Introduction
The insects are from the Class Insecta, Phylum Arthropoda, Kingdom
Animalia, and there are about 1 million species, what makes it the most
numerous class. They occur in almost all of the Earth's environments.
One of the main imediate identification of external characteristics of the
insects is the existence of distinct head, chest and abdomen and 3 couples of
articulated legs in all of them.
By their way of life insects
can be divided into solitaries and social. Among social insects, distinction
for ants and bees, that are well known.
The Science that studies insects is called ENTOMOLOGY.
In relation to men, many insects are useful (ex.: bees). On the other hand
they can bring prejudice (ex.: mosquitoes).
Besides insects being in a great number, they are practically the firt victims
of environmental degradation, when there is a deforestment and mainly with
insecticides aplication.
Classification
As all scientific systematic classification, in the insects there are also
differences.
We have taken as basis Costa Lima's classification, used by many authors and
quoted by Carrara, also using another sources, also increasing the number of
families and species.
As in all systematic scientific classification, in the insect class there are also some differences.
CLASS INSECTA
SUBCLASS
Apterygogenea (Brauer,1885)
Order Collembola (Lubock, 1869),10
fam., 2.000 sp.
Order Thysanura (Latreille,1796), 9
fam., 500 sp.
SUBCLASS Pterygogenea (Brauer, 1885)
Order Ephemerida (Leach,
1817)
Order Odonata (Fabrício, 1792)
Order
Blattariae (Latreille, 1810)
Order
Mantodea (Burmeister, 1838)
Order Isoptera (Brullé,1832),
6 fam., 2000 sp.
Order Zoraptera (Silvestri, 1913)
Order Perlariae (Latreille, 1802)
Order Grylloblattodea (Brues & Melander, 1915)
Order Phasmida (Leach, 1815)
Order Orthoptera (Olivier,1811),
50 fam., 23.000 esp. Some families: Acrididae, Blattidae, Grillidae, Mantidae, Phasmidae
Order Embiidina (Hagen,1816)
Order
Dermaptera (De Geer,1772),
32fam., 1.100 sp.
Order Diploglossata
(Saussure, 1879)
Order Coleoptera (Lineu, 1758), 184 fam., 280.000 sp.; Families:
Carabidae, Lanpyridae etc.;
Order Neuroptera (Lineu, 1758), 23 fam., 4.700 sp.
Order Panorpatae (Latreille,
1802)
Order Trichoptera (Kirby,
1813), 19 fam., 4.500 sp
Order Lepidoptera (Lineu, 1758),
118 fam., 150.000 sp.
Order Diptera (Lineu,
1758), 138 fam., 85.000
sp. Families: Culicidae
Order Siphonaptera (Latreille,1802), 7 fam., 6600 sp
Order Strepsiptera (Kirby,
1813), 8 fam., 300 sp
Order
Hymenoptera (Lineu,1758),
109 fam., 105.000 sp. Families: Apidae,
Formicidae, Vesperidae etc.
Order Corrodentia (Burmeister,1839)
Order Mallophaga (Nitzsch,1815)
Order Anoplura (Leach,
1815)
Order
Thysanoptera (Haliday,1836)
Order Homoptera (Latreille,1817),
63 fam., 32.000 sp. Families: Cicadidae,
Fulgoridae;
Order Hemiptera (Lineu,1758),
56 fam., 40.000 sp.
Bibliography
-
CARRERA, Messias. Entomologia para você.
Nobel. São Paulo.1989
-
LIMA, A. da Costa. Insetos do Brasil, Esc. Nac. Agron., Rio de Janeiro,
12 Vols. 1939-1962.
-
OTERO, Luiz Soledade. Borboletas. Livro
do Naturalista. FAE. Rio de Janeiro.1986.
-
STORNER, I. et al. Zoologia geral.Ed.Nacional.SP.6ª ed.1995
Sites
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Entomologia on Line
-
Insects on WWW
-
O.
Orkin Insect Zoo
