Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Nature/Insects

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1. Do one of the following:

a. Mount a collection of 20 species of insects representing at least six different orders excluding moths or butterflies. (Carelessly mounted specimens will not be acceptable.)

(1) Place under each specimen a label showing the locality where caught, the date caught, and the collector's name. Labels should not be larger than 1/4 x 3/4 inches (6 mm x 20 mm).

(2) Identify insects with common names and genus or species level on second labels to be mounted below the first.

(3) Arrange all specimens neatly in an insect box according to orders and families. Orders should be pinned to the box rather than attached to the individual insect pins.

b. Make colored drawings or paintings of 20 species of insects, representing at least six different orders. Drawings or paintings need to be life size or larger, to show the details of small insects, and in natural coloring. Label the drawings with common names and genus or species level names.

c. Take color photographs of 20 species of insects, representing at least six different orders. All pictures should be in focus, close-ups and properly labeled, showing where photographed, the date photographed, common names and genus or species level names.


Apis (Honey Bee)

Order: Hymenoptera

Where found: Worldwide

Description: Honey bees (or honeybees) are a subset of bees which represent a far smaller fraction of bee diversity than most people suspect; of the approximately 20,000 known species of bees, there are only seven presently-recognized species with a total of 44 subspecies (Engel, 1999; historically, anywhere from six to eleven species have been recognized). These bees are the only living members of the tribe Apini, all in the genus Apis, and all of which produce and store liquified sugar ("honey") to some degree, and construct colonial nests out of wax secreted by the workers in the colony. Other types of related bee produce and store honey, but only members of the genus Apis are considered true honey bees.



Anax junius (Green Darner)

Order: Odonata

Where found: North America

Description: is one of the biggest and fastest-flying dragonflies, able to reach speeds of 85 km/h (55 mph). This species has several nicknames, including "Darning Needle" for its speed, "Mosquito Hawk" for its predatory habits, and "Lord of June" for its abundance during the summer season. It is also Washington State's state insect.

Green Darner.jpg

Libellula lydia (Common Whitetail)

Where found: The Common Whitetail or Long-tailed Skimmer is a common dragonfly across much of North America.

Description: The male's chunky white body (about 5 cm long), combined with the brownish-black bands on its otherwise translucent wings, give it a checkered look. Females have a brown body, and are less noticeable, though they have a similar wing pattern. The Common Whitetail can be seen hawking for mosquitoes and other small flying insects over ponds, marshes, and slow-moving rivers in most regions except the higher mountain regions.

Common whitetail.jpg


Romalea guttata (Eastern lubber grasshopper)

Where found: Found in the southeastern and south central portion of the United States.

Description: The Eastern lubber grasshopper is the most distinctive grasshopper species within the southeastern United States, and is well known both for its size and its unique coloration.

Romalea microptera.jpg


Phasmatodea (Walking Sticks)

Order: Phasmatodea


Ctenomorpha chronus02.jpg


Blattodea (Cockroach)

Order: Blattodea

Description: Cockroaches (or simply "roaches") are insects of the order Blattodea. This name derives from the Latin word for "cockroach", blatta. Among the most well-known species are the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, which is about 30 mm (1 inch) long, the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, about 15 mm (1/2 inch) long, the Asian cockroach, Blattella asahinai, also about 15 mm (1/2 inch) in length, and the Oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis, about 25 mm (3/4 inch). Tropical cockroaches are often much bigger, and extinct cockroach relatives such as the Carboniferous Archimylacris and the Permian Apthoroblattina were several times as large as these. Cockroaches are generally considered pests; however, only about 30 species (less than 1%) infest urban habitats.



Isoptera (Termite)

Order: Isoptera


Coptotermes formosanus shiraki USGov k8204-7.jpg


Mantodea (Mantis)

Order: Mantodea


Praying mantis india.jpg


Psocoptera (Booklice)

Order: Psocoptera

Description: Psocoptera are an order of insects that are commonly known as booklice, barklice or barkflies.

They range in size from 1–10mm in length.

The species known as booklice received their common name because they are commonly found amongst old books — they feed upon the paste used in binding. The barklice are found harmlessly on trees, feeding on algae and lichen.



Thysanoptera (Thrips)




Phthiraptera (Lice)

Order: Phthiraptera




Lice image01.jpg


Coleoptera (Beetles)

Order: Coleoptera


Brachinus spPCCA20060328-2821B.jpg


Strepsiptera (Twisted-winged Parasites)

Order: Strepsiptera

Description: The Strepsiptera (known in older literature as twisted-winged parasites) are an order of parasitic insects with nine families making up about 600 species. Their hosts include bees, wasps, leafhoppers, silverfish, and cockroaches. Male Strepsiptera have wings, legs, eyes, and antennae, and look like flies, though they generally have no useful mouthparts. Females, in all families except the Mengenillidae, never leave their host and lack wings and legs. Males have a very short adult lifetime (usually less than five hours) and do not feed as adults. Many of their mouth parts are modified into sensory structures.



