Kids Encyclopedia

Wasp — A wasp is any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is not a bee or ant. The suborder Symphyta includes the sawflies and wood wasps, which differ from members of Apocrita by having a broader connection between the mesosoma and metasoma. In addition to this, Symphyta larvae are mostly herbivorous and “caterpillar like”, whereas those …

Water Beetle — A water beetle is a beetle adapted to living in water. A number of different types are known, nearly all living in or on fresh water. The few marine species tend to live in the intertidal zone. Many water beetles carry an air bubble underneath their abdomens, which both provides an air supply, and prevents water from …

Weevil — A weevil is any beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. They are usually small, less than 6 mm (� inch), and herbivorous. Due to the shape of their heads, weevils are commonly known as snout beetles. There are over 60,000 species in several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae (the true weevils). Some other beetles, although not closely related, …

Praying Mantis — The insect order Mantodea or mantises consists of approximatively 2,300 species worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats, of which a majority are in the family Mantidae. For most of the past century, only this single family was recognized within the order, and the term “mantid” was therefore historically used for any member of the order; technically, however, …

Mosquito — The mosquitos are insects which make up the family Culicidae. They have a pair of scaled wings, a pair of halteres, a slender body, and long legs. The females of most mosquito species suck blood (hematophagy) from other animals, which has made them one of the most deadly disease vectors known to man, killing millions of people over …

Midge — Midges are widely distributed in the United States and Canada. The most common midges people complain about are non-biting nuisance pests belonging to the family Chironomidae. The general public often refers to them as “gnats.” Chironomus midges are similar in appearance to the mosquito, but they cannot bite. Midges have plumose antennae that resemble a small feather. They …

Mantisfly — Mantispidae is a family of small (20–47 mm) neuropterous insects, known as mantid-flies, mantid lacewings or mantis-flies. Mantisflies (family Mantispidae, order Neuroptera) resemble the praying mantis in having a lengthened prothorax and the front legs fitted for grasping prey. They are generally less than 25 mm (1 in) long and have four membranous wings. The adults feed on …

Locust — Locust is the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae. The origins and an apparent extinction of certain species of locust—some of which reached 6 inches (15 cm) in length—are unclear. These are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory. They form bands as nymphs and swarms as adults …

Leaf Beetle — Beetles in the family Chrysomelidae are commonly known as leaf beetles. This is a family of over 35,000 species in more than 2,500 genera, one of the largest and most commonly-encountered of all beetle families. Leaf beetles are partially recognizable by their tarsal formula, which appears to be 4-4-4, but is actually 5-5-5.They are distinguished with difficulty …

Lacewing — Green lacewings are insects in the very large family Chrysopidae of the order Neuroptera. There are three subfamilies (Apochrysinae, Nothochrysinae and Chrysopinae), 87 genera and about 1,300 species. Lacewings are widespread insects; the genus Chrysoperla is very common in North America. Their larvae are voracious predators, attacking most insects of suitable size, especially soft-bodied ones (aphids, caterpillars and …