molt in dusk/dawn; Spans over a year;''
 * Head: Mandibulate mouthparts; Antennae very short, bristle-like; Compound eyes large, cover most head (3 ocelli), up to 28,000 facets;
 * Thorax: Wings- 4 membranous, many veins, similar in size & shape, stigma (distinctively pigmented cell) on leading edge Dragonfly- base of HW broader, Damsel- Base of wings harrow & stock like; Legs used to catch prey/cling to vegetation; Agile fliers;
 * Abdomen: Long and slender
 * Misc Anatomy: Wingspan 20-190mm; Blue, green, yellow…; Damsel- long & slender, Dragon- robust;
 * Human Impact: Beneficial (pest control, mosquitoes), eat bees (pests to beekeepers), can be threat to poultry in some parts of Europe; Transmit Prosthogoniums pellucidus (parasitic flatworm) to chicken;
 * Habitat: Freshwater habitats worldwide, males defend territory;
 * Diet: All carnivorous predators; Eat small insects like mosquitoes & gnats;
 * Explanation of Name: The name Odonata, derived from the Greek "odonto-", meaning tooth, refers to the strong teeth found on the mandibles of most adults. AKA- "snake doctors", "devil's darning needles", & "mosquito hawks";

Information about Immatures/Life Cycle of Odonata

 * Mouthparts: Nymphs have labial mask adapted for catching prey (folded under throax & head when not in use, can be extended rapidly towards potential prey. Hooked lobes at the tip of the labium grasp or impale the prey & draw it back to the mouth as the labium retracts;
 * Eyes: Nymphs have well-developed compound eyes
 * Thorax: External wingpads in later stages;
 * Misc Anatomy: Around 15-30-60mm; Body robust (dragonflies), Body long & slender (damselflies),
 * Abdomen: 3 leaf-like gills at end of abdomen; dragonfly naiads- gills are located internally within the rectum here bellows-like contractions of the rectal muscles cause oxygenated water to circulate in & out;
 * Diet: Sit-and-wait predators (sit until prey comes, then grabs it with labium); Naiads feed on other aquatic life like mayfly naiads, small crustaceans, annelids, & mollusks;
 * Mating/Courtship: Male grasps female by head/thorax, bends her abdomen so her genetailia can be grasped by organs holding sperm, female bends abdomen to receive sperm; Eggs laid singly in fresh water, females often hover over open water & dip their abdomen as they oviposit.
 * Development:Eggs hatch into aquatic immature (naiads); Develop into instars with 9-14 molts, nymphs grow/molt in dusk/dawn; Spans over a year;''

Aeschnidae (Darners, Dragonflies)
Sharp, biting mouthparts; 6-7 seg antennae, slender & bristle-like; Very large, well-developed compound eyes that touch; 4 large powerful wings, can fly in every direction tirelessly, always extended horizontally, similar triangles in FW & HW, unmatched antenodal crossveins; Legs used to form a basket when catching larger prey; Strong fliers, forwards/backwards…; Long, thin, abdomen, slightly thinner right behind thorax; Thorax thick; Most between 65-85mm long, largest on planet; Ovipositor well-developed; Most blue/green, some black/yellow; Better adapted to cold than other Odonata; Mate in flight, eggs deposited in water or close by, larvae are generally slender w/ long & flat extensible lower lip (labia), move thru water w/ jet propulsion (squirt water out of abdomens); Females have ovipositors with blades & thicker abdomens; Males very territorial; Beneficial- pest control; Found in low-flowing streams, lakes…; Predators; Eat other insects (pests), any soft bodied insect smaller than them, mosquitoes; ‘aeschna’- ugly, AKA hawkers, darner- female abdomens look like sewing needle as they cut into plant stems & lay eggs;
 * Head: Sharp, biting mouthparts; 6-7 seg antennae, slender & bristle-like; Very large, well-developed compound eyes that touch;
 * Thorax: 4 large powerful wings, can fly in every direction tirelessly, always extended horizontally, similar triangles in FW & HW, unmatched antenodal crossveins; Legs used to form a basket when catching larger prey; Strong fliers, forwards/backwards…; Thorax thick;
 * Abdomen: Long, thin, abdomen, slightly thinner right behind thorax;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females have ovipositors with blades & thicker abdomens; Males very territorial; Mate in flight, eggs deposited in water or close by, larvae are generally slender w/ long & flat extensible lower lip (labia), move thru water w/ jet propulsion (squirt water out of abdomens);
 * Misc Anatomy: Most between 65-85mm long, largest on planet; Most blue/green, some black/yellow;
 * Human Impact: Beneficial- pest control;
 * Habitat: Found in low-flowing streams, lakes…;
 * Diet: Predators; Eat other insects (pests), any soft bodied insect smaller than them, mosquitoes;
 * Explanation of Name: ‘aeschna’- ugly, AKA hawkers, darner- female abdomens look like sewing needle as they cut into plant stems & lay eggs;
 * Misc: Better adapted to cold than other Odonata;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (364) 343, 346, 377, larvae on 43

Gomphidae (Clubtails, Dragonflies)
Similar triangles in FW & HW, No anal loop in HW; 4 seg antennae; Widely separated compound eyes; Short legs; 40-70mm, med sized; Black with yellow or green markings, cryptically colored; Flight usu steady, without hovering, adults often alight on a flat surface; Nymphs unusual- have a flat mentum (part of mouth), antennae only four seg, burrow in sediment at bottom of water body; Widening at end of abdomen (seg 7-9) ‘club’; Females lack ovipositor, lay eggs by dipping the tip of the abdomen in water while hovering just above surface; Club less pronounced in females (males bigger club), absent in some species; Pest control; Active over water, often perch horizontally on ground, rocks, or logs with wings pointed downward; Predators; Small insects, insect pests…; ‘clubtail’- club at end of abdomen, Latin gomphus or gond meaning hinge;
 * Head: 4 seg antennae; Widely separated compound eyes;
 * Thorax: Similar triangles in FW & HW, No anal loop in HW; Short legs; Flight usu steady, without hovering, adults often alight on a flat surface;
 * Abdomen: Widening at end of abdomen (seg 7-9) ‘club’;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females lack ovipositor, lay eggs by dipping the tip of the abdomen in water while hovering just above surface; Club less pronounced in females (males bigger club), absent in some species;
 * Life Cycle: Nymphs unusual- have a flat mentum (part of mouth), antennae only four seg, burrow in sediment at bottom of water body;
 * Misc Anatomy: 40-70mm, med sized; Black with yellow or green markings, cryptically colored;
 * Human Impact: Pest control;
 * Habitat: Active over water, often perch horizontally on ground, rocks, or logs with wings pointed downward;
 * Diet: Predators; Small insects, insect pests…;
 * Explanation of Name: ‘clubtail’- club at end of abdomen, Latin gomphus or gond meaning hinge;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (365) 344, 367

Libellulidae (skimmers, dragonflies)
Larvae have labium developed into a mask over the lower part of the face; Hind margin of compound eyes straight or only very slightly lobed; Triangles in FW & HW are dissimilar in size, shape, or orientation, Anal loop of hind wing is foot-shaped with a distinct "heel" & "toe", wings brightly colored/banded, inner margin oof HW rounded in both sexes, matched antenodal crossveins; Fast flight, sometimes interrupted by periods of hovering; ~30-40mm; Many brightly colored, banded wings; Male w/o lateral loves on second abdominal segment; Bodies shorter than wingspan; Erratic flight; Pest control??; female ovipositor greatly reduced, Naiads found in lakes & ponds, stocky & short, known as sprawlers, sit at bottom of streams & lakes waiting for prey, emerge at night; Very diverse, virtually every dragonfly-type habitat in America, ponds & swamps; Predators; Small insects; Skimmer- erratic flight, Latin libella which means booklet;
 * Head: Larvae have labium developed into a mask over the lower part of the face; Hind margin of compound eyes straight or only very slightly lobed; Triangles in FW & HW are dissimilar in size, shape, or orientation, Anal loop of hind wing is foot-shaped with a distinct "heel" & "toe", wings brightly colored/banded, inner margin of HW rounded in both sexes, matched antenodal crossveins;
 * Thorax: Fast and erratic flight, sometimes interrupted by periods of hovering;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Male w/o lateral loves on second abdominal segment; Female ovipositor greatly reduced
 * Life Cycle: Naiads found in lakes & ponds, stocky & short, known as sprawlers, sit at bottom of streams & lakes waiting for prey, emerge at night;
 * Misc Anatomy: ~30-40mm; Many brightly colored, banded wings; Bodies shorter than wingspan;
 * Human Impact: Like other Odonatans, probably used for pest control
 * Habitat: Very diverse, virtually every dragonfly-type habitat in America, ponds & swamps;
 * Diet: Predators; Small insects
 * Explanation of Name: "skimmer" because of erratic flight
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (369) 42 (larvae), 345, 347, 348, 349, 358, 359, 360, 376, 361, 362, 363, 364, 365, 369, 370, 371, 373, 374, 375

Lestidae (spreadwing damselflies)
Wings lack color (some have elongated black spot called pterostigma), REST OPEN, stalked at base, M3 rises behind nodus closer to arculus than to nodus, wings, Many veins lead to wing tip, longer pterostigma; Round greenish-blue eyes on side of head; 31.75-50.8 mm; Body has greenish metallic shine; Long, thin bodies; Males have strongly curved claspers (used to grab female), males more slender; Females are greenish metallic & brown; Breed in slow moving or still water in stream backwaters, marshes, nymphs have long abdomen & distinctive part of upper lip (prementum), one generation/year; Found around polls & swamps, perching on plant stems; Predators?; Eat small insects?;
 * Head: Round greenish-blue eyes on side of head;
 * Thorax: Wings lack color (some have elongated black spot called pterostigma), REST OPEN, stalked at base, M3 rises behind nodus closer to arculus than to nodus, wings, Many veins lead to wing tip, longer pterostigma;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Males have strongly curved claspers (used to grab female), males more slender; Females are greenish metallic & brown;
 * Life Cycle: Breed in slow moving or still water in stream backwaters, marshes, nymphs have long abdomen & distinctive part of upper lip (prementum), one generation/year;
 * Misc Anatomy: 31.75-50.8 mm; Body has greenish metallic shine; Long, thin bodies;
 * Habitat: Found around polls & swamps, perching on plant stems;
 * Diet: Predators?; Eat small insects?;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (384) 350, 378

Coenagrionidae (narrow-winged damselflies)

 * Head: Wings lacking color & usu held together over the back when at rest, narrow & stalked, M3 rises behind nodus, 2 antenodal crossveins, few veins lead to wing tip; Shorter legs than other damselflies;
 * Misc Anatomy: Smaller than other damselflies, 1-2 inches in length; Usu have a black pattern, Abdomen may be green, blue, yellow, orange, or purple;
 * Human Impact: Pest Control?
 * Habitat: Ponds/near water;
 * Diet: Predators?; Small insects?;
 * Explanation of Name: ; AKA- pond damselflies, Greek coen meaning shared or common & agrio meaning fields or wild;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (385)35 (larvae), 39 (larvae), 356, 352, 351, 353, 354, 355

Table for Distinguishing Odonata Families
It is sometimes difficult to determine the family of dragon/damselfly. Here is a table with some distinguishing traits.

Blattodea (Cockroaches)

 * Head: Mandibulate mouthparts; Antennae long, slender, back-sweeping, fillform; Compound eyes large, 2 ocelli-like spots;
 * Thorax: Wings- 4 membranous, FW thickened, HW membranous, pleated, held flat over back, overlapping, FW more sclerotized than HW, folded left over right when resting; Cursorial (running) legs, 5 segmented tarsi
 * Sexual Dimorphism:
 * Life Cycle: Immatures similar to adults & have wingpads, Females secrete a capsule around eggs called öotheca (may be dropped on the ground, glued to a substrate, or retained within the female's body), Egg stage lasts a few weeks to a few months, young resemble adults but are lighter & lack wings, go through a series of nymphal instars (2-12 depending on species), takes a month-a year to reach maturity;
 * Misc Anatomy: Body well adapted for running & squeezing into narrow cracks, instead of flying to avoid danger, they run into cracks/cervices; Pronotum covers & dorsally protects most of head & thorax; 8-60+ mm; Dark brown, reddish; Flattened oval bodies; Short, multi-segmented cerci;
 * Human Impact: Pests- feed on human/pet food, bad odor, unsanitary conditions, useful research tools for insect physiology & toxicology; Carry human pathogens, trigger allergic reactions (tropomyosin protein);
 * Habitat: Common most of world, subtropical & tropical environments, also temperate & boreal regions; Most are nocturnal;
 * Diet: Scavengers or omnivores; Eat almost everything, rotting wood, some harbor symbiotic gut Protozoa that aids in cellulose digestion;
 * Explanation of Name: The name Blattodea is derived from "blatta", the Greek word for cockroach. AKA waterbugs;
 * Misc: Closely related to Orthoptera & Mantodea;

Mantodea (mantids)

 * Head: Mandibulate, hypognathous; Antennae short-medium length, filiform; Compound eyes large (cover most triangular head), distinctive ocelli; Head triangular shaped & can turn from side to side without moving any other part of body;
 * Thorax: Wings- 4 (most, some none), FW tegmina (narrow, opaque, leathery) camouflage & shield for HW, HW broader, more delicate, transparent, FW thicker & more slender than HW; Prothorax elongated; Raptorial FL with spines for catching/holding prey, 5 seg tarsi;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Males are fully winged while females have reduced/no wings; Immatures similar to adults with wingpads visible on thorax; Female mantids may attack & eat the male during or after mating, Female lays eggs in a foamy substance that hardens into a distinctive case (ootheca, contains up to 400 eggs);
 * Life Cycle: Nymphs hatch & molt several times, take ~ 1 year to develop;
 * Misc Anatomy: 10-120mm; Cryptically colored; Elongated body; Cerci short, multi-segmented;
 * Human Impact: Beneficial- feed on pests
 * Habitat: Tropical & subtropical climates; Common in Australia;
 * Diet: All predatory, some cannibalistic; Eat small insect prey (cricket) (or small frogs, lizards, birds);
 * Explanation of Name: The name Mantodea is derived from "mantis", the Greek word for these insects.
 * Misc: Active in spring-late fall, eggs overwintering; Closely related to orthoptera & Blattodea; Many are camouflaged & drawn to light at night;

Isoptera (termites)

 * Head: Mandibulate; Beaded Antennae about same length as head; (Adults) compound eyes present, (Workers/Soldiers) compound eyes are absent or small; (Adult) head well-developed, (Workers/Soldiers) head large & cylindrical or small & round;
 * Thorax: (Adults only) Wings- 4 membranous, similar in shape & size, shed after mating
 * Misc Anatomy: Cannot digest wood fibers (digestive systems contain symbiotic protozoa or bacteria that digest the cellulose in wood); 3-20mm; Adults- darkly pigmented body, Workers/soldiers- pale; Workers/soldiers- body somewhat ant like in appearance but with a broader junction between thorax & abdomen;
 * Human Impact: Important decomposers (break down & recycle up to one third of the annual production of dead wood), become pests when they eat human homes…, annual losses due to termites in the US = more than 800 million dollars;
 * Habitat: Very common in tropical & subtropical, less abundant in temperate regions;
 * Diet: Most dominant organisms in tropical forest environments; Eat: wood, bark, leaves, grasses, fungi, humus or the droppings of herbivores
 * Sociality: Only Hemimetabolous insects that exhibit true social behavior (build large communal nests that house an entire colony. Each nest contains adult reproductives (one queen & one king) plus hundreds or thousands of immatures that serve as workers & soldiers;
 * Explanation of Name: The name Isoptera, derived from the Greek "iso" meaning equal and "ptera" meaning wings, refers to the similar size, shape, and venation of the four wings.
 * Misc: Appear to be closely related to cockroaches (behavioral & ecological similarities between termites & wood roaches);

Grylloblattodea (Ice insects, rock crawlers)

 * Head: Mandibulate (biting & chewing), hypognathous mouth; Antennae slender, filliform, 23-45 segments; Compound eyes reduced/absent;
 * Thorax: Wings- secondarily wingless; Legs- long & thin, Tarsi- 5 segmented, large coxae;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Female has pronounced ovipositor
 * Life Cycle: Eggs are black, laid singly into soil or moss, hatch after a few months-3 years, 8 nymphal instars; Development can take up to 7 years because of cold, nymphs look like adults but have no (or greatly reduced) compound eyes & no ocelli;
 * Misc Anatomy: 15-35mm; Mostly brown, legs & underside- light brown; Cylindrical; Long 8 segmented cerci;
 * Human Impact: No human importance (don’t live with humans);
 * Habitat: Rare; Caves near ice/snow at high elevations, mountains of Asia/North America (none have been found in the Southern Hemisphere); Active only at cold temperatures & move downward toward permafrost during warm seasons; Nocturnal;
 * Diet: Omnivores, scavenge for food on the surface of snowfields, under rocks, or near melting ice; Eat mainly arthropod carcasses/plant material;
 * Explanation of Name: The name Grylloblattodea, derived from the Greek "gryll" meaning cricket and "blatta" meaning cockroach, refers to the blend of cricket-like and roach-like traits found in these insects.
 * Misc: Closely related to Orthoptera & Dermaptera, Second smallest order of insects; Discovered by E.M.Walker in the Canadian Rockies in 1914; Cannot tolerate warm temps (die above 10 deg Celsius);

Dermaptera (earwigs)

 * Head: Mandibulate, prognathous mouth; Antennae slender, moderately long beadlike with 10+ segments; Compound eyes well-developed, simple eyes absent;
 * Thorax: Wings- 4 (sometimes absent), FW tegmina, thick, short & leathery, veinless (shaped like human ear), HW semi-circular & pleated, fan-shaped, fold in a fan-like fashion, some are secondarily wingless; Thin Cursorial (running) legs, 3 seg tarsi;
 * Abdomen: Pair of large pincers (cerci) at back of abdomen used in grooming, defense, courtship, or folding wings;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Males- curved cerci, Females' cerci- straight with an inward pointing tip;
 * Life Cycle: Female lays eggs in soil & may guard them until they hatch, Nymphs similar to adults but lack wings;
 * Misc Anatomy: 6-35mm (not counting cerci); Most brown/black, some metallic green/yellow; Elongated, dorsoventrally flattened;
 * Human Impact: Little to no importance, few can damage plant blossoms; Spread no diseases;
 * Habitat: Many live throughout world, most in tropics/subtropics, dark sheltered environments (under rocks, longs, bark of trees); Common & widely distributed;
 * Diet: Mostly scavengers/herbivores, some may be predatory; Eat living/decaying plant/animal matter;
 * Sociality: Non-social but shows maternal care;
 * Explanation of Name: The name Dermaptera, derived from the Greek "derma" meaning skin and "ptera" meaning wings, refers to the thickened forewings that cover and protect the hind wings. Called earwigs because of an old superstition that they crawl into people’s ears at night & burrow into brain, this is not true;

Plecoptera (stoneflies)

 * Head: Mandibulate, simple, chewing mandibles (some adults don’t feed or have mouthparts); Antennae long, filiform; Compound eyes large, 2-3 ocelli; Broad head;
 * Thorax: Wings extend beyond abdomen- 4 membranous, held flat over abdomen, FW long & narrow, M-Cu crossveins form distinctive boxes near center of front wing, HW shorter, basal area enlarged & pleated; Long, robust legs ending in 2 claws; Weak fliers;
 * Abdomen: Have cerci at tip of abdomen; Oxygen diffuses through the exoskeleton or into tracheal gills located on the thorax, behind the head, or around the anus;
 * Life Cycle: Larvae- molt 10-24 times, flattened bodies similar to adults with short, sometimes pointed wing-pads & outstretched wings, live at the bottom of streams & rivers, feed on living & dead plant an animal matter, Each segment of thorax is covered by a large dorsal sclerite; Females drop pellets or masses containing many eggs into water from the air or release them in shallow water from shore (eggs are coated with a sticky slime that adheres to rocks & keeps the eggs from washing away in fast moving water); Adults live only a week or two;
 * Misc Anatomy: 4-60mm; Drab colored (range from gray/brown to green/yellowish green), sometimes marked with distinctive pale/dark patterns; Flattened, sprawling shape; Long, multi-segmented cerci;
 * Human Impact: Ecologic indicators because they require pristine aquatic habitats, larvae used as bait, food for game fish
 * Habitat: In/around fast-moving streams in temperate/boreal climates, associated with cold water; Rest on vegetation, rocks, & debris, spend most of life in reproductive activities, most abundant in cool climates;
 * Diet: Most don’t feed, some eat algae, lichens, rotting wood;
 * Explanation of Name: The name Plecoptera, derived from the Greek "pleco" meaning folded and "ptera" meaning wing, refers to the pleated hind wings which fold under the front wings when the insect is at rest.
 * Misc: Most emerge late spring/summer, some emerge in fall/winter; Hollow exoskeletons called exuviae are often found on rocks, logs, & vegetation near rivers & streams during spring & summer; Probably represent an evolutionary “dead end” that diverged well over 300 million years ago;

Orthoptera (grasshoppers & crickets)

 * Head: Mandibulate, hypognathous mouth; Antennae filiform; Compound eyes large;
 * Thorax: Wings- 4 held overlapping abdomen at rest, FW (Tegmina) hardened base, narrow, leathery, spread in flight, HW fan-like, membranous, fold under FW; HL- saltatorial, enlarged femur, powerful jumping legs, 3-4 seg tarsi, hind coxae small & well-separated, hind tibiae with two dorsal rows of teeth;
 * Abdomen: Cerci short & unsegmented;
 * Stridulation: (the act of producing sound by rubbing two body parts together) Mostly males produce sound by (rubbing the bases of the wings together or rubbing the hind legs against the wing edges), used for establishing territories & finding mates, volume & pitch unique to each species.  Crickets & katydids rub a set of tiny pegs (called a file, located at the base of one wing) against a strong ridge on the other wing to produce sounds.  Grasshoppers make sound by rubbing hind femora against the edges of the forewings;
 * Misc Anatomy: Most green; Pronotum usually with large descending lobes on sides; Ears of katydids & crickets are on forelegs, grasshopper ears are on base of abdomen; (tympanal organs = "ears")
 * Human Impact: Can be damaging to plants, some reared commercially & sold as bait;
 * Habitat: Common worldwide, terrestrial habitats;
 * Diet: Most herbivores, some also eat dead/living insects; Eat all types of plants;
 * Explanation of Name: The name Orthoptera, derived from the Greek "ortho" meaning straight and "ptera" meaning wing, refers to the parallel-sided structure of the front wings (tegmina).
 * Misc: Divided into 2 major groups based on antennae (locusts & grasshoppers have thick short antennae; Crickets & katydids have long threadlike antennae), closely related to Blattodea & Dermaptera;

Tetrigidae (pygmy grasshopper)

 * Head: Antennae shorter than body;
 * Thorax: FW (tegmina) reduced to pads/absent, may be exposed/covered by pronotum, Membranous HW protected by elongated region of thoracic shield, some can’t fly; 2-2-3 tarsal formula, Hind tibiae expanded for swimming in some; Pronotum extends back over abdomen & is pointed posteriorly;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females usu larger;
 * Misc Anatomy: Less than 20mm; Cryptically colored; Can’t hear/make sounds;
 * Human Impact: Not plant pests;
 * Habitat: Moderately common; Usu live near water, others in dry habitats (woodlands, old fields), most diverse in tropical forest;
 * Diet: Herbivores; Eat roots of plants/seedlings some algae/diatoms;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA grouse locusts, pygmy locusts, groundhoppers or pygmy grasshoppers;
 * Misc: Encountered early summer, spring, overwinter as adults, breed- late spring; Some can swim;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (416) 253

Acrididae (short-horned grasshopper)

 * Head: Chewing mouth; Antennae short; Large eyes;
 * Thorax: Some well-developed wings, others wingless; HL for jumping, femur enlarged with muscle, as long as HW, 3-3-3 tarsal; Pronotum doesn’t extend beyond base of wings;
 * Abdomen: Tympana on sides of 1st abdominal segment;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females have short, stout ovipositor, oviposit into ground; Elaborate mating courtship, takes ~1 hour, male may ride on back of female for a day (mate guarding)
 * Life Cycle: Females oviposit in loose soil, plant roots, rotting wood, dung, clutches of 10-60 eggs, up to 25 clutches over several weeks, Oviposition occurs late summer, hatch in spring;
 * Misc Anatomy: 15-30mm; Most gray/brown (cryptically colored), some bright; Spring-fall, overwinter as eggs;
 * Human Impact: Many destructive plant pests;
 * Habitat: Most in grasslands;
 * Diet: Herbivores, predators of Acrididae- ground beetles (eat egg), wasps, ants, praying mantids, spiders, mites, centipedes, frogs, toads, lizards, snakes, birds, shrews; Eat grasses/variety of plants;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (417) 256, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266& 269, 267, 268, 270, 271,273, 274, 275, 275, 276, 278, 281

Tettigoniidae (katydids)

 * Head: Antennae very long;
 * Thorax: Wings held vertically (like roof) over abdomen at rest, some small, less than 8 principal longitudinal veins, FW surface slopes over sides of body, only a small portion being horizontal & dorsal, base of left tegmen is uppermost; Tarsi 4 seg;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: males with sound producing structures and tympanum on front tibia; Some females produce clicking sounds; Female's ovipositor is straight, curved, rounded, flat;
 * Life Cycle: Eggs laid in or on plant tissues, overwinter; Males provide female a nuptial gift (spermatophylax); Live for a year or less;
 * Misc Anatomy: 10-60+mm; Most green, some pink;
 * Human Impact: Some pests, but have low population density, so not many, some human food, farmers spray them away
 * Habitat: Every continent, not Antarctica; Live in meadows; most nocturnal;
 * Diet: Herbivores, Predators of katydids- wasps, spiders, ants, praying mantis, tree frogs, birds, bats;
 * Sociality: Solitary, communicate w/ sound, use antennae to touch/smell, can see;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA long-horned grasshoppers, Katydid = sounds sound like “katy did”;
 * Misc: Use mimicry & camo; Are small because of greater agility, faster development, less nutritional needs;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (429) 254, 255, 257, 258, 272, 282, 283&284, 285, 286,287, 288

Gryllacrididae (camel crickets)

 * Head: Sharp, elongated mandibles; Long threadlike antennae;
 * Thorax: Secondarily wingless (if present have 8+ longitudinal veins, FW lack sound producing organs; 3-4 seg tarsi, legs long & slender, non-jumping;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females have sword like ovipositor;
 * Misc Anatomy: Gray or brown; Humpbacked body; Lack hearing & stridulating organs;
 * Habitat: Nocturnal;
 * Diet: Predators of insects/spiders;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA Leaf Rolling Crickets, Raspy Crickets, Wolf Crickets;
 * Misc: Produce rasping sound when disturbed;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (438) 247, 248, 249

Gryllidae (true crickets)

 * Head: Powerful jaws; Long threadlike antennae;
 * Thorax: Some have wings, held flat over abdomen, Rub wings together to make sound, most of FW surface is dorsal in position w/ a narrow lateral portion bent down abruptly, right tegmen uppermost at rest; HL for jumping; 3 seg tarsi, Tympanum on front tarsi;
 * Abdomen: Cerci long & feeler like;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Mostly male crickets chirp, some females, male wings have large membranous area, often larger than female; Use song for courtship;
 * Life Cycle: Mate in late summer, eggs laid in autumn, hatch in spring;
 * Misc Anatomy: Medium/large sized; Somewhat camouflaged; Only able to hold one pitch; Somewhat flattened;
 * Human Impact: Some bite humans;
 * Habitat: Usually nocturnal; Found in fields, houses, trees;
 * Diet: Omnivorous scavengers; Eat organic materials (decaying plant material, fungi, & some seedling plants), some eat own dead/injured (cannibalism);
 * Misc: Parasitic tachinid fly Ormia ochracea attracted to male’s song;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (438) 251, 252, 277, 279, 280

Gryllotalpidae (mole crickets)

 * Head: Antennae less than 1/2 total body length; Small eyes;
 * Thorax: Tegmen usually short, covering ½ of abdomen; Front legs fossorial, broad & spade like, HL not made for jumping; Can fly powerfully, move very fast in general;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Ovipositor not visible externally; Males have a scaper on FW that produces sound when rubbed against other wing produces sound;
 * Life Cycle: Lay eggs in sealed off chambers, mating occurs in burrow, require 1+ year to develop, overwinter in all stages but egg & small nymph;
 * Misc Anatomy: 20+mm; Brownish; Abdomen is rather soft, but the head, forelimbs, & prothorax are heavily sclerotized;
 * Human Impact: Lawn pests
 * Habitat: Nocturnal, burrowing, moist places, extensive tunnel systems;
 * Diet: Omnivores; Feed on larvae, worms, roots, grasses, plant & animal matter;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (442) 250

Table for Distinguishing Orthoptera Families
This table displays some key characteristics for each Orthopteran family.

Phasmatodea (walking sticks)

 * Head: Mandibulate, prognathous mouthparts; Antennae long & slender; All have compound eyes, some males have ocelli;
 * Thorax: Most wingless, some 4 wings, FW narrow, short, hardened, HW broad, membranous; Long, thin legs, some capable of autotomy, can be held flat against body, 4 segmented tarsi; Slow-Moving; Prothorax shorter than meso- or metathorax;
 * Abdomen: Cerci short & unsegmented;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Males usually shorter & lighter bodied than females, some males have claspers at abdomen tip for grasping female while mating, some reproduce parthenogentically;
 * Life Cycle: Develop gradual metamorphosis & molt 6-7 times; Eggs resemble seeds; Live from several weeks- a few months;
 * Misc Anatomy: 30-300mm; Cryptically colored (green/brown); Some cylindrical/sticklike, others flattened/leaflike;
 * Human Impact: Those that live in temperate zones have no impact (not abundant enough), tropical species can take leaves from trees and cause damage;
 * Habitat: Tropical/subtropical climates; Spend their days hidden among their food plants, becoming active at night to feed, often perch in vegetation or on walls & window screens with the forelegs extended forwards, fake death when disturbed;
 * Diet: Herbivores; Eat leaves/trees;
 * Explanation of Name: Phsmatodea is derived from the Greek "phasm" meaning phantom, refers to the cryptic appearance and behavior of these insects
 * Misc: closely related to Orthoptera & Dermaptera

Psocoptera (book and bark louse)

 * Head: Mouthparts = Mandibulate, primitive, the lacinia (a subdivision of the maxilla) has become a separate, rod-like structure that is pushed against the substrate as a brace while the mandibles scrape off surrounding food particles, pharynx & hypopharynx are also modified for grinding food in a mortar-and-pestle arrangement; Antennae threadlike; Compound eyes large, 3 ocelli; Head prominent; Narrow “neck” between head & thorax;
 * Thorax: Wings- Booklice- wingless, Barklice- Some wingless, others 4 wings, FW larger than HW, venation reduced, held tent-like over body; Legs- Legs slender, for walking (not gripping like true lice), barklice have 2-3 seg tarsi;
 * Life Cycle: Have excellent powers of dispersal; Pearman's organ, a sound-producing structure in the hind coxae of some male barklice, produces a clicking sound that attracts females. The male then performs a courtship dance in an effort to initiate copulation;
 * Misc Anatomy: Barklice- Up to 10mm, usu less than 6mm, Booklice = less than 10mm;
 * Human Impact: Rarely come in human contact, may be nuisance, no real damage;
 * Habitat: Abundant worldwide but overlooked; (Barklice = Moist terrestrial environments, herbivores), Found in human dwellings, Some live in bird’s nests & eat residues of feathers or skin cells, but never on the birds themselves;
 * Diet: Barklice = Algae, lichen, fungi…, Booklice = Grain, book bindings, wallpaper paste;
 * Sociality: Some barklice like company, live in small colonies beneath a gossamer blanket spun with silk from their labial glands
 * Explanation of Name: The name Psocoptera is derived from the Greek "psokos" meaning rubbed or gnawed and "ptera" meaning wings. This name has been criticized by many entomologists because the prefix (a clear reference to the manner of feeding) is unrelated to the suffix (the presence of wings).  Loosely translated, however, the name could be taken to mean "winged insects that gnaw".
 * Misc: Closely related to Hemiptera & Phthiraptera; A close phylogenetic relationship between barklice & parasitic lice is also supported by similarities in the structure of mouthparts (particularly the hypopharynx);

Mallophaga (chewing lice)

 * Head: Mandibulate mouthparts (ventral side of head), toothed mandibles; Antennae short, concealed, knob at end (capitate); Compound eyes reduced/absent, lack ocelli; Broad Head, wider than prothorax;
 * Thorax: Lack wings; Gripping legs, Tarsi 1-2 segmented, most have two small claws;
 * Life Cycle: Females will typically lay 150-300 eggs over an interval of 2-3 weeks. The eggs, commonly known as nits, are oblong & approximately 1mm long. The eggs are glued to the hairs or feathers of the host with a secretion from the female accessory glands. The eggs typically hatch several days or up to three weeks from the time they are laid;
 * Misc Anatomy: .5-10mm; Light brown/tan;
 * Human Impact: Pests; Don’t spread many human disease pathogens, can harm poultry (Pediculosis- lice infestation anywhere on humans);
 * Habitat: Lives whole life on host; Common ectoparasites (mostly birds);
 * Diet: Eat fragments of hair/feathers or host’s blood; Can hitch a ride from a fly to transfer host-to-host (phoresis);

Anoplura (sucking lice)

 * Head: Suctorial, retracted into head when not feeding; Antennae short, threadlike, 3-5 seg; Compound eyes reduced/absent; Head narrow, conical
 * Thorax: Wingless, Tarsi 1 seg with a single claw developed for clinging onto host;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Female “Fatter” than male;
 * Misc Anatomy: Less than 4mm in length; Flat-bodied;
 * Human Impact: Spread disease- humans & domestic animals; Humans- Relapsing fever (Borellia recurrentis), Epidemic Typhus (Rickettsia prowazeki), Trench Fever (Rickettsia Quintana), Animals- pox virus & (cattle lice) rickettsial anaplasmosis;
 * Habitat: Lives on host whole life;
 * Diet: Ectoparasite; Get nutrition from host’s blood;

Thysanoptera (thrips)

 * Head: Piercing-sucking mouth, Only have a left mandible (right mandible becomes reabsorbed during the embryonic stage), Stiff, needlelike maxillae (second pair of jaws) are called maxillary stylets & form a sucking tube for feeding; Antennae short, 6-10 segments; Head narrow anteriorly forming a conical mouth opening
 * Thorax: Wings- 4 (some none), long, skinny, fringed with hairlike setae, held parallel to one another over abdomen at rest; Legs short, end in 2 tarsal segments with an arolium (bladder-like structure, allows insect to walk on vertical surfaces) at the pretarsus, lack claws but have extendable sticky pads
 * Life Cycle: Immatures wingless, many species undergo an extended metamorphosis in which the final immature stage is quiescent, non-feeding, & sometimes even enclosed in a silken cocoon (They are an intermediate stage between complete & incomplete metamorphosis);
 * Misc Anatomy: 5-14mm; Body cylindrical/spindle-shaped;
 * Human Impact: Many destructive pests of plants (grain crops, fruits/veggies…), some pest control, may be pollinators; Transmit plant diseases (tospoviruses);
 * Habitat: Live in flowers, leaf litter, & fungi; Throughout world;
 * Diet: Herbivores, decomposers; Eat plants, plant fluids & parts of plants- pollen, flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or buds;
 * Sociality: Some eusocial;
 * Explanation of Name: The name Thysanoptera, derived from the Greek "thysanos" meaning fringe and "ptera" meaning wings, refers to the slender wings that bear a dense fringe of long hairs.
 * Misc: Very thigmotaxic (seek security of small spaces); Can give a bite;

Hemiptera (true bugs)

 * Head: Mouthparts- piercing/sucking, hypothagnous, form “Beak” known as proboscis or rostrum, extends from underside of head; Antennae short or long, 3-5 seg; Eyes prominent, globular, of various forms, up to 3 ocelli present;
 * Thorax: Wings- 4 (some wingless), FW either entirely membranous or partially hardened, some hard near base, HW membranous, shorter than forewings, overlap & rest flat on back, Hemelytra; Legs variously modified, 3 or shorter seg tarsi;
 * Misc Anatomy: 1-100+mm; Triangular scutellum behind pronotum; Pronotum large, trapezoidal or rounded;
 * Human Impact: Impact variable, many plant pests; Diseases transmitted vary by family
 * Habitat: Abundant worldwide, terrestrial/freshwater habitats;
 * Diet: Some are bloodsuckers/predators/herbivores; Most feed on plant juice, some predatory;
 * Explanation of Name: “Hemi”- half, “Ptera”- wing, the fact that part of the first pair of wings is toughened & hard, while the rest of the first pair & the second pair are membranous;
 * Misc: Once the same order as Homoptera; Date back to Permian;

Corixidae (water boatmen)

 * Head: Triangular mouthparts & head, use straw-like mouthparts to inject enzymes into plants that digest the plant material, letting the insect suck the liquefied food back thru mouthparts; Antennae shorter than head; Compound eyes large, ocelli absent; Triangular head;
 * Thorax: FL short, tarsi 1 seg & scoop shaped, HL elongate & functioning as oars, ML can be used to make sound & attract mate;
 * Life Cycle: Mate in early spring; Reproductive cycle annual;
 * Misc Anatomy: 3-11mm; Swim RIGHT SIDE UP near BOTTOM of water; Darkly colored, narrow dark crosslines on dorsal surface; Can bite if mishandled; Elongate & oval, dorsal surface flattened, much flatter than backswimmers; Large pronotum;
 * Habitat: Common in ponds, streams, birdbaths, swim near bottom;
 * Diet: Mostly nonpredatory; Eat algae, detritus, other aquatic organisms (mosquito larvae, brine shrimp); Some preyed upon amphibians;
 * Misc: Can tolerate variations in salinity (brackish water..);
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (460) 100

Notonectidae (backswimmers)

 * Head: Piercing-sucking mouth, tubular, cylindrical rostrum; Short 3-4 seg antennae almost hidden behind eyes; Compound eyes take up most of head, relatively close together, ocelli absent;
 * Thorax: Wings clear, tips without veins; HL lack claws, Tibia & tarsi of hind legs bear a fringe of long hairs as an adaptation for swimming, FL not scoop-like; Can fly well;
 * Abdomen: Underside of abdomen has two channels covered by inward-facing hairs that allow to store air bubbles;
 * Misc Anatomy: Swim UPSIDE DOWN & less erratically than Corixidae, rest at SURFACE; 5-15mm; Ventral side darker than dorsal side; Attracted to light; Can bite if mishandled; Some males can stridulate; Dorsal side convex, V- shaped, light colored, without dark crosslines;
 * Habitat: Ponds, freshwater pools, streams;
 * Diet: Predators; Prey on other aquatic insects by sneaking under their bodies;
 * Explanation of Name: Also called water bees/wasps, Greek words notos, meaning back, & nektos, meaning swimming;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (461) 98, 99

Belostomatidae (giant water bugs)

 * Head: Piercing, cylindrical beak mouthpart; Antennae short & tucked beneath eyes;
 * Thorax: Can & will fly; FL raptorial, bear a single claw, HL somewhat flattened;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Males have eggs on back, take 1-2 weeks to hatch;
 * Misc Anatomy: Variable in size, some up to 90ishmm; Brown; Oval-shaped, flattened;
 * Habitat: Live in ponds, attracted to light, sometimes leave water & fly around;
 * Diet: Aquatic arthropods, snails, small fish & amphibians; Used in Asian Cuisine; Predators- stalk, lie motionless at bottom of body of water & strike, injecting digestive saliva w/ rostrum;
 * Sociality: Subsocial?, show parental care;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA toe-biters, Indian toe-biters, electric-light bugs (fly to lights in large numbers), alligator ticks;
 * Misc: Can bite; Largest insects in Hemiptera;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (463) 97, 101, 102

Nepidae (water scorpions)

 * Head: Piercing-sucking mouthparts; Antennae found under eyes, shorter than head; Large side-facing eyes;
 * Thorax: Well-developed wings, overlap at rest don’t often fly; Raptorial FL;
 * Misc Anatomy: 20-40mm; Usually brown; Breathe by means of a caudal respiratory tube formed from two long cerci that extend to the water's surface; Shape varies, some long; Distinctive ‘tail’;
 * Habitat: Slow moving streams, ponds & similar bodies of water;
 * Diet: Predators; Ambush prey (other aquatic insects, small crustaceans, tadpoles, & even small fish);
 * Explanation of Name: Called water scorpions because FL bears a resemblance to scorpion pedipalps;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (465) 293, 294

Gelastocoridae (toad bugs)

 * Head: Piercing-sucking mouth; Antennae hidden under head; Large bulging eyes;
 * Thorax: Hemelytra FW, Don’t fly much; Raptorial FL, HL 2 claws, Hind tarsi 3 seg, FL shorter than ML;
 * Misc Anatomy: 6-11 mm; Cryptically colored; Resemble toads in appearance & hopping habits; Somewhat flattened, oval-shaped;
 * Habitat: Found at shore of ponds/streams, most diverse in tropics;
 * Diet: Predators, catch prey by leaping on top & grasping with FL; Eat small insects;
 * Explanation of Name: Also called ‘laughing bug’;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (467) 129

Gerridae (water striders)

 * Head: Piercing/sucking mouth; 4 seg antennae;
 * Thorax: Thorax long, narrow, & small; Wings variable, some none; FL short, other legs long & slender, Use surface tension of water so stay on surface (also water-repellent hairs), tarsi 2 seg;
 * Misc Anatomy: Usu 5+mm; Black, brown, yellow, tan;
 * Habitat: Whenever water isn't frozen, Surface of ponds, slow-moving streams;
 * Diet: Predators; Small insects on water surface;
 * Sociality: Territorial;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA water striders, water bugs, magic bugs, pond skaters, skaters, skimmers, water scooters, water skaters, water skeeters, water skimmers, water skippers, water spiders, or Jesus bugs;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (469) 292

Cimicidae (bed bugs)

 * Head: Beak-like mouth; 4 seg antennae, 2 basal segs short & stout; Ocelli absent;
 * Thorax: Wingless, nonfunctional wingpads; 3 seg tarsi;
 * Misc Anatomy: 4-12 mm; Some red/rusty brown color; Body flat, oval; Year-round;
 * Human Impact: Pests; Not known to spread disease, can cause itching & lack of sleep;
 * Habitat: Often found among humans;
 * Diet: Parasites; Feed on blood of warm-blooded animals;
 * Misc: repelled by lavender, mint & an excessive heat;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (469) 67

Miridae (plant bugs)

 * Head: 4 seg Beak mouth (labium); Antennae short & skinny, 4 seg; Ocelli absent;
 * Thorax: Wings angle down towards abdomen, Cuenus (crease) present on FW, membrane w/ 2 closed cells; Slender, delicate legs, 3 seg tarsi;
 * Misc Anatomy: 1.5-15 mm; Some brightly colored, some drab & dark; Oval-shaped & elongate, soft bodied; Some ant mimics @ certain stages;
 * Human Impact: Agricultural pests, pierce plants & feed on juices;
 * Diet: Herbivores; Eat plants;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA capsid bugs;
 * Misc: Largest family in Hemiptera;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (470) 121, 122,156, 235

Reduviidae (assassin bugs)

 * Head: 3 seg proboscis, beak short; Antennae long, thin, not clubbed; Ocelli usu present; Head elongate, narrowing behind eyes;
 * Thorax: FL sometimes enlarged for catching prey, long legs;
 * Abdomen: Edges of abdomen extend laterally beyond wings;
 * Misc Anatomy: 5-40 mm; Brown, black, or brightly colored; Some oval, some elongate & resembling a walkingstick;
 * Human Impact: Some pest control; Transmit Chagas disease, can bite;
 * Diet: Almost all predatory (inject a lethal saliva that liquefies the insides of the prey, which are then sucked out), some suck blood; Most prey on arthropods;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (473) 118 & 119, 105, 120

Phymatidae (ambush bugs)

 * Head: Beak short & 3 seg, don’t bite humans; Antennae clubbed, 4 seg; 2 ocelli;
 * Thorax: FW hemelytra, lack distinct cells in membrane; Raptorial forelegs, Front femora greatly thickened, Middle & hind tarsi 3 seg;
 * Abdomen: Abdomen winder in distal half, extending laterally beyond wings;
 * Misc Anatomy: 5–12mm; Usu brown & yellow;
 * Habitat: Flowers, lie to wait for prey, found on goldenrod;
 * Diet: Predators (ambush prey, relying on camo); Feed on other small insects (can get prey 10x their size);
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (475) 127

Tingidae (lace bugs)

 * Head: Have 4 jointed beak; Antennae 4 seg;
 * Misc Anatomy: 3-5mm; Most somewhat rectangular; Pronotum & wings with reticulate sculpturing, pronotum has triangular posterior extension over scutellum;
 * Human Impact: Crop pests, damage foilage; Can inflict bite;
 * Diet: Herbivores; Feed on leaves of trees/shrubs;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (476) 56

Lygaeidae (seed bugs)

 * Head: Antennae & beak 4 seg; Ocelli almost always present;
 * Thorax: Tarsi 3 seg with a pad at base of each claw, front femora somewhat thickened; Membrane of FW with only 4 or 5 veins;
 * Misc Anatomy: 3-20 mm; Orange/red patterns;
 * Diet: Feed on milkweed or seeds;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA milkweed bugs;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (478) 115, 116, 123

Coreidae (leaf–footed bugs)

 * Head: 4 segmented beak; 4 seg antennae; Ocelli present; Head narrower & usu shorter than pronotum;
 * Thorax: FW many parallel veins; Hind tibia expanded into leaf-like plates in some; Scent glands on the thorax between middle & hind coxae;
 * Abdomen: Abdominal margin raised- folded wings lying in depression formed by margin;
 * Life Cycle: Adults sometimes overwinter, 1+ generations per year;
 * Misc Anatomy: 10-20 mm; Usually dark; Oval-shaped body;
 * Human Impact: Some pests;
 * Habitat: Found near plants;
 * Diet: Herbivores; All eat plants;
 * Sociality: Some carry eggs (parental care);
 * Explanation of Name: Also called squash bugs;
 * Misc: Give off unpleasant odor;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (481) 103, 104

Pentatomidae (Stink bugs)

 * Head: 5 seg antennae; Ocelli present; Piercing/sucking mouth;
 * Thorax: FW hemelytra; Short legs for climbing on plants, tibae with weak or no spines;
 * Life Cycle: Active in Spring-Fall;
 * Misc Anatomy: 5-18 mm; Green/brown in color; Shaped like a trapezoid, triangular scutellum on back of body; Scutellum typically ½ inch long, trapezoidal in shape;
 * Human Impact: Agricultural pests, eat crops & immune to pesticide, some good for pest control;
 * Habitat: Fields, meadows, yards;
 * Diet: Most herbivores, some predators; Some eat plant juices/other insects;
 * Misc: Foul-smelling substance from thoracic glands, includes aldehydes;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (483) 111, 128, 152, 175, 236

Homoptera (aphids, cicadas, hoppers)

 * Head: Antennae variable; Piercing-sucking mouthparts form a “beak”;
 * Thorax: FW either transparent or colored, thickened, fold tent-like over body; 1-3 seg tarsi;
 * Human Impact: Many are pests of fruit trees & grain crops, & can be vectors of plant diseases, A few provide secretions or other products that are beneficial & have commercial value; Some transmit plant diseases (aphids);
 * Habitat: Abundant worldwide, most terrestrial herbivores;
 * Diet: Feed on plants
 * Explanation of Name: “Homo” – same, “ptera” – wings (uniform texture of wings);

Cicadidae (cicadas)

 * Head: Sucking mouthparts that attach at base of head; Short antennae between eyes; 3 ocelli form triangle at top of head, bulging round compound eyes on corners of head;
 * Thorax: 4 membranous wings folded over back like roof of house; Strong FL for digging (have claw), non-jumping;
 * Abdomen: Special panels at base of abdomen called tymbals that make sound;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Males produce sound;
 * Life Cycle: Appear each year in July/August, life cycle = 2-5 years, broods overlap, adults are present each year, Periodical cicadas have life cycle of 13-17 years, adults are only present certain years, 17 year cicadas = usu northern, 13 years = southern;
 * Misc Anatomy: 2-5cm; Variable color; Large, stout;
 * Human Impact: Don’t have much impact on humans, don’t bite/sting, laying of eggs can damage trees;
 * Habitat: Habitats with warm summers, need trees or large woody bushes & soil that is not too wet;
 * Diet: Preyed on by: wasps, mantids, beetles; Eat plant juices;
 * Sociality: Some are solitary, others gather in groups to mate;
 * Explanation of Name:
 * Misc: Eaten by birds/squirrels; Sound they make isn't considered stridulation;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (490) 289, 290, 291

Membracidae (treehoppers)

 * Head: Use beaks to pierce plant stems;
 * Thorax: Large pronotum covers the head & extends backwards over the abdomen;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Only difference between males & females is genetalia;
 * Life Cycle: Only live for a few months; Eggs laid in twigs, terminal portion of twigs dies;
 * Misc Anatomy: ~2-12mm; Cryptically colored; Humpbacked appearance, some shaped like thorns; Armed with spines & needles for defense;
 * Human Impact: Cause damage by depositing eggs into trees;
 * Habitat: Found on grass/bushes
 * Diet: Herbivores, some mutualists with ants & wasps; Feed on trees, shrubs, sap, nymphs feed on weeds & grasses;
 * Sociality: Many are gregarious
 * Explanation of Name: AKA thorn bugs
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (492) 106, 107, 109, 110

Cercopidae (froghoppers, spittlebugs)

 * Head: 2 ocelli;
 * Thorax: Hind tibia have few" of large spines at the distal end; Pronotum doesn’t extend over abdomen;
 * Abdomen: Specialized Malpighian tubules of immature froghoppers synthesize products that make the filtered sap viscous;
 * Life Cycle: Spittle in nymph stage used to hide from predators, insulate against head/cold, provides moisture;
 * Misc Anatomy: Rarely over 13mm; Colored to mimic other species; Jump from plant to plant, some 70cm vertically;
 * Human Impact: Some agricultural pests;
 * Diet: Nymphs pierce plants & suck sap;
 * Explanation of Name: ‘Spittlebug’- encase themselves in spittle as nymphs; (spittle secreted from anus);
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (495) 65

Cicadellidae (leafhoppers)

 * Head: Piercing-sucking mouth, use to tap into & feed upon xylem or phloem (sap) tissue of plants; Thickened part of antennae very short & ends with a bristle (arista); 2 ocelli on top of head; Wide, blunt head;
 * Thorax: FW thickened & colored; HL for jumping; Hind tibae have one or more rows of small spines, 3 seg tarsi, femora are at front some with weak spines, good jumpers;
 * Life Cycle: Most live a few weeks or months, some overwinter & live ~ a year;
 * Misc Anatomy: Usu under 13 mm; Some colorful; Body usu tapers posteriorly & is parallel sided; Have tymbals;
 * Human Impact: Some damage trees by egg-laying; Some transmit plant pathogens, phytoplasma, susceptible to Dicistroviridae viruses (insect diseases);
 * Habitat: Deserts, grasslands, wetlands, & forests; Very active;
 * Diet: Herbivores, preyed on by spiders, birds, parasitic wasps; Feed on plant juices/stems or leaves of plants;
 * Sociality: Not particularly social but communicate by emitting vibrations that carry down the stems they are on;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA sharpshooters;
 * Misc: Secrete honeydew from anus, attracts ants, use brochosomes;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (496) 112, 113, 114

Fulgoridae (fulgorid planthoppers)

 * Head: Antennae on side of head beneath compound eyes; Head of some is a hollow structure, like a snout that is sometimes inflated & nearly as large as the body of the insect
 * Thorax: Some wingless, anal area of HW with many cross veins;
 * Misc Anatomy: Some elongated;
 * Habitat: Most diverse in tropics;
 * Diet: Feed on trees, suck plant juices;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA lantern-flies, but don’t emit light;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (498) 108

Aphididae (aphids)

 * Head: Antennae 5-6 seg, fairly long; Small eyes; Sucking mouthparts (in a long, segmented rostrum);
 * Thorax: Don’t jump or hop, move slowly; Some wingless (wings in special conditions), FW with Rs present & M branched, wings held vertically over body;
 * Abdomen: Cornicles or siphunculi on abdomen;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females larger;
 * Life Cycle: Live a few weeks-months; Overwinter as eggs; Complex life cycle, Females parthenogenetic; (See Audubon Field Guide for more info on parthenogenesis)
 * Misc Anatomy: A few mm in length; Come in many colors- red to black (most green); Soft-bodied & pear-shaped;
 * Human Impact: Crop pests; Carry diseases from plant-plant;
 * Habitat: Found near their food plants, stems, leaves, & flowers;
 * Diet: Suck juices out of plants; Predators of aphids include ladybugs, flower-fly larvae, parasitic wasps, small spiders, ants, thrips, mites;
 * Sociality: Some live with ants, ants gather aphid eggs & keep them during the winter & transport them to food plants, ants feed on aphid’s honeydew;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA greenflies;
 * Misc: Move slowly, have many ways of defending selves from predators (running, kicking…); Secrete honeydew from anus;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (501) 27, 59, 61, 62, 63

Dactylopiidae(scale (twig or leaf))

 * Head: Lack mouthparts and antennae;
 * Thorax: Males have wings, all lack legs;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Adult females turn bright red when crushed;
 * Life Cycle: 3 instars in the female & 5 in the male. There are 3 to 6 generations each year, & development is continuous;
 * Misc Anatomy: Small; Red;
 * Human Impact: Used to produce red dye, some used for bio control, Pests;
 * Habitat: Live on cacti, prickly pears;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA cochineals because of most well-known species;
 * Misc: Sessile (can’t move), cover their soft bodies with a waxy covering;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (512) 52

Megaloptera (dobsonflies)

 * Head: Mandibulate, strong mandibles, directed forward (some don’t feed); Antennae filiform, moniliform or pectinate; Compound eyes large, some have 3 ocelli; Head broad & flat;
 * Thorax: Wings- 4, relatively large, pigmented, held roof-like over body, Pleated region on hind wings that helps them fold over the abdomen, absence of terminal branching wing veins; Cannot fly well; Legs cursorial, unmodified
 * Life Cycle: Larvae aquatic, appear caterpillar like, have gills on side of abdomens; Males have tusk-like mandibles (serve no real purpose other than impressing female & holding her during mating); Female lays thousands of eggs in single mass, placing them on vegetation overhanging water, Undergo most rudimentary form of complete metamorphosis among insects, attract each other with pheromones; Short-lived;
 * Misc Anatomy: 140mm wingspan, 40-70mm long; Black, brown gray, yellowish orange-dark green; Long, soft, flexible bodies;
 * Human Impact: Harmless to humans;
 * Habitat: Live in freshwater; Adults rest on vegetation during day, are nocturnal;
 * Diet: Larvae predators; Many adults don’t feed (some nectar or fruit juices), larvae predators of other aquatic invertebrates;
 * Explanation of Name: “Mega”- large, “Ptera”- wing (large, clumsy wings);

Neuroptera (lacewings, antlions)

 * Head: Mandibulate, strong mandible, prognathous head; Antennae long, many-segmented, threadlike, pectinate or clubbed, segments clubbed at the tip or thickened overall; Large lateral compound eyes, some have ocelli; Distinctive head with well-developed eyes, chewing mouth, distinctive antennae;
 * Thorax: Wings- 4 long & narrow, wing veins branched at the margin (separates it from megaloptera), FW & HW similar in size, narrowed at base, some have sense organs, fold rooflike over abdomen; Legs- 3 pairs thoracic, long & slender;
 * Abdomen: No cerci
 * Misc Anatomy: Most are delicately built, slender bodies; 10-40/80mm; White/gray, green, reddish-brown, black;
 * Human Impact: Not much impact, some pest control;
 * Habitat: Wide range of habitats including coastal regions, deserts, woodlands, forests;
 * Diet: Larvae predators, adults predatory or don’t feed, some only eat nectar/pollen
 * Explanation of Name: Means "net veined"

Chrysopidae (Green Lacewings)

 * Head: Long, thread-like antennae; Compound eyes usu golden;
 * Thorax: Wide costal field in wing venation, Wings usu translucent, have short hairs;
 * Life Cycle: Eggs stalked;
 * Misc Anatomy: 10-20mm; Bodies bright green to greenish-brown (eyes gold); Tympanum at base of wings, strong sense of hearing;
 * Human Impact: Pest control (aphids);
 * Habitat: In grass & weeds & on tree/shrub foliage;
 * Diet: Some predators, others herbivores; Some eat liquids (honeydew), others predators;
 * Explanation of Name: chrysos’- gold, ‘ops’- eye, face;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (528) 336

Myrmeleontidae (Antlions)

 * Head: Sickle-like jaws formed by maxillae & mandibles; Antennae length of head + thorax combined, clubbed, prominent;
 * Thorax: Poor fliers, wings transparent but mottled with brown/black, apical veins enclose regular oblong spaces; Legs modified for walking (ambulatory);
 * Misc Anatomy: 40-80mm (adults);
 * Habitat: Worldwide; Common in arid & sandy habitats;
 * Diet: Some adults eat pollen/nectar, others prey on small insects;
 * Explanation of Name: “antlion”- eat ants, larvae=doodlebug because of tracks in sand;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (530) 403

Information about Immatures/Life Cycle of Myrmeleontidae

 * Head: Jaws formed by maxillae & mandibles; Head well-developed with ocelli, antennae;
 * Thorax: Thorax has 3 pairs of short walking legs; Prothorax forms ‘neck’;
 * Mating: Female clings to twig, male attaches to tail, hangs below her suspended by genitals, lasts 2 hours; Female taps surface of sand with abdomen, inserts ovipositor into sand & lays egg;
 * Pupal Stage: Spent in cocoon; Pupation lasts one month, 20 min- adults wing formed; (Most of life is spent in larval form);
 * Misc Anatomy: 1-2cm; Robust, fusiform body; Lack anus;
 * Human Impact: Good for pest control;
 * Habitat: Live by sand or loose soil; Dig trap in sand/loose soil to catch prey;
 * Diet: Eat other insects, mostly ants; Voracious predators;
 * Explanation of Name: ‘Doodlebugs’- tracks in the sand;

Coleoptera (beetles)

 * Head: Most have a mandibulate mouth, similar to grasshoppers, projecting forward; Antennae used primarily to smell, sometimes feel, most 11 seg, vary greatly in shape; Variety of compound eye forms, very conspicuous;
 * Thorax: Wings- 4, FW- elytra (covers for HW), HW large, membranous, folded beneath FW; Legs- most for walking, wide range of adaptations, 2-5 seg tarsi;
 * Life Cycle: Immature forms- Campodeiform -- Slender, active crawlers | Scarabaeiform -- Grub-like, fleshy, c-shaped body | Elateriform -- Wireworms; elongate, cylindrical, with a hard exoskeleton & tiny legs;
 * Misc Anatomy: 3-200mm; White-gray, red-orange, yellow, green, blue-purple, reddish-brown, black; Scutellum = behind pronotum & elytral structure, triangular or U-shaped, Humerus = shoulder like front angle of the elytra;
 * Human Impact: Some bad pests, others pest control (variable by family); Some transmit plant diseases;
 * Habitat: Worldwide, highly variable
 * Diet: Some herbivores/predators; Diet varies by family;
 * Explanation of Name: The name Coleoptera, derived from the Greek words "koleos" meaning sheath and "ptera" meaning wings, refers to the modified front wings which serve as protective covers for the membranous hind wings.
 * Misc: Largest order in the animal kingdom, 25% of all known animal life forms;

Cicindelidae (tiger beetles)

 * Head: Mandibles large & sickle-shaped; Antennae held out to avoid obstacles when running; Bulging eyes, go blind while running; Head wider than prothorax; Clypeus wider than distance between sockets of antennae;
 * Thorax: Elytra nearly straight-sided; Running legs, long & slender; can run at a speed of 9 km/h (5.6 mph), or about 53.87 body lengths per second; Pronotum narrower than elytra;
 * Life Cycle: Larvae live in cylindrical burrows & are large headed humpbacked grubs;
 * Misc Anatomy: 7-70mm; Brownish, black, or green, often brightly patterned/metallic;
 * Human Impact: Good indicator species, used in studies on biodiversity;
 * Habitat: Open habitats, stream edges, dirt roads, sand dunes, seashores;
 * Diet: Predators; Eat other arthropods;
 * Misc: Antipredator adaptations: color, evasive flight, rapid locomotion, body size; Bombyliid flies & Tiphiid wasps are parasites of tiger beetles;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (534) 195, 207, 238, 239

Carabidae (ground beetles)

 * Head: Filiform Antennae; Large, well-developed eyes;
 * Thorax: Elytra ridged, some large species fused (can’t fly if fused); Long spiny legs, Hind trochanters large/offset;
 * Life Cycle: Most mature in one year, live for 2-3 years;
 * Misc Anatomy: .7-66mm; Shiny black/metallic; Some can’t fly (fused elytra)
 * Human Impact: Most pest control, some nuisance pests;
 * Habitat: Under bark of trees, under logs, or among rocks or sand by the edge of ponds & rivers; Nocturnal, emerge from hiding places to search for prey;
 * Diet: Many night predators; Eat any other insects, some eat pollen, berries, & seeds;
 * Sociality: Solitary, only come together to mate;
 * Explanation of Name: Named after Pierre &ré Latreille; Some called “violin beetles” (odd shaped elytra);
 * Misc: Use tough shell for protection, some give off bad tasting chemicals, bombardier beetles can shoot boiling hot toxic chemicals from glands on abdomen;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (536) 166, 191, 196, 203, 206, 209

Dytiscidae (predaceous diving beetles)

 * Head: Larvae have very strong mandible, adults have short sharp mandibles; Antennae filiform, long, thin;
 * Thorax: FW elytra; Middle legs much closer to FL than HL, HL fringed & flattened, long hairs on hind tibae for swimming, hind tarsi single straight claw; Excellent swimmers, move legs in unison;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females more selective in choosing mate than male, Males have variety of methods to mate, sometimes females resist mating by swimming swiftly away;
 * Misc Anatomy: ~1 inch; Dark brown, blackish or dark olive often with light markings; Body hard, smooth, oval-shaped, elongate, convex, streamlined, without ventral spine; scutellum clearly visible;
 * Human Impact: Many bred as food;
 * Habitat: Most found in southeast; Aquatic, prefer slow moving or stagnant water (ponds, lakes, dams);
 * Diet: Predators; Eat aquatic animals;
 * Explanation of Name: Larvae called water tigers, name means “able to dive”;
 * Misc: Emerge summer/autumn; Require atmospheric air, adults go to the surface to gather air which they store in a chamber underneath their elytra to enable them to increase the time that they can be submerged;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (540) 33-34 (larvae), 94, 95, 96

Gyrinidae (whirlgig beetles)

 * Head: Antennae short/plump, clubbed, placed about at water level, seg 1-9 have lateral hooks, used to Detect wavelets in the water surface film, aiding in avoiding obstacles & finding prey; Two pairs of compound eyes, half looks up & half down;
 * Thorax: ML & HL for swimming (natatory), very short, flattened & fringed with bristles, FL long & grasping, contain suckers to hold onto female while mating; Can fly well, even taking off from water if needed;
 * Abdomen: Have apical abdominal hooks;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Males front tarsi have suckers for grabbing female while mating;
 * Life Cycle: Usually lay eggs under water attached to plants, mating takes place at surface;
 * Misc Anatomy: 3.5-15mm; Cryptically colored, black; Elliptically shaped, elongate-oval, flattened;
 * Human Impact: Being researched for nanotechnology because of their motion;
 * Habitat: Swim on surface water if undisturbed, go underwater when threatened, swim rapidly in circles with alarmed; Occupy areas where water flows steadily & not too fast (minor rapids & narrows in leisurely streams);
 * Diet: Predators; Eat any insects trapped in water surface film;
 * Sociality: Swim in groups, very gregarious, position in group determined by sex, species, age, stress level, amount of hunger…, drafting- swimming behind other beetles to take advantage of forward moving drafts;
 * Explanation of Name: Common name- swim in circles when alarmed, some called “four eyed fish”;
 * Misc: Some give off a pineapple like odor when handled, integument is finely sculpted with little pits, waxy outer layer that makes them hard to catch;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (543) 91, 92

Hydrophilidae (water scavenger beetles)

 * Head: Maxillary palps elongate, longer than antennae; Antennae 7- to 9-segmented, with 3-segmented club, length <1 mm; Eyes don’t bulge;
 * Thorax: Wings well-developed, absent, or much reduced; HL flattened with a fringe of hairs; Move hind legs alternately when swimming;
 * Misc Anatomy: 1-40mm; Black/dull green; Body oval-shaped; Come up for air head first, & move hind legs alternately, metasternum frequently prolonged posteriorly as a sharp spine;
 * Human Impact: Some pests in fish hatcheries, others pest control (mosquito larvae);
 * Habitat: Mostly aquatic, worldwide;
 * Diet: Some scavengers, some predators; Some eat decaying plant matter, others eat insects?;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (544) 93

Histeridae (hister beetles)

 * Head: Elbowed antennae, clubbed ends; Compound eyes don’t move; Specialized head that can retract into prothorax;
 * Thorax: Elytra rectangular & shortened, expose HW, 2/7 tergites; Flattened jointed legs, FL for digging, 5-5-5 tarsal; Dorsal side of prothorax is a sclerotized shield, the pronotum;
 * Internal Anatomy: Open circulatory system within body cavity, tube shaped heart that spans length of body, use hemolymph as blood, doesn’t contain oxygen but carries nutrients to body, oxygen is brought by spiracles;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Reproductive organs hidden beneath last few sternites on the mesosternal side, females- ovipositor, males- copulatory, female has oviducts that carry the developed eggs from the ovaries to the ovipositor;
 * Misc Anatomy: 1-20mm; Usually black/shiny, some bright; Oval, flat bodies, some elongate & cylindrical, hard;
 * Human Impact: Useful in forensics to find time of death, some control livestock pests that infest dung, also control houseflies;
 * Habitat: Active at night, Decaying plant material, or in rotting wood, or under bark, or associated with fungi, or associated with dung, or associated with carrion, or on shed fur or feathers;
 * Diet: Most predators, some cannibals, can live in harmony with ants; Feed on other insects/small invertebrates;
 * Explanation of Name: Named by Leonard Gyllenhaal, AKA Clown Beetles;
 * Misc: Will fake death if threatened; Able to locate dung & carrion by smell; Active in spring/summer
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (546) 199

Staphylinidae (rove beetles)

 * Head: Sharp mandibles; Antennae 11 seg & filiform, some moderate clubbing;
 * Thorax: Short elytra, leave more than ½ of abdomen exposed (same length as pronotum), hide HW under elytra: Tarsal usually 5-5-5; Run fast, fly well;
 * Misc Anatomy: 1-10mm; Most black/brown; Body elongated with parallel sides; Some resemble earwigs;
 * Human Impact: Pest control;
 * Habitat: Moist habitats, under logs, rocks;
 * Diet: Many predators of insects; Many eat other insects, some carrion…;
 * Misc: Some species run with abdomen curled up over thorax as if it were a stinger but no rove beetle has a stinger; some resemble earwigs;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (547) 240, 277

Silphidae (carrion beetles)

 * Head: Antennae clavate/capitate;
 * Thorax: Many have wings but are flightless (some fly), HW delicately folded under elytra, FW broad posteriorly, loosely covering abdomen, some expose 1-3 segments;
 * Misc Anatomy: 7-45mm; Black; often with red, orange, or yellow markings; Elongate oval body;
 * Human Impact: Help decompose, forensic help in how long dead a person is (Post-Mortem interval PMI), some pests;
 * Habitat: Most abundant in the temperate zone; Live wherever carrion is, some come to lights;
 * Diet: Most scavengers/decomposers, have mutualistic relationship with other organisms; Feed in a saprophagous way, Eat dead/decaying matter, colonize the carrion during all four stages of decomposition (fresh, bloated, decay, dry);
 * Sociality: Display some social behavior by colonizing dead animals;
 * Explanation of Name: Some called Sexton beetles;
 * Misc: Some active June-September; Defense- warning colors warn predators that they won’t taste very good;
 * More About Feeding Habits: When an animal dies, hydrogen sulfide & some cyclic compounds are released. Silphidae use their sense of smell to locate carcasses from a long distance by chemoreceptors on their antennae, which are adapted to detect these chemicals;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (548) 174, 176, 177, 223

Lucanidae (stag beetles)

 * Head: Males have Mandibles for combat/defense, maxillae & labium for lapping up liquids; Antennae 10 seg, last 3-7 enlarged to form a club, jointed (geniculate);
 * Thorax: FW usually smooth; 5-5-5 tarsal; Pronotum without a median groove; Scutellum exposed;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females smaller generally, smaller mandibles;
 * Misc Anatomy: 8-60mm; Reddish-brown/black; Elongate, robust; Very large, some come to light;
 * Human Impact: Important wood decomposers;
 * Habitat: Worldwide, wooded areas;
 * Diet: Decomposers; Some eat leaves, sap, or honeydew, most decompose wood;
 * Explanation of Name: Some called Pinching Bugs, mandibles resemble antlers of stags;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (551) 187, 189, 217, 219

Passalidae (bess beetles)

 * Head: Mouthparts project forward, mandibles robust, toothed; Antennae 10 seg, curved not elbowed; Head with a forward directed horn;
 * Thorax: Make sounds by rubbing the undersides of HW against abdomen (14 distinct sounds), longitudinal ridges on HW; 5-5-5 tarsal; Pronotum with distinct median groove;
 * Misc Anatomy: 30-40mm, up to 80mm; Shiny black; Elongate-cylindrical & depressed; Don’t bite; Gap between elytra & pronotum;
 * Habitat: Live inside rotting logs in forests;
 * Diet: Feed on wood;
 * Sociality: Subsocial;
 * Explanation of Name: “passalos”- peg/gag (appearance of beetle protruding from wood), aka patent leather beetles, betsy beetles, horned passalus beetles;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (555) 192

Scarabaeidae (dung beetles)

 * Head: Lamellate antennae, 8-11 seg, segments of the club capable of being held tightly together; Stout, large head;
 * Thorax: Well-developed wings; Spiny legs for digging;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Some males (and sometimes females) have horns on head;
 * Misc Anatomy: 2-62mm, some 100mm; Most brown/black, some brightly patterned/metallic; Oval/elongated, usu convex, body robust; Strong sense of smell;
 * Human Impact: Helpful, protect cattle from flies, decompose;
 * Habitat: Desert, forest, farmland, grassland;
 * Diet: Most eat dung, carrion, fungi, some eat pollen/sap, store food (dung) by rolling it up/burying it;
 * Explanation of Name: Name comes from scarabs;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (556) 200, 204, 208, 212, 219, 228, 233, 234, 242

Buprestidae (metallic wood-boring beetles)

 * Head: Chewing mouth; Antennae short, threadlike, sawtoothed, comblike;
 * Thorax: Powerful fliers;
 * Abdomen: End of abdomen pointed;
 * Life Cycle: larvae bore under bark or in wood & take 1-3 years to develop;
 * Misc Anatomy: 3-80mm (most under 20mm); Hard-bodied, Cylindrical/elongate (bullet-shaped), parallel sided to elongate robust, some strongly oval;
 * Human Impact: Elytra sought after for jewelry, larvae bad tree pests;
 * Habitat: Found on foliage/bark, basking in the sun on trunks & branches of dying/unhealthy trees;
 * Diet: Some eat wood (hemlock), some stems/leaves;
 * Explanation of Name: Some called Jewel Beetles, larvae called Flat-head Borers;
 * Misc: Glossy iridescent colors caused by structural coloration, in which microscopic texture in their cuticle selectively reflects specific frequencies of light in particular directions, very bright, ventral surface metallic or bronzed; Hard to collect because they evade their captors;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (562) 179, 210, 237

Elateridae (click beetles, wireworms)

 * Head: Some don’t feed, vestigial mouthparts; Most antennae serrate, some filiform or pectinate; Eyes usually large & protuberant, often smaller in females, finely facetted, ommatidium of exocone type; Head usu prognathous;
 * Thorax: 5-5-5 Tarsal;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Ovipositor usually with paraprocts longer than gonocoxites, styli usually present & subapical;
 * Life Cycle: life cycle usually two years;
 * Misc Anatomy: 1-60mm; pronotum has pointed or spiny extensions at the posterior corners, which fit snugly around the elytra; Usu black/brown, some have red/yellow; Elongate body with parallel sides; Some bioluminescent, black brown, some brightly patterned; Posternum with an elongate love extending posteriorly into a mesosternal depression (“click”), prosternum lobed anteriorly;
 * Human Impact: Some larvae pests, most little importance, some adults crop pests;
 * Habitat: Found in almost all habitats (not extreme conditions), adults found on flowers/vegetation or under bark;
 * Diet: Some predators, Most herbivores; Eat plants, larvae can eat other insects;
 * Explanation of Name: Larvae called wireworms, AKA elaters, snapping beetles, spring beetles or skipjacks;
 * Misc: Can “click” if placed on back (to right self) by snapping posternal spine into a groove on the mesosternum, 8 feet/second;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (565) 186, 222

Lampyridae (fire flies)

 * Head: Some have no mouth; Larvae have simple eyes (adults- compound); Head CONCEALED FROM ABOVE BY PRONOTUM;
 * Thorax: Elytra leathery; 5-5-5 tarsal;
 * Abdomen: Last 2-3 abdominal segments modified to produce light;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females either similar in appearance to males or laviform; Some females don’t develop wings; Males flash in specific patterns to attract females;
 * Life Cycle: Overwinter during larval stage, some for several years, adults live for two months in the wild, Females deposit their eggs in the ground, which is where larvae develop to adulthood. Underground larvae feed on worms & slugs by injecting them with a numbing fluid;
 * Misc Anatomy: 4-18mm; Usu black/brown; Elongate bodies;
 * Habitat: Temperate/tropical environments;
 * Diet: Some predatory, others herbivores; Some eat other insects, some eat pollen/nectar, some don’t feed;
 * Explanation of Name: “lampyris”- glowworm;
 * Misc: Found during Spring & early Summer;
 * How Light is Produced: (bioluminescense), enzyme luciferase acts on the luciferin, in the presence of magnesium ions, ATP, & oxygen to produce light, unique because able to turn their light on & off (most light insects glow continuously);
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (567) 171 & 173, 172

Cantharidae (soldier beetles)

 * Head: Head somewhat protrudes from pronotum, not concealed from above; Antennae long, slender, threadlike;
 * Thorax: Elytra soft, flexible; Long legs, 5-5-5 tarsal, 4th seg lobed;
 * Misc Anatomy: Usu yellow elytra with black spots; Secrete carthardin; Soft bodied, straight sided, somewhat flattened;
 * Habitat: Foliage & flowers
 * Diet: Adults herbivores, some predators; Eat nectar, pollen, other insects;
 * Explanation of Name: Soldier beetle- one species = bright red, reminds people of soldiers;
 * Misc: Some come to lights;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (570) 162, 168

Lycidae (net-winged beetles)

 * Head: Antennae long, thick, serrate; Triangular head concealed from above;
 * Thorax: Network of ridges on FW, FW reticulate with longitudinal ridges;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Males smaller than females;
 * Misc Anatomy: 10-15mm; Most brick-red color; Elongated, flat, soft bodied;
 * Habitat: Found on flowers or stems;
 * Diet: Herbivores; Don’t feed, plant juices, other insects, larvae predators;
 * Misc: Are toxic;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (570) 160, 163

Cleridae (checkered beetles)

 * Head: Most antennae clubbed, others clubbed, saw-tooth, or thread-like;
 * Thorax: Elytra have tiny depressions; 5-5-5 tarsal;
 * Misc Anatomy: 2-24mm; Body marked with red, orange, yellow, blue; Long, narrow, covered in bristly hairs;
 * Human Impact: Used in forensics, finding PMI (time elapsed after death) & tell which products have been unwrapped for how long, Necrobia rufipes- pest of stored meats;
 * Habitat: Live throughout the world, like flowers/trees, found on recently dead trees/flowers;
 * Diet: Most predators, others scavengers or pollen feeders; Some eat other beetles/larvae, others pollen;
 * Explanation of Name: Some called Checkered Flower Beetles;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (574) 141, 142, 144, 230

Coccinellidae (ladybugs)

 * Head: Chewing mouth; Antennae 8-11 seg, very short, last 3-6 seg form weak club; Head partly or completely concealed by pronotum;
 * Thorax: Short legs, tuck under body, 4-4-4 tarsal; Large pronotum, almost conceals head;
 * Abdomen: Abdomen 5-6 visible sterna, rarely with 7, the first sternum usually with a postcoxal line that is often used to distinguish between species;
 * Life Cycle: Some overwinter in groups;
 * Misc Anatomy: 1-10mm, larvae bigger than adults; Black with red spots or red/orange with black spots (colors vary); Body convex/oval; Release hemolymph from legs when threatened;
 * Human Impact: Can cause allergic reaction/eye irritation, can taint wine made from grapes, Usu very beneficial in aphid control;
 * Habitat: Live wherever aphids are found;
 * Diet: Almost all predators, a few prefer plants/mildew; Aphids/scale bugs (a few- plants/mildew);
 * Explanation of Name: “coccinella”- scarlet;
 * Misc: Females lay infertile eggs as a food source for larvae;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers:(579) 145, 146, 147, 148, 183 (178- larvae)

Tenebrionidae (darkling beetles)

 * Head: Antennae thread-like, bead-like, clubbed, 11 seg; Eyes notched by a frontal ridge; Clypeus & labrum exhibiting membrane or not; mandibles dentate;
 * Thorax: Many large species can’t fly- fused elytra; 5-5-4 tarsal, tarsal claws simple;
 * Abdomen: First abdominal sternite entire & not divided by the hind coxae;
 * Misc Anatomy: 1-80mm; Most dark, some colored/patterned (usu red); Elongate/oval, flattened;
 * Human Impact: Larvae raised as animal food, some pests of stored grain;
 * Habitat: Under stones, decaying logs, bark, on bracket fungi, or on the ground;
 * Diet: Most scavengers; Eat plant material, dead insects, dung, some eat bark, others pests of grain;
 * Misc: Many have chemical defenses, Eleodes beetles raise their abdomens high in the air, so they almost appear to be standing on their heads, while fleeing the suspected danger
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (583) 185, 190, 197, 224, 225

Information about Immatures/Life Cycle of Tenebrionidae

 * Shape: Worm-like, with slender, elongate bodies;
 * Explanation of Name: "false wireworms" -resemble click beetle larvae;
 * Human Impact: Pests of stored products; Many raised as food;
 * Diet: Scavenge on plant matter, stored gains/veggies;
 * Life Cycle: Females lay eggs in soil; Pupation occurs in soil;

Meloidae (blister beetles)

 * Head: Antennae filiform (thread-like) or moniliform (beaded);Head broad, wider than pronotum;
 * Thorax: Elytra not flat, rolled over abdomen; Tarsi 5-5-4; claw either toothed or lobed (split); Pronotum narrower than FW; Pronotum cylindrical & narrow;
 * Life Cycle: Hypermatamorphic- several larval stages (first is mobile triungulin)
 * Misc Anatomy: 3-70mm, most 10-20mm; Usu dull (Western species colorful), some aposematically colored; Elongated/cylindrical, soft, leathery; Soft-bodied;
 * Human Impact: Many pests of tomatoes/potatoes, some cantharidin used medically to remove warts; Can cause blistering on skin;
 * Habitat: Around flowers, wherever grasshoppers/bees are;
 * Diet: Herbivores; Feed on leaves/flowers;
 * Sociality: Gregarious
 * Explanation of Name: “blister beetle”- blisters on human skin;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (587) 161, 167, 202

Cerambycidae (long-horned beetles)

 * Head: Strong, sharp mandibles; Very long 11 seg back-sweeping antennae (usu filiform, some serrate/comblike); Compound eyes wrap around base of antennae, eyes notched;
 * Thorax: Many long legs, 5-5-5 tarsal;
 * Misc Anatomy: 3-150mm, most 3-60mm; Some metallic, most mottled/gray; All somewhat elongate, some cigar-shaped;
 * Human Impact: Larvae Damage trees/plants, help decompose trees;
 * Habitat: Found all over world;
 * Diet: Most herbivores; Eat plants (some adults don’t feed);
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (590) 143, 157, 158, 159, 169, 180, 181, 184,188, 193, 194 & 220, 221, 229, 231, 232, 241, 244, 245

Information about Immatures/Life Cycle of Cerambycidae

 * Habitat: Found in dead/decaying wood or soil, eat a lot;
 * Diet: Decomposers?; Most feed on wood, others living plant tissue;
 * Human Impact: Pests, borers (also play role in decomposing wood);
 * Life Cycle: Eggs white, oval; Most time is spent in larval stage; 1-3 years;
 * Anatomy: Legs poorly developed or absent; Length from 5-220mm;

Chrysomelidae (leaf beetles)

 * Head: Antennae much shorter than body (dif from Cerambycidae); Eyes not notched/divided;
 * Thorax: 5-5-5 tarsal, looks 4-4-4;
 * Misc Anatomy: 1-16mm; Shiny/brightly colored, spots/stripes; Variable in form, some round, oval, somewhat square, either flattened or domed;
 * Human Impact: Very bad pests of plants, some good- eat weeds, popular among insect collectors because color; Some transmit plant diseases;
 * Habitat: Found wherever plants are, flowers & foliage;
 * Diet: Herbivores; Eat plant tissue/juices;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA Chrysomelid beetles, Tortoise beetles or Eucalypt beetles;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (603) 149, 150, 151, 153, 154, 155,182, 198, 205, 211, 214, 215, 243;

Curculionidae (weevils)

 * Head: Long proboscis, chewing mouthparts at end, snout = rostrum; Antennae elbowed & clubbed;
 * Thorax: 5-5-5 tarsal;
 * Misc Anatomy: 1-40mm, usu 3-12; Variable in shape; Head elongated to fit “snout”; Snout really a proboscis with chewing mouthparts; Hard body;
 * Human Impact: Many really bad plant pests, other beneficial- eat weeds; Carry plant diseases that infect recovering/healthy plants (Dutch elm);
 * Habitat: Found wherever plants are;
 * Diet: Herbivores; Eat plants;
 * Sociality: Some completely social, others just live & feed together;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (612) 130,131, 132, 133, 134, 136, 137, 138

Strepsiptera (twisted-wing parasite)

 * Head: Males- reduced mandibulate mouthparts (not used for feeding), many modified into sensory structures; Antennae 4-7 seg, 3 lateral branches, fanlike; Males- Compound eyes protruding look like raspberries;
 * Thorax: Males- Large, fan-shaped HW, small club-like FW, few veins; Only 1st instar larvae have legs, no legs have trochanters; Saddlelike prothorax;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females remain larviform, wingless, & legless, reduced mouthparts, eyes, antennae, head & prothoax fused & protrude from between the abdominal plates of their insect host, large soft abdomen is full of eggs, release pheromone; Males- winged, free-living, don’t feed
 * Life Cycle: Hypermetamorphic development: first instars (planidia) are free-living & highly mobile.  They locate & enter the body of a host.  Subsequent instars are legless, grub-like internal parasites; Some live less than 5 hours;
 * Misc Anatomy: .5-4mm
 * Human Impact: No impact- not abundant; No diseases but some can cause insects to be “stylopized” (destruction of hosts’ reproductive organs & sometimes a reversal of secondary sex characteristics (females look like males);
 * Habitat: Uncommon
 * Diet: Parasites of bees, wasps, grasshoppers, leafhoppers (females cannot live without host); Many don’t feed,
 * Explanation of Name: The name Strepsiptera, derived from the Greek "strepsi" meaning turned or twisted and "ptera" meaning wings, refers to the resting position of the male's large hind wings.
 * Misc: Recent DNA studies suggest a close relationship to flies;

Mecoptera (scorpionflies)

 * Head: Mandibulate, long mandibles & fleshy palps; Very long filiform antennae, 14 seg; Compound eyes on side of head, 3 ocelli on top; Head extended downward;
 * Thorax: FW & HW narrow, similar & size, numerous crossveins (some secondarily wingless), membranous, banded & spotted or have darkened patterns along veins; Long, spindly legs, short claws (5 seg tarsi), HL equipped with a single claw for grabbing prey;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Males of some species have enlarged external genitalia held recurved over the abdomen like a scorpion's tail;
 * Life Cycle: Male offers gifts to female during courtship, females deposit eggs in soil, torren wood, or moss, larvae resemble caterpillars or C-shaped grubs, molt four time, many immatures have compound eyes with 30+ lenses, immature Body eruciform (caterpillar-like) or scarabaeiform (grub-like); Larvae emerge after dry season; None
 * Misc Anatomy: 3-30mm; Body soft & cylindrical in shape, long & slender;
 * Human Impact: Not pests, not abundant;
 * Habitat: Humid temperatures, subtropical climate; Present worldwide, but seldom common;
 * Diet: Some predators, all omnivores; Eat decaying vegetation & dead insects;
 * Explanation of Name: The name Mecoptera, derived from the Greek words "meco" meaning long and "ptera" meaning wings, refers to the shape of both the front and hind wings.
 * Misc: Hanging scorpionflies are the only predatory insects that catch prey with their hind legs;

Boreidae (snow scorpionflies)

 * Head: Slender mandiblate mouth; Long antennae; Prominent round eyes;
 * Thorax: Wings reduced to bristles/absent (used by male to hold female while mating); HL long, jumping, tarsi w/ two claws;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females have straight ovipositor same length as beak; Males have blunt rounded abdominal tip;
 * Misc Anatomy: 6mm or less; Darkly-colored; Elongated “beak” (rostrum);
 * Human Impact: Not abundant enough to have impact;
 * Habitat: On snow in high elevations;
 * Diet: Herbivores; Feed on mosses/liverworts;
 * Misc: Active- November-March (south), Spring-summer (north);
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (624) 74

Panorpidae (common scorpionflies)

 * Head: Slender mandibulate mouth; Threadlike antennae; Prominent round eyes;
 * Thorax: 4 wings, usu spotted/banded, R4 and M4 branched (R2 forked), M 4-branched; two claw tarsi;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Some male have genetailia curved over abdomen like scorpion’s tail; Females have cerci;
 * Misc Anatomy: 9-25mm;
 * Human Impact: Not abundant enough to have impact
 * Habitat: Low shrubs, grasslands, cultivated fields;
 * Diet: Feed on dead/dying insects, rarely nectar;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (624-7) 409

Siphonaptera (fleas)

 * Head: Suctorial, haustellate, adapted for piercing; Antennae small, tuck away into special groves in the head; Lack compound eyes, some- 2 small ocelli;
 * Thorax: Secondarily wingless; Legs long, HL for jumping (can jump 7in), equipped with setae that grip hair & feathers & keep the flea from becoming dislodged by the host’s grooming;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Some female reproductive cycles are triggered by reproductive cycles of female host;
 * Life Cycle: Adults require a blood meal to activate sperm & egg production;
 * Misc Anatomy: 1-10mm (usu less than 5mm); Most dark colored; Body bilaterally flattened (an adaptation for moving between hair & feathers); Large bristles (ctenidia) often present on head or thorax (called genal (by head) & pronotal (by pronotum) combs), used to shield delicate membranes, hairs point backwards for ease of movement;
 * Human Impact: Pests & disease vectors, irritating bites, Cat & dog fleas- host for tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum) that infects dogs, cats, & humans, Rabbit fleas spread a myxomatosis virus to rabbits, Oriental rat flea- Yersinia (=Pasturella) pestis, the bacterial pathogen for bubonic plague;
 * Habitat: Live on mammals (some birds) throughout world, most in temperate zones; attracted to body heat & carbon dioxide exhaled by potential host;
 * Diet: Parasites, Feed on host’s blood;
 * Explanation of Name: The name Siphonaptera is derived from the Greek words "siphon" meaning a tube or pipe and "aptera" meaning wingless. This is an appropriate appellation for these secondarily wingless insects whose mouthparts are adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood.
 * Misc: Can spend a considerable amount of time away from their host;

Diptera (flies)

 * Head: Suctorial, sponging (haustellate), some piercing; Antennae filiform, stylate, or aristate; Large compound eyes on sides of head, 3 ocelli on top;
 * Thorax: 1 pair of wings, HW reduced to halters (vibrate during flight), some wingless; can hover, fly backwards, turn in place, & even fly upside down to land on a ceiling; Mesothorax larger than pro- or metathorax; All larvae lack legs, adults - 5 seg tarsi;
 * Life Cycle: Immature body forms- Culiciform (Head capsule present with chewing mouthparts, Legs absent, Vermiform (maggots), Without legs or a distinct head capsule, Mouthparts reduced; only present as mouth hooks;
 * Misc Anatomy: .5-40mm;
 * Human Impact: Greatest impact on humans of all insects, some plant pests, disease vectors, others beneficial, pollinators, decomposers;
 * Habitat: Abundant worldwide, Larvae are found in all fresh water, semi-aquatic, & moist terrestrial environments;
 * Diet: Niches vary greatly; Diet variable;
 * Explanation of Name: The name Diptera, derived from the Greek words "di" meaning two and "ptera" meaning wings, refers to the fact that true flies have only a single pair of wings.
 * Misc: Have the highest wing-beat frequency of any animal; arista in the antenna of higher flies is an air speed indicator. It allows the insect to sense how fast it is moving;

Tipulidae (crane flies)

 * Head: No proboscis (unlike mosquitoes), some have no mouthparts, long rostrum comes to a beak like point called the nasus; Antennae whorled, serrate, or ctenidial, usu 13 or 14-16 seg; Ocelli absent;
 * Thorax: Halteres very prominent, T with 4 or fewer branches, two anal veins reach wing margin; Elongate, stilt-like legs, can come off body (deciduous); Mesonotum with V-shaped suture;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Female’s wings sometimes rudimentary;
 * Life Cycle: Adults short-lived; Males search for females by walking or flying, copulation takes few mins-hours, during flight, female immediately oviposits in wet soil or mats of algae;
 * Misc Anatomy: 10-25mm, wingspan 1-6.5mm; Yellow, brown or grey;
 * Human Impact: Some agriculture pests in Europe, damaging roots & root hairs, larvae important in soil ecosystem, process organic material & increase microbial activity;
 * Habitat: Most diverse in tropics; near water with ample vegetation;
 * Diet: Herbivores/Don’t feed; Some eat nectar & honeydew;
 * Explanation of Name: ‘tipula’- water spider, confused with daddy long legs Larvae called leatherjackets;
 * Misc: Don't bite
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (634) 382, 406 & 407, 408

Culicidae (mosquitoes)

 * Head: Female mouth for piercing/sucking skin, Males & Females have proboscis (M- long maxillary palps, F- short); 6+ seg highly plumose (males much more feathery) antennae (detect odors); Eyes distinctly separated, ocelli absent; Head specialized for receiving sensory info & feeding;
 * Thorax: Wings long & narrow, have scales along margins & veins, Males beat wings 450-600x/second, distal part of wing with an unforked vein between two forked veins; Long slender legs; Thorax specialized for locomotion;
 * Abdomen: Abdomen specialized for food digestion & egg development;
 * Life Cycle: Live about a year;
 * Misc Anatomy: 3-15mm; Humpbacked thorax;
 * Human Impact: Pests, MANY diseases, small role as pollinators of flowers; (Things that prey on mosquitoes- mites, damsel/dragonflies, frogs, toads)
 * Diseases Vectored: Viral= yellow fever, dengue fever & chikungunya (Aedes aegypti), Parasitic= Malaria (Anopheles genus females, Plasmodium species), Lymphatic filariasis, West Nile Virus, Eastern equine encephalitis virus, Filaraisis;
 * Habitat: Fresh water habitats worldwide;
 * Diet: Males feed on nectar, females bite skin, need blood meal for eggs, eat blood of mainly vertebrates, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, some kinds of fish;
 * Niche: Some predators, only females bite, females = ectoparasites;
 * Sociality: Solitary, come together to mate;
 * Explanation of Name: Mosquito is Spanish for small fly
 * Misc: Mostly spring/summer, some overwinter in diapause;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (639) (31 & 32- immatures) 380 & 381, 386, 389, 384, 387, 388, 419

Information about Immatures/Life Cycle of Culicidae

 * Head: Mouth brushes used for feeding;
 * Thorax: Legs absent; Large thorax;
 * Abdomen: segmented abdomen; Breathe @ surface through spiracles on 8th abdominal seg;
 * Life Cycle: Adult only non-aquatic stage;
 * Development: Females bob up & down above water & lay eggs singly/groups; Develop through 4 instars; 5-14 days as eggs; Pupa hangs from surface of water, very active; Some eggs exhibit diapause (delay development until conditions are right);
 * Pupa- Additional Info: Comma-shaped, head & thorax merged into a cephalothorax w/ the abdomen curving around underneath, can swim actively by slipping abdomen, called a tumbler, Breathe through a pair of respiratory trumpets on their cephalothoraces, do not feed;
 * Misc Anatomy: Swim by wriggling entire bodies;
 * Habitat: Freshwater, ponds, pools;
 * Diet: Feed on algae, organic debris; Female needs BLOOD MEAL for eggs;
 * Explanation of Name: Called “w(r)igglers because they swim by propulsion with mouth brushes or through jerky movements;
 * Misc: Dive beneath surface when disturbed

Chironomidae (midges)

 * Head: Chewing mouthparts with short palps, short proboscis; Ocelli absent; Males have plumose antennae;
 * Thorax: Wings long & narrow, without scales; Long slender legs, front tarsi lengthened;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Antennae main diff for males;
 * Life Cycle: Larvae aquatic, many live in tubes constructed in debris, some are red;
 * Misc Anatomy: Lack scales & elongated mouthparts of Culicidae; 1-10mm; Soft bodies;
 * Human Impact: Adults in large numbers pests, damage things with poop, ecological indicators, larvae food for fish;
 * Habitat: Very common; Occur in large swarms near ponds & lakes;
 * Diet: Primary consumers; Some eat particles of organic debris, others shaved wood;
 * Misc: Seen in Early spring-fall;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (645) 379

Simuliidae (black flies)

 * Head: Small head; Short 11 seg antennae; Large round compound eyes, no ocelli;
 * Thorax: Wings clear, broad at base, narrowing distally, anterior veins heavy & remaining veins weak, without scales; Short legs;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females serious biters & pests;
 * Life Cycle: May be uni or multi voltine; Larvae- streams in large numbers, attach to objects in the water;;
 * Misc Anatomy: 4 or less mm; Black-various shades of gray/yellow; Humpbacked gnatlike appearance strongly convex;
 * Human Impact: Ecologic indicators, Pests- threat to public health, nuisance, spread cattle diseases; Transmit river blindness (onchoceriasis);
 * Habitat: Have aquatic breeding sights;
 * Diet: Males feed on nectar, females feed on blood (for eggs?);
 * Explanation of Name: AKA buffalo gnats;
 * Misc: Seen in Spring-fall; Attack sunrise/sunset;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (646) Larvae - (48) 416

Stratiomyidae (soldier flies)

 * Head: Proboscis short, not piercing, maxillary palps 1 or 2 segmented; 3 seg antennae, some aristate, 3rd segment elongate, flagged appearance;
 * Thorax: Wings rest scissor-like across abdomen, Recognized by unique wing venation (branches of R crowded toward anterior part of wing with R5 ending in front of wing tip;
 * Misc Anatomy: 10-15mm; Wide variety of colors/patterns; Somewhat wasplike mimics; Diverse in shape, some wasplike ;
 * Human Impact: Few are sugar cane pests;
 * Habitat: On leaves in sunny forests & flowers;
 * Diet: Scavengers, some eat nothing, aquatic species eat algae;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (650) 519

Tabanidae (horse flies)

 * Head: Mouth parts for biting, some males lack mandibles used to get blood; Bulging eyes, meet dorsally in male & separated in females, brightly colored/iridescent; 3rd antennal segment elongate;
 * Thorax: Wing veins R4 & R5 fork to form a large 'Y' across the wing tip, very good fliers; Some noisy fliers, others quiet;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Only females suck blood for eggs; Mating done in swarms at hilltops, eggs laid on stones/vegetation close to water, larvae fall into water/moist earth & feed on invertebrates;
 * Life Cycle: Develop as larvae for 1-2 years, live for a few days as adults;
 * Misc Anatomy: 10-25mm; Some have striking colors on eyes; Somewhat stout bodies;
 * Human Impact: Some pollinators, Pests because of biting females; Diseases-  equine infectious anaemia virus, parasitic filarial worm Loa loa, anthrax…;
 * Habitat: Adults swamps/ponds, most larvae aquatic common (females seen more), mostly in Florida;
 * Diet: Herbivores, attacked by horse guards wasps; males- flowers & nectar (females only suck blood for eggs);
 * Sociality:
 * Explanation of Name: AKA breeze flies, cleggs, klegs, or clags, deer flies, gadflies, or zimbs
 * Misc: Found in Summer; Large Squamae (scales above halteres, AKA calypters;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (651) 424, 427, 428, 429

Asilidae (robber flies)

 * Head: Stylate mouthparts, short, stout proboscis enclosing the sharp, sucking hypopharynx; Antennae aristate, 3-5 seg, 3rd seg elongate bearing a short terminal style; 3 simple eyes, 2 compound; Top of head depressed between eyes, face has mustache (mystax), head free-moving;
 * Thorax: Wings well-developed, narrow; Stout, spiny strong legs; thorax relatively large;
 * Abdomen: Abdomen shape = long & slender to robust, usu tapered;
 * Misc Anatomy: 5-30mm; Brown, black, gray; Integument covered with thick hair; Elongated;
 * Habitat: Dry open habitats, larvae in soil or decaying wood;
 * Diet: Predators (perch & pounce on prey); Other insects;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA assassin flies, robber flies = aggressive predation, ambush their prey;
 * Misc: Found in Summer; Bee mimics;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (658) 349, 398, 400, 401, 501

Bombyliidae (bee flies)

 * Head: Mouthparts for sucking/feeding on flowers, long proboscis, don’t bite; Head w/ convex face; Antennae 3-6 seg aristate, 3rd seg variable in shape; Large eyes, touch at top;
 * Thorax: Wings have dark markings & held outstretched at rest, powerful, M1 ends behind wing tip, 3-4 posterior cells, distal cell present, anal cell open or closed near wing margin; Legs without bristles & slender, long & then, FL smaller & more slender than middle & rear legs;
 * Misc Anatomy: 4-40mm; integument is covered with dense & abundant hair; Brightly colored; Stout-bodied & hairy;
 * Human Impact: Important pollinators, harmless;
 * Habitat: Females hover over host’s nest, Some found in sandy soil laying eggs;
 * Diet: Herbivores; Larvae parasitoids of other insects, adults eat nectar/pollen;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (662) 495, 496, 512 & 514, 515 & 516

Syrphidae (flower flies)

 * Head: Short fleshy mouthparts with tube at end & sponging mechanism; Large eyes;
 * Thorax: Wing vein bisects bisects r-m crossvein, HW modified, spurious vein usu present between R & M, R5 & M2 cell closed, anal cell long, closed near wing margin;
 * Abdomen: Some wag up abdomens when landing;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females larger;
 * Life Cycle: Overwinter in cold climates;
 * Misc Anatomy: 10-20mm; Brightly colored with spots, stripes, & bands of yellow or brown covering body;
 * Human Impact: Some larvae cause bulb damage, some pollinators, others eat aphids, some pest control;
 * Habitat: Found on flowers, common; Only active on warm sunny days;
 * Diet: Herbivores, Preyed on by frogs, turtles, spiders, mantids, water boatmen, wasps, ladybugs, lacewings, larvae break down dead plants; Feed on nectar & aphid honeydew;
 * Sociality: Solitary;
 * Misc: Can continue to make vibration noise by moving structures in their thorax even when they are not moving or flapping wings; Bee mimics (Batesian Mimicry), do not bite or sting;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (667) 454, 487, 488, 504, 507, 508

Tephritidae (fruit flies, huskfly)

 * Head: Head hemispherical & short, face is vertical or retreating & the frons is broad; Have ocelli & cellar bristles;
 * Thorax: Most wings spotted/banded, Apex of Sc bent abruptly forward at almost a right angle & usu not quite reaching costa, anal cell with an acute distal projection posteriorly;
 * Misc Anatomy: 2.5–10 mm; Brightly colored & visibly showy (courtship or for defensive); Lack stingers;
 * Human Impact: Many bad fruit pests, others destroy weeds, most agriculturally important flies;
 * Habitat: Adults found on host plant or feeding on other food;
 * Diet: Herbivores, most larvae phytophagous; Pollen, nectar, rotting plant debris or honeydew;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA Picture winged flies, peacock flies;
 * Misc: Some use Batesian Mimicry (bearing the colors & markings of dangerous arthropods such as wasps or jumping spiders);
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (674) 435, 436 & 509

Drosophilidae (pomace flies)

 * Head: Eyes usu red;
 * Thorax: Wing veins- Sc incomplete, Costa broken near end of R1 & near humeral cross vein;
 * Misc Anatomy: 2.5-4.5 mm; Usu yellowish/brownish;
 * Human Impact: Nuisance flies, most breed in rotting fruit, some serious economic pests, can mess up alcohol aging process (turning into vinegar), used in genetic studies (Several genes have been identified that can be manipulated to extend the lifespan);
 * Habitat: Usually around decaying vegetation & fruit; Common;
 * Diet: Scavengers?; Eat decaying fruit & fungi, sap & nectar;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA Vinegar flies;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (678) 433

Muscidae (house flies)

 * Head: Antennae 3 seg aristate, arista plumose for entire length;
 * Thorax: Wing Veins- Vein 2A is short & does not reach the wing margin, R5 cell parallel sided or narrowed distally;
 * Life Cycle: Overwinter larval or pupal stage under manure piles or in other protected locations; Larvae occur in various habitats including decaying vegetation, dry & wet soil, nests of insects & birds, fresh water, & carrion;
 * Misc Anatomy: 5-15mm; Underside of scutellum without fine hairs, more than one sternopleural bristle;
 * Human Impact: Pests; Vector typhoid fever, dysentery, anthrax, African sleeping sickness, cholera ;
 * Habitat: Hog & poultry farms, horse stables, & ranches;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA horse or stable flies; Housefly = Musca domestica;
 * Misc: Attracted to sugar, sweat, tears;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (681) 421, 426

Hippoboscidae (louse flies)

 * Head: Palps slender, elongate, forming a sheath for proboscis; Well-developed compound eyes;
 * Thorax: Legs thick & outstretched; Some winged, fly decent, when present strong veins anteriorly & weak veins posteriorly;
 * Life Cycle: larval development takes place within the mother's body, & pupation occurs almost immediately, mature larvae is born alive;
 * Misc Anatomy: 5-6mm??; Reddish brown; Leathery, flattened;
 * Human Impact: Transmit no diseases
 * Habitat: Most are found on birds, others on mammals;
 * Diet: Ectoparasites of sheep; Suck blood,
 * Explanation of Name: Greek hippos 'horse' + bosco 'feed', AKA keds;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (683) 418, 73

Calliphoridae (blow flies)

 * Head: Sponging mouthparts; Antennae 3 seg aristate, arista plumose;
 * Misc Anatomy: Shiny with metallic coloring (blue/green); Postscutellum absent; Have two notopleural bristles & a hindmost posthumeral bristle;
 * Human Impact: Used in forensics, first to approach carrion; Pests to sheep & livestock (myasis), forensic importance- first insects to come in contact w/ carrion because smell it; Vector- dysentery, rabbit haemorrhagic disease, Salmonellosis;
 * Habitat: Temperate/ tropical areas that provide loose layer of soil;
 * Diet: Scavengers or parasites;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA carrion flies, bluebottles, greenbottles, or cluster flies; ‘Blow’ links back so Shakespeare;
 * Misc: Can smell from 1 mi. away; Preyed on by spiders, beetles, frogs, chicken;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (684) 430, 431, 432

Information about Immatures/Life Cycle for Calliphoridae

 * Development: Eggs hatch in 6-48 hrs, whitish or yellow in color, look like rice balls, 1.5mm x 0.4 mm, lay 150-200/batch; Larvae have 3 stages, separated by molts; Pupa takes 7-14 days; ; Females require substantial protein to produce eggs;
 * Explanation of Name: Called maggots;
 * Misc: Scavengers of carrion & dung; Larvae thrive in damp soil & litter

Tachinidae (tachinid flies)

 * Head: Antennae 3 seg aristate, arista usu bare;
 * Thorax: Wing veins- R5 cell narrowed or closed distally;
 * Abdomen: Abdomen covered in bristles, have a subscutellum;
 * Misc Anatomy: 2-20mm; Some brightly colored, others drab; Stocky, more robust than blow flies;
 * Human Impact: Pest control, some pollinators;
 * Habitat: Found anywhere, abundant on sunny hilltops looking for mates;
 * Diet: Larvae parasitic, adults feed on nectar or don’t feed;
 * Misc: 2nd largest among diptera; Postscutellum developed; Active flies;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (688) 422 &423, 437, 438, 439, 485, 500

Trichoptera (caddisflies)

 * Head: Sucking-lapping mouthparts have reduced mandibles & well-developed maxillary palps; Antennae long, tapering, filiform, slender, longer or as long as the body, positioned close together & directed forward; Some have ocelli;
 * Thorax: Wings- 4 membranous, FW usually dark, sturdy, sometimes with striking color patterns, held tightly together roof-like over the abdomen when at rest, HW clear, relatively delicate, & hidden under forewings when at rest, covered in hairs (distinctive); Slow, clumsy fliers;
 * Misc Anatomy: 1.5-40mm; Most dull colored, few remarkably colored; Hairy bumps called setal warts found on head & thorax, usually have hairlike setae on body & wings (in contrast, moths have flattened scales);
 * Human Impact: Larvae food for game fish, some adults pests (in rice paddies), some indicator, most not important;
 * Habitat: Nocturnal, not too common; During day, hide in cool shady places near water, attracted to light; Most nocturnal, spend days in cool, moist environments along edges of bodies of water, attracted to light;
 * Diet: Many don’t feed (if they do- nectar or sap, algae);
 * Explanation of Name: The name Trichoptera, derived from the Greek words "trichos" meaning hair and "ptera" meaning wings, refers to the long, silky hairs that cover most of the body and wings.
 * Misc: Adults fly April-November; found in rocks dating back to the Triassic;

Information about Immatures/Life Cycle

 * Head: Mandibulate mouth, well-developed head;
 * Thorax: Dorsal plates across the back of the first or all thoracic segments;
 * Abdomen: One pair of hooked prolegs often present at tip of abdomen; Abdomen membranous, last abdominal segment has a pair of anal prolegs that end in sharp claws used to grasp a substrate; Thread-like abdominal gills in case-makers;
 * Misc Anatomy: Eruciform (caterpillar-like) body;
 * Diet: Larvae herbivores, scavengers, predators;
 * Habitat: Most aquatic, living in ponds, lakes, streams;
 * Human Impact: Good indicators of water quality;
 * Mating: Adults equipped mainly to mate; Males transfer sperm/ sperm packet directly to female, may mate with more than 1 female, in streamside vegetation/ground, attract eachother with pheromones;
 * Development: Some eggs in water/on plants; Make silk & build a “case” for development, made of stones, leaves, twigs…, pupates & grow inside case (five basic types of cases- free living forms construct shelters only for pupation, saddle-case makers build cases resembling turtle shells & carry them wherever they go, Purse-case makers are free-living until the final instar, at which they build mobile silken, purselike, or barrel-like cases, net-spinners build fixed, silken retreats on rocky bottoms of swift streams that have a net for catching prey;
 * Cycle Length: Within a year, 6-7 instars;

Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths)
Lepidopterans are sometimes divided into three "subgroups". The characteristics of these "subgroups" are outlined in the table below.
 * Head: Mouthparts form a coiled tube (proboscis) beneath the head (sucking); Butterflies have knobs/hooks at end of antennae; (Moths have Thread-like, spindle-like, comb-like (usu feathery) antennae); All have 2 compound eyes & chaetosema (raised spots or clusters of sensory bristles unique to Lepidoptera);
 * Thorax: Wings- 4 membranous, covered with scales, FW large, triangular, HW large, fan-shaped; Legs vary, some have sensory receptors
 * Life Cycle: Larvae Eruciform (caterpillar-like);
 * Misc Anatomy: Moths = Bland, drab colors, Butterflies usually brightly colored; Body & wings covered in small, overlapping scales;
 * Human Impact: Many beautiful & valuable in trade, caterpillars create TONS of plant damage;
 * Habitat: Adults present wherever flowers are;
 * Diet: Many suck nectar/pollinate; Larvae herbivores;
 * Explanation of Name: The name Lepidoptera, derived from the Greek words "lepido" for scale and "ptera" for wings, refers to the flattened hairs (scales) that cover the body and wings of most adults.
 * Misc: Active year-round;

Sesiidae (clear-winged moths)

 * Head: Simple antennae;
 * Thorax: Wings transparent because of lack of scales, FW long, narrow, rounded apically, HW broader, posterior margin of FW & costal margin of HW w/ a series of interlocking spines, Anal wing veins conspicuous in HW, reduced in FW; Tiny yellow-tipped tufts on legs for carrying pollen;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females emit strong sex pheromones to attract males; Males have more clear area in wings than female;
 * Life Cycle: Eggs deposited singly on host plant, larvae quickly bore into host, pupation takes place the following season; Most have a 2 year life;
 * Misc Anatomy: Resemble bees in markings/ coloration (Batesian Mimicry);
 * Human Impact: Some pests of fruit-tree or timber cultivation, larvae wood borers, (People often use fake pheromones to attract pest species);
 * Habitat: Diurnal or crepuscular; Throughout world, except in coldest climates;
 * Diet: Larvae feed on host plants, adults feed on nectar or nothing @ all;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (709) 443, 447, 473, 570

Tortricidae (Tortricid moths)

 * Thorax: Rest w/ wings folded back like a shield, square tipped FW, Cu in HW lacking fringe of long hairs, R4 & R5 in FW usu stalked or fused & M2 & M3 & Cu1 parallel or divergent;
 * Life Cycle: Larvae are leaf roller or leaf tiers, some tie a number of leaves together with silk & feed inside the shelter it forms;
 * Misc Anatomy: Tan, yellow, gray, or black & white
 * Human Impact: Many fruit pests, (Codling moth- apples & pears), some defoliate trees;
 * Explanation of Name: ; AKA leafroller moths, tortrix moths;

Hesperiidae (skippers)

 * Head: Short antennae end in thick hooks; Large compound eyes; Head as wide or wider than thorax;
 * Thorax: Small, pointed wings, HW rest flat while FW held slightly open @ an angle; 3 pairs functional walking legs, hind tibae with 2 pairs of spurs; Quick fliers, ‘skipping’ erratic flight; Strong wing muscles in plump thorax;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Males smaller, some have blackish streak or patch of scent scales in FW;
 * Life Cycle: Live for year or less, eggs tiny & dome shaped;
 * Misc Anatomy: Wingspan usu less than 30mm; Mostly orange/brown; Distinctive “collar” (narrow ring around the body right behind head); Short fat hairy bodes;
 * Human Impact: Little interaction w/ human;
 * Habitat: Live in meadows & edges of woods; Only active during the day, caterpillars feed when its dark or partly light;
 * Diet: Most eat grasses, some shrubs & trees, many groups limited to single group of food plants;
 * Misc: Communicate via sight/scent; Preyed on by: insect eating birds, mantids, ants, wasps, parasitic flies, ladybugs;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (715) 9&574, 575, 606

Papilionidae (swallowtails)

 * Thorax: FLs well developed, 3 pairs walking; Some have eyespots on wings; Sclerites of the cervix are fused beneath the neck where the muscles for head movement are anchored;
 * Wing Venation: Characteristic tails on HW, FW with R 5 branched, Cu appearing 4 branched, HW with one anal vein, 2A extends up to wing margin & does not link with the first anal vein;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females larger, sexes shaped differently;
 * Misc Anatomy: ~15cm wingspan; Black w/yellow or white markings, also blue/red; Practice Batesian Mimicry;
 * Human Impact: Some garden pests, most are valued for beauty;
 * Habitat: Fly in open areas near food plants;
 * Diet: Sip nectar;
 * Sociality: Solitary
 * Explanation of Name: Named for tails on wings;
 * Misc: Preyed on by: shrews, mice, frogs & toads, ants, wasps, mantids, parasitic flies, mites, lacewings;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (718) 576, 578, 580&22, 583, 584, 591, 593, 594,

Information about Immatures/Life Cycle of Papilionidae

 * Anatomy: Have antennae-like structures that emit chemicals; Smooth-bodied; Second seg of caterpillar has transverse opening; Large; Hidden dorsal projection ‘horn’ under thorax skin, called osmeterium, used for defense;
 * Habitat: Found on their food plants;
 * Mating/Development: Eggs dome-shaped; Pupa green/brown, usu curved backwards; Chrysalis; Males attract females w/ pheromones;

Pieridae (whites, sulfurs)

 * Thorax: Well-developed FL (all walking legs), tarsal claws forked; Recognized by white/Yellow wings w/ dark markings,
 * Wing Venation: FW with Cu appearing 3 branched, R 3 or 4 branched, M1 stalked with a branch of R for a distance beyond distal cell, HW with two anal veins;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Female larger;
 * Life Cycle: Do not make a cocoon, do not attach themselves to plants w/ silk threads; Males attract mates with scent & display, & females leave a scent mark on plants where they have laid eggs; Live for a year or less; Usu overwinter, may be more than one generation per year;
 * Misc Anatomy: White or yellow w/ dark markings (UV markings on wings for courtship & ID’ing species), cooler temps make darker colors;
 * Human Impact: Some major crop pests, many pollinators, some caterpillars eat weeds;
 * Habitat: Anywhere that has food plants, adults hide @ night;
 * Diet: Sip nectar & mud;
 * Sociality: Solitary;
 * Misc: Preyed on by: mice, frogs & toads, spiders, ants, mantids, mites, lacewings;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (724) 579, 581, 582&21, 589, 590, 592

Lycaenidae (hairstreaks/blue butterflies)

 * Head: Antennae usu banded, clubbed, knobbed, or clavate;
 * Thorax: Some have eyespots on wings; Rapid fliers; Some have slight tails on wings; Males FL reduced, females use FL for walking;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Female larger, male more colorful, different legs;
 * Life Cycle: Live for a year or less;
 * Misc Anatomy: Adults usu under 5cm, wingspan less than 2in; Most have shiny blue on wings; Small & delicate;
 * Human Impact: A few damage crops, not abundant enough to cause much damage;
 * Habitat: Forest edges, open fields, streams…; Only fly in daylight, fly only short distance, some caterpillars only feed @ night;
 * Diet: Pollinators, mutualists w/ ants (ants care for larvae, get honeydew from butterflies); Some eat nectar/leaves, one species aphid predators;
 * Sociality: Rely on ants for protection against predators, including shrews, mice, frogs & toads, spiders, ants, wasps, mantids, parasitic flies, ladybugs, lacewings;
 * Misc: Communicate with scent markings & colors, males attract mates with scent & display;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (729) 577, 586, 587, 588, 595, 601, 604, 605, 609, 616, 627

Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies)

 * Thorax: FL modified into ‘brushes’ of hair sometimes used to smell/taste;
 * Wings: Wings held flat while resting, wing shape highly irregular, colorful, some camouflaged, FW broad & triangular, R 5-branched, Cu appearing 3 branched & 3A lacking, HW with 2 anal veins, humeral vein straight or bent toward wing tip, distal cell open or closed by a weak vein, no veins greatly swollen @ base;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Sexes shaped differently;
 * Life Cycle: Females lay several hundred eggs, some lay eggs in clusters, no parental care;
 * Misc Anatomy: Size greatly variable; Wings colorful, sometimes camouflaged, underside of wings is drab for camouflage;
 * Human Impact: No real human impact, some caterpillars give rashes;
 * Habitat: Found in any habitat w/ plants;
 * Diet: Herbivores, preyed on by mantids, mice, ants, wasps, ladybirds, lacewings; Eat many types of flowers/plants…;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA 4 footed butterflies;
 * Misc: Breeding season- Late Spring, Summer, and/or early Fall;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (739) 585, 596+11, 607+1, 608, 610, 611, 612, 614+3, 615+7, 617, 618, 619, 621, 623, 624, 625+2

Satyridae (Satyrs, nymphs & arctics {butterflies})

 * Thorax: Habits of low & uneven flight; FL much reduced & lack claws, weak fliers; Some have eyespots on wings; Wingspan 1-2 inches, weak fliers, some veins (Sc) greatly swollen @ base, swollen parts contain special hearing organs;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Female larger, males have glands on wings that produce sex attractants;
 * Life Cycle: Lasts one year or less; Eggs elongate or dome shaped, caterpillars green & well camo’ed;
 * Misc Anatomy: Grayish or brownish;
 * Human Impact: Don’t affect humans in neg or pos ways;
 * Habitat: Some live in wetlands (forest streams…), others live in dry areas;
 * Diet: Sip nectar, eat aphid honeydew, sometimes feed on dung, carrion, & rotting fruit;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA- browns;
 * Misc: Preyed on by spiders, ants, mantids, parasitic flies, ladybugs, lacewings, mites; Don’t like bright light; Hides from predators w/ camo;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (753) 598, 599, 600, 602, 603

Danaidae (milkweed butterflies)

 * Head: Siphoning, vestigial mandibles; Antennae not covered in scales; Some have eyespots;
 * Thorax: Short 3rd anal vein in FW, Wings held upright while @ rest; FL modified into brushes not used for walking;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Males have a swollen pouch on HW;
 * Life Cycle: Mate in Spring before migration;
 * Misc Anatomy: Wingspan- 8.6 to 12.4 cm; Wings bright orange w/ black markings along veins & borders; Poisonous to vertebrates because of milkweed;
 * Human Impact: Some poisonous to cattle, reduce population of milkweeds;
 * Habitat: Warm climates, open country;
 * Diet: Larvae feed on milkweeds, adults sip nectar;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (757) 620+16, 622+17

Pyralidae (pyralid moths)

 * Head: Have ‘snout’ (proboscis), palps large & projecting forwards;
 * Thorax: Hold their wings out to the side, fold them flat, or roll them up, FW usu elongate-triangular, HW broad & rounded, m2 in FW rises near M3;
 * Abdomen: Tympanum on sides of abdomen;
 * Misc Anatomy: Drab colors?; Wingspan 9-37mm;
 * Human Impact: Many are household & granary pests;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA snout moths;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (761) 524, 532, 537, 252

Saturniidae (Giant Silkworm moths)

 * Head: Mouthparts vestigial; Antennae bipectinate or feathery, larger in males; Head relatively small;
 * Thorax: Wings have eyespots; Fan-shaped wings w/dark eyespots, broad wings, frenulum small or vestigial, humeral angle of HW not noticeably expanded, HW with only one anal vein, distal cell in FW generally open;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Males larger antennae;
 * Misc Anatomy: Wingspan 3-15cm, some up to 6in; Sometimes brightly colored, others drab; use pheromones; Thick hairy bodies;
 * Human Impact: Some used in silk production or defoliator pests;
 * Habitat: Wooded tropical/subtropical regions;
 * Diet: Don’t feed as adults;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (769) 550+19, 562+12, 563, 564+20, 566+27, 567+23, 568+28, 571, 572, 573+24

Information about Immatures/Life Cycle of Saturniidae

 * Anatomy: Some produce clicking sounds w/ mandibles; 50-100mm in final instar; Covered in hair/spines; Have tubercles or spines on body; Many cryptic, some brightly colored; Stout, cylindrical;
 * Sociality: Most solitary, others gregarious;
 * Diet: Feed on foliage of trees/shrubs;
 * Development: Females lay up to 200 eggs on host plant; Eggs are round, slightly flattened, smooth & translucent or whitish; Cocoon made of silk attached to twigs/leaves;

Sphingidae (sphinx moths, hornworms)

 * Head: Very long proboscis that rolls up when not in use; Antennae thickest near midpoint, sometimes bipectinate; No ocelli;
 * Thorax: Long, narrow forewings w/ a posterior angle greater than 120 deg; HW much shorter than FW, frenulum present but sometimes small, have a retinaculum; Strong fliers (12mph), rapid wingbeat, some hover;
 * Abdomen: Streamlined abdomens;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Some males have thicker antennae & more mottled wing markings, also have partial comb of hairs on antennae;
 * Life Cycle:
 * Misc Anatomy: Whole bodies covered in scales; Wingspan 28-175 mm; Body thick, hairy, & spindle-shaped; Lack tympanal organs;
 * Human Impact: Larvae damage plants;
 * Habitat: Some nocturnal, feeding @ dusk;
 * Diet: Herbivores; Suck nectar w/ proboscis;
 * Explanation of Name: Some called hornworms because of larvae dorsal projection;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (776) 26, 523, 547, 548,549, 554, 558+25 565, 569

Information about Immatures/Life Cycle of Sphingidae

 * Anatomy: Some pupa have free proboscis; Caterpillars- 5 pairs of prolegs; Large-medium in size; Some cryptically colored, have diagonal slashes; Bodies lack hair (small amounts) & have dorsal horn;
 * Development: Burrow in soil to pupate; 2-3 weeks as pupa; Eggs translucent, greenish, flattened, smooth eggs singly on host plant, take 3-21 days to develop;
 * Explanation of Names: AKA hornworms;

Arctiidae (tiger moths, wooly worms)

 * Head: Antennae filiform;
 * Thorax: Tymbal organ on the metathorax, has membranes that are vibrated to produce ultrasonic sounds, also have thoracic tympanal organs for hearing; Wings held over body @ rest, have geometric patterns;
 * Misc Anatomy: Brightly colored, wings have shapes;
 * Habitat: Many active during day, some night;
 * Sociality: Some solitary-gregarious;
 * Explanation of Name: Arctia- bear, hairy appearance of larvae; Larvae called woolly bears;
 * Misc: Aposematism- retain harmful/distasteful chemicals from host plant; Some can jam bat sonar; Bats are predators;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (785) 555, 531,527+4, 529+6, 540, 553, 5+541, 165, 551

Lymantriidae (tussock moths)

 * Head: Vestigal mouth?, adults don’t feed, short-lived; Antennae bipectinate, males plumose;
 * Thorax: Wings of some females reduced;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Males have tympanal organs & plumose antennae, females smaller;
 * Life Cycle: Adults have short life;
 * Misc Anatomy: Usu brown/gray, some white; Have urticating hairs, painful to the touch;
 * Human Impact: Caterpillars attack trees;
 * Habitat: Most nocturnal;
 * Diet: Don’t eat;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (793) 165, 527+4, 529+6, 531, 540,541+5, 553, 551, 555

Noctuidae (noctuid moths)

 * Head: Sturdy, sharp proboscis, palps extend to middle of face or beyond; Antennae filiform, never plumose; Ocelli almost always present;
 * Thorax: FW mottled in color, HW differ from FW in color or pattern, Sc & R in HW fused for a short distance beyond a small basal areole, then separating, cu in HW appears 3 or 4 branched;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Male have plume-like antennae to detect pheromones;
 * Misc Anatomy: Robust, stout bodied; Have specialized organs that respond to bat echolocation by flapping wings rapidly;
 * Human Impact: Larvae agricultural pests;
 * Habitat: Most fly @ night, attracted to light;
 * Diet: Herbivores; Diets vary greatly (foliage, decaying organic matter…);
 * Explanation of Name: AKA cutworm moths, owlet moths;
 * Misc: Preyed on by bats;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (795) 521+18, 526, 556, 557, 559, 561

Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps)

 * Head: Mandibulate & ectognathous except in bees, many have relatively unspecialized mandiubulate mouthparts; Antennae 10+ seg, 13 in male, 12 in female (some 3-60 seg), longer than head; Well-developed compound eyes, 3 ocelli;
 * Thorax: FW- triangular stigma, larger than HW, HW linked to FW with hamuli (little hooks); 5 seg tarsi;
 * Misc Anatomy: .2-115mm (usu 2-30mm); Narrow junction (wasp waist) between thorax & abdomen - except in sawflies & horntails;
 * Human Impact: A few are pests, some highly beneficial (pollination, pest control);
 * Habitat: Common worldwide
 * Diet: Most predatory/parasitic, successful group because of many adaptations, many narrowly adapted for a specific habitat or host; Many eat nectar;
 * Sociality: Only order except Isoptera to have complex social divisions in some families;
 * Explanation of Name: The name Hymenoptera is derived from the Greek words "hymen" meaning membrane and "ptera" meaning wings. It is also a reference to Hymeno, the Greek god of marriage.  The name is appropriate not only for the membranous nature of the wings, but also for the manner in which they are "joined together as one" by the hamuli.
 * Misc: Sex determined by # of chromosomes (haplodiploidy); 3rd largest insect order

Tenthredinidae (common sawflies)

 * Head: 5-9 antennal Flagellomeres, long threadlike antennae;
 * Thorax: FW with one or two marginal cells, without intercoastal vein;
 * Life Cycle: Females have saw-like ovipositors, use to cut slits thru barks of twigs, lay translucent eggs (this damages trees); Most (eruciform) larvae are (herbivores) external feeders on foliage, some leaf miners or gall makers; Single generation per year, overwinters in ground/protected places as a pupa/cocoon;
 * Misc Anatomy: 5-20mm; Brightly colored, black, brown; Somewhat flattened; mesosoma (or thorax) & the metasoma (abdomen) are broadly joined; Lack slender ‘wasp waist’ or petiole between thorax/abdomen;
 * Human Impact: Some serious plant pests, females damage trees while inserting eggs;
 * Habitat: Often found on flowers;
 * Diet: Herbivores; Don’t eat much, feed on foliage;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (803) 481

Siricidae (horntails)

 * Thorax: Pronotum in dorsal view wider than long & slender along midline than laterally;
 * Abdomen: Apex of abdomen w/ dorsally located spear (horn);
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Female has two long structures at apex of abdomen, the LOWER one is the ovipositor;
 * Life Cycle: Larval development takes 1-3 years; Larvae wood boring; *Misc Anatomy: Size varies tremendously, adults of same species from 1-5cm difference; Brown, blue, or black with yellow parts; No stinger;
 * Human Impact: Pests (attack weakened/dying/dead wood…);
 * Habitat: Attracted to fire damaged trees, live in forests;
 * Diet: Feed on wood;
 * Sociality: Non-social;
 * Misc: Lots of muscular power; Noisy fliers;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (804) 474, 477

Ichneumonidae (ichneumons)

 * Head: Antennae long, 16+ segments;
 * Thorax: FW lack a costal cell, horsehead cell visible in front wing, 2 recurrent veins, 2nd submarginal cell small or lacking, base of cubital vein lacking, 1st submarginal & 1st discoidal cells fused;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females ovipositor longer than body;
 * Misc Anatomy: 3-40mm; Many uniformly colored with yellow/black, others brightly patterned with black & brown or black & yellow; Most inject eggs directly into host’s body (larvae or pupa of other insects); Don’t sting but ovipositor can pierce skin; Darwin wrote about their cannibalism; Slender, wasplike;
 * Human Impact: Many pest control;
 * Habitat: Common almost everywhere;
 * Diet: Parasites, some cannibals?; Hosts- larvae & pupa of other insects, spiders;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA scorpion wasps;
 * Misc: Largest family of insects;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (808) 445, 453, 465

Cynipidae (gall wasps)

 * Head: Antennae straight, filiform, 13 seg in females, 14-15 in males;
 * Thorax: Wing venation simple, wing simple in structure; First tarsal seg very long;
 * Life Cycle: Reproduction is partly two-sex propagation & partly pre parthenogenesis, most have alteration of generations (one two sex, one parthenogenetic);
 * Misc Anatomy: 2-8mm; Drab colored, usually black; Use galls as refuge during development some parasitoids penetrate galls & parasitize the wasp; Larvae have no anuses; Have wasp-waist, abdomen oval & somewhat compressed & shiny; Most humpbacked;
 * Human Impact: Tree pests, galls in oak trees;
 * Habitat: Found on/around trees;
 * Diet: Adults short lived, don’t feed, larvae get nourishment from gall;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (813) 448, 449

Mutillidae (velvet-ants)

 * Sexual Dimorphism: Males winged, less hairy, look more like other wasps, Females wingless, very hairy, & may look like large ants but have no node (bump) on "waist" between abdomen & thorax (ants have one or two); Females Can sting;
 * Misc Anatomy: 6-30mm; Brightly colored, aposematic, most red; Wasps, NOT ants, lack petiole nodes; Exhibit haplodiploid sex determination;
 * Human Impact:
 * Habitat: Dry habitats; Some nocturnal, females often active during day;
 * Diet: Feed on nectar;
 * Sociality: Solitary; some are parasites;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA panda ants, cow killer ants;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (817) 325, 326, 327

Formicidae (ants)

 * Head: Long, broad, serrated jaws, used for digging, collecting food, fighting & cutting; Antennae elbowed, 6-13 seg, 1st seg very long(geniculate); Eyes have specialized cells that detect polarizing rays of light from sun, 3 ocelli;
 * Thorax: Workers wingless, reproductive winged, venation of winged forms normal or slightly reduced; Hooked claw at end of each leg;
 * Abdomen: 1st one or two abdominal segments nodelike, or with a dorsal hump, differing from remaining segments;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Only female reproductive caste have wings, tear off wings after mating, males die after mating;
 * Life Cycle: Queens live for several years, workers- a year to a few months, males die as soon as they mate (live for a few weeks);
 * Misc Anatomy: 1-25mm; Black, brown, or reddish;
 * Human Impact: Some pest control, some studied because of ability to solve complex problems, (pests) Non-sterile conditions, Some damage crops; Some sting/bite, some eject a foul smelling secretion from anus;
 * Habitat: Soil, leaf litter, dead wood;
 * Diet: Some predators/scavengers, preyed on by insect eating birds, toads, spiders, ground beetles; Food varies, some eat plant juices, others human food, some eat aphid honeydew;
 * Sociality: Eusocial, 3-caste system, winged reproductive male & female, sterile worker (females that can’t reproduce), soldier (bigger mandibles & head), have division of labor, communicate with sight & touch;
 * Misc: Summer = breeding season;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (821) 309, 310, 311, 312, 313,314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 321,322, 323, 446

Vespidae (paper wasps)

 * Head: Inner margin of eye notched;
 * Thorax: FW fold in half longitudinally, first discoidal cell in FW very long, half as long as wing or nearly so, folded longitudinally at rest; Legs normal length;
 * Life Cycle: New queens & drones produced end of summer;
 * Misc Anatomy: Bodies light brown, reddish brown or black with yellow markings, no hair; Back margin of pronotum U-shaped;
 * Habitat: Some pollinators, pest control;
 * Diet: Predators;
 * Sociality: Some eusocial like ants (most eusocial), others solitary;
 * Explanation of Name: AKA Hornets, Hornets & Yellowjackets, Paper Wasps, Potter Wasps, & Yellowjackets
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (832) 442, 444,467, 470, 478, 483, 486

Colletidae (plaster bees)

 * Head: Short, bilobed tonges; Some have greatly enlarged ocelli;
 * Thorax: Jugal lobe in HW longer than submedian cell;
 * Misc Anatomy: ~7-16mm; Black or white with yellow markings on face; Lack external pollen-carrying organ, carry pollen in crop; Hairy;
 * Human Impact:
 * Habitat: Nests in plant stems, plant galls, tunnels of wood-boring insects, abandoned nests of other bees & wasps, or in the ground; Some crepuscular (twilight);
 * Explanation of Name: AKA masked bees, called plaster bees because they smooth the walls of their nests with secretions from mouthparts;
 * Misc: Formerly regarded as most primitive Hymenoptera;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (851) 468, 492

Halictidae (Alkali/ sweat bees)

 * Thorax: Two or three submarginal cells in front wing, Basal vein in front wing strongly arched; Females carry pollen on the tibia & femur of their hind legs;
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Females can sting when pinched; Males can have yellow faces, more slender, don’t have scopa (area of hairs on leg used for pollen collection);
 * Misc Anatomy: 4-10mm, small-med sized; Body metallic, often shiny green; Most slender; Attracted to perspiration
 * Human Impact:Very important pollinators;
 * Habitat: Nest in the ground;
 * Diet: Herbivores; Feed on nectar;
 * Sociality: Solitary, some eusocial;
 * Explanation of Name: ‘sweat bee’- attracted to sweat;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (852) 510, 517, 518

Megachilidae (leaf cutter bees)

 * Head: Maxillary palps vestigial or well developed;
 * Thorax: Front wings with two submarginal cells, Jugal love of HW shorter than submedian cell, FW with two nearly equal sized submarginal cells; (No pollen collectors on legs);
 * Abdomen: Scopa (pollen carrying) on front side of abdomen (underside);
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Males die shortly after mating;
 * Misc Anatomy: 6-18mm; Black with pale yellow stripes on abdomen; Stout bodies;
 * Habitat: Found in fields with flowers;
 * Diet: Herbivore; All feed on nectar/pollen (few species called cukoo bees feed on pollen collected by other Megachilidae);
 * Sociality: Solitary;
 * Explanation of Name: Build nest cells out of leaves ‘leafcutters’, AKA mason bees, some Cuckoo bees;
 * Misc: Among the world’s most efficient pollinators;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (857-9) 482, 490, 493, 498

Apidae (bees)

 * Head: Maxillae & labium have evolved to form a tongue for collecting nectar ‘proboscis’; Straight antennae; Nocturnal species have larger eyes;
 * Thorax: First segment of hind tarsi enlarged & flattened, usually bearing a "pollen basket";
 * Sexual Dimorphism: Female larger; Males die shortly after mating;
 * Misc Anatomy: Short & stout; Yellow, black, honey brown in color; Body covered in numerous branched hairs; Most have painful sting;
 * Human Impact: Very beneficial pollinators, stings can injure, source of medicine or drug;
 * Habitat: Live anywhere without extreme cold;
 * Diet: Herbivores, preyed on by crab spiders, wasps, ants, bears; Drink nectar & pollen;
 * Sociality: Some eusocial, subsocial, solitary
 * Explanation of Name: Also contains honey bees, stingless bees, carpenter bees…;
 * Misc: Spring/summer- breeding season;
 * Audubon Plate Numbers: (862-4) 511, 505, 506