Raphidioptera (Snakefly)

Order: Raphidioptera

Description: Raphidioptera are characterized by having an elongate prothorax but no modification of the forelegs (as in Mantispidae). Females typically have a long ovipositor. The two extant families of snakeflies are the Raphidiidae and Inocelliidae. They are all predatory, both as adults and larvae, and in North America occur exclusively in the Western United States, but also occur throughout temperate Europe and Asia. They can be quite common.

Phaeostigma notata - Raphidie - Mouche serpent.jpg


Megaloptera (Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies)

Order: Megaloptera

Megaloptera, from the Greek words mega, meaning large, and ptera, meaning wing, undergo the most rudimentary form of complete metamorphosis among the insects (there are fewer differences between the larval and adult forms of Megaloptera than in any other order of insects), and their aquatic larvae dwell in fresh water, around which the adults also live. Females lay their eggs in large masses on vegetation that is proximate to water. The larvae are carnivorous, possessing strong jaws that they use to capture other aquatic insects. They grow slowly, taking several years to reach the last larval stage. When they reach maturity, the larvae crawl out onto land to pupate in damp soil or under logs. The short-lived adults emerge later to mate - many species never feed as adults, living only a few days or hours. The most well-known of the Megaloptera is probably the dobsonfly, in which males have tusk-like mandibles - but while formidable in appearance, they are relatively harmless to humans, as well as all other organisms. These huge mandibles, much like a peacock's feathers, serve no purpose other than to attract mates. Hellgrammites, which are dobsonfly larvae, are often used for bait.

There are about 300 known species.

Sialis spPCCA20050708-9036A.jpg


Neuroptera (Net-winged insects)

Order: Neuroptera




As in other orders, there is a pupal stage, generally enclosed in some form of cocoon composed of silk and soil or other debris. Adults of many groups are also predatory, but some do not feed, or consume only nectar.

Chrysopidae 3035.jpg


Mecoptera (Scorpionflies)

Order: Mecoptera

Description: Mecoptera (from the Greek: meco- = "long", ptera- = "wings") are an order of insects with about 550 species in nine families worldwide. The Bittacidae, or hangingflies, are a prominent family of elongate insects known for their elaborate mating rituals, in which females choose mates based on the quality of gift prey offered by various males.

Bittacidae fg1.jpg


Siphonaptera (Flea)

Order: Siphonaptera

Description: Fleas are external parasites, living off the blood of mammals and birds.

Fleas are small (1/16 to 1/8-inch (1.5 to 3.3 mm) long), agile, usually dark colored (for example, the reddish-brown of the cat flea), wingless insects with tube-like mouthparts adapted to feeding on the blood of their hosts. Their bodies are flattened side to side, permitting easy movement through the hairs or feathers on the host's body. Their legs are long, the hind pair well adapted for jumping (vertically up to seven inches (18 cm); horizontally thirteen inches (33 cm) - around 200 times their own body length, making the flea the best jumper out of all animals (in comparison to body size). The flea body is hard, polished, and covered with many hairs and short spines directed backward, allowing the flea a smooth passage through the hairs of its host.


Besides the problems posed by the creature itself, fleas can also act as a vector for disease. For example, fleas transmitted the bubonic plague between rodents and humans by carrying Yersinia pestis bacteria.

Scanning Electron Micrograph of a Flea.jpg


Diptera (Flies)

Order: Diptera


Calliphora spec.jpg


Lepidoptera (Butterflies, Moths and Skippers)

Order: Lepidoptera

Description: Lepidopterans undergo complete metamorphosis, going through a four-stage life cycle:
  1. egg
  2. larva/caterpillar
  3. pupa/chrysalis
  4. imago/adult.

The larvae, caterpillars, have a toughened head capsule, chewing mouthparts, and a soft body, that may have hair-like or other projections, 3 pairs of true legs, and additional prolegs (up to 5 pairs).


Parthenos sylvia philippensis.jpg

2. What are the distinguishing characteristics of an insect?


3. Name five species of injurious insects and tell how to control them.


4. Name five species of useful insects.


5. Tell two Bible stories in which insects played an important part.

  • Exodus 8:21-31: God sent a plague of flies on Egypt.
  • Exodus 10:1-18: God sent a plague of locusts on Egypt.
  • Proverