Getting to know the insects

Insects participate in pollination by flying from flower to flower, but in fact ... what is an insect?

 

General morphology

 

Photographie d'un papillon décrivant la morphologie générale insectes avec : la tête, le thorax, l'abdomen, les 3 paires de pattes, les 2 paires d'ailes, la paire d'antenne et les pièces buccales
General morphology of the insects.  © Laure Turcati, photo issue de la collection SPIPOLL du 22/09/2011 à Vauvert (30341) réalisée par Valie

The body of insects is composed of three distinct parts, from the front to the back of the body: the head, the thorax and the abdomen. The head carries a pair of antennae, a pair of eyes and the mouth, which consists of mouth parts. The legs are carried on the thorax. Most insects also have two pairs of wings on the thorax.

 

The place of insects in the classification

Insects are arthropods, with an external skeleton and jointed legs, such as Langoustines and Green Crabs. What differentiates insects from other arthropods is that they have 6 legs and also have a pair of antennae.

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The development of insects

In this timelapse made from 2500 photos, you can see a larva transforming into a worker bee. Comfortably installed in a hive cell, a larva patiently awaits its transformation into a worker bee. The video was published in the electronic version of National Geographic in Japan (May 2015).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBwoW6Q6oXY