Insects Are Intriguing! Trivia Quiz

Answer:

First of all, it really isn't possible to tell you about all of the different kinds of insects here. Why not? Well, there are more species of insects today than any other type of animal in the world. Although sources do not always agree on exact numbers, there are about 900,000 kinds of insects known around the world that have been described, and, according to the Smithsonian, many scientists believe there might be that many more alive today that haven't yet been described! In fact, it has been estimated that there are 10 quintillion insects alive in our world! That's a bit scary, isn't it? We don't typically like hanging around with insects very much!

Now, obviously, we can't talk about every insect here, so the five most diverse orders - known as the Big Five in the insect world - are represented in the quiz. That means that these five groups have the largest number of species within the class Insecta.

Members of the order known as Hemiptera are typically called true bugs. Their main commonality is their mouth, which comes equipped for sucking things like plant sap, body fluids, or even blood. Aphids are garden pests that are found on plants. Although they do not eat the plant, their sap sucking does damage the leaves and stems. They are so small that the wind can blow them from garden to garden.

Their cousins, the cicadas, - those red eyes are really creepy, aren't they? - also extract plant sap. We must mention them this year (2024) because in some areas of Missouri there have been two different broods (13 year and 17 year) emerging from the soil, the first time that has happened since 1803. They make so much noise that it is positively deafening at some times of the day. While they seem harmless, they do land on people, which can cause quite a commotion. And - they don't usually bite or sting, but they can pierce the skin and suck. Yuck! And what about members of the order Hemiptera that suck blood rather than plant sap? That group includes bedbugs and those scary assassin bugs that can also carry disease. Yikes!

The largest of the groups discussed here is order Coleoptera, or beetles, with an estimated 400,000 species. It may surprise you that lady bugs are not a true bug, but a beetle, and it is true that some of the members of the order are called bugs when they are really beetles. Anyway, members of this order have a hard exoskeleton and their front wings, called elytra, are just as hard. Lady bugs are an example of a beneficial insect. They help to control aphid populations and are said to be able to eat an estimated 5,000 of them in their lifetime. Their bright color warns predators that they are not especially tasty to eat!

Weevils, however, are beetles that are destructive pests in spite of their tiny quarter-inch size, because they are able to destroy entire grain or cotton crops. Females lay their eggs in unripe cotton bolls or in a hole they have made in a kernel of grain, and the young eat their way out when they hatch. There are some species of weevils that can fly.

Moths and butterflies are members of the Lepidoptera, or scale-winged order. They have scales that cover their bodies, large triangular wings, and a proboscis, a mouth that is used to collect nectar. Both are extremely important in helping with plant pollination. Their main differences are easy to spot! Butterflies tend to be brighter in color than moths, and, while butterflies are seen flying about in the daylight, moths are mostly seen at night. There are new species of the two found all the time; however, at this time there are approximately 12,000-15,000 known species of butterflies and an amazing 150,000-250,000 species of moths.

Members of the order Hymenoptera include ants, bees, and wasps. The order has been around for a long time, going all the way back to the Triassic period, which began over 250 million years ago. In fact, about 2,000 species are now extinct and approximately 150,000 living species have been identified. While most have very narrow waists, not all do. Members of the order that have wings have two pairs, and females possess a modified ovipositor that features a stinger. Their mouths and eyes are also similarly constructed.

Not all ants have stingers, but many species are known to bite. Some bite and sting. Unlike their cousins, most ants don't have wings. It is a well-known fact that they are hard workers, and some can carry fifty times their weight.

Bees and wasps look more similar to each other than they do to their relatives, the ants, although they do have some differences. Wasps have a narrow waist and can sting multiple times. Bumble bees lose their stinger after using it once, and their bodies appear to be hairy. Both are important plant pollinators.

The last of the insect Big Five is the order Diptera, which scientists think might contain one million species, however, only about 125,000 species have been identified. The order includes all sorts of flies, like house flies, as well as mosquitoes, all of which only have one set of wings. Some also have a set of halteres, very small modified wings, which they use to help with balance. All only consume liquids through mouth parts that suck. Even though they are pests and carry all kinds of disease, members of the order Diptera are also important plant pollinators.

The main difference between the various species of flies and mosquitos is how and what they eat. While they have similar mouth parts, the female mosquito will use its proboscis to penetrate the skin of humans and animals and feed on their blood. Male mosquitos rely on sources like nectar for food. Flies, on the other hand, liquefy their food, such as fruits and vegetables, by secreting juices on it. Then they can suck it up with their proboscis.

Wow! As you can see the insect world contains many different and varied creatures. One source said that in a typical one square mile radius in a forest or jungle there can be more insects than all the people on earth!