Insect Facts
Whether you love them or you are bothered by them, insects are everywhere. You can see them in your garden, on trees, on television shows, and even in zoos.
They can be helpful, like bees, or annoying, like mosquitos. They make up the largest group of animals on Earth.
Keep reading to find out more interesting facts about insects.
What are the characteristics of an insect?
There are between six and ten million different types of insects, and they come in thousands of shapes, colors, and sizes.
Although there are many ways that insects are different, there are a few characteristics they all have in common. Insects are invertebrates, which means that they do not have a backbone.
All insects have three parts to their bodies: the head, the abdomen, and the thorax.
They have two antennae on their head and have six legs. Insects are cold-blooded, which means that their body temperature changes depending on how warm or cold the air around them is.
Most insects hatch from eggs.
Where do insects live?
Insects can be found in almost every type of environment in every country in the world. The only environment insects are not commonly found is the ocean, as it is more common for other types of animals to live there. Insects are the most diverse group of animals on Earth, and they make up over half of all organisms on the planet.
What do insects like to eat?
What an insect eats is as different as the types of species there are. About half of all insects are herbivores, which means that they eat only plants.
These plant-eating insects feed on leaves, roots, nectar from flowers, seeds, or wood.
Some insects are known as predators that hunt other small insects and animals.
An example of one of these predators is the praying mantis. Other insects are known as parasites, which means that they live on and eat the flesh or blood of larger animals without killing them. Fleas and lice are types of parasites.
What are some benefits of insects?
Although many people think of insects as pests that can be annoying and irritating, there are actually many insects that benefit the environment and humans.
Insects like wasps, bees, butterflies, and ants help to pollinate flowers when they are collecting nectar from them.
Thanks to flowering plants being pollinated, humans are able to have healthy crops and plants as well as beautiful flowers and trees.
Ants help with spreading plant seeds all over, which makes a big difference in creating a healthy environment.
Can insects communicate with each other?
Some animals are extremely social and will communicate with each other and live closely together. Insects were some of the flesh organisms to make sounds to talk to each other, and most of them use parts of their bodies to create these sounds.
Grasshoppers and crickets are able to communicate with each other by rubbing their legs together to make a chirp.
Cicadas are the loudest of all insects, and they are able to make sounds with special changes in their bodies. Insects will communicate with each other to signal each other, warn about predators, try to attract a mate, or send a message.
Quick Facts:
Insects are invertebrates, which means they have no backbone.
Insects have six legs, antennae, and three parts to their body.
There are between six and ten million different types of insects.
They can eat plants, other animals, and even blood.
Not all insects are pests; some are beneficial to humans and the environment.
Whether you are enjoying the beauty of a butterfly, or swatting away a mosquito, insects are a huge part of our world that can be beneficial or slightly irritating.
No matter how big or small these animals are, insects rule the planet and are the largest species on Earth. By learning more about these amazing creatures, we can protect all of the good they do.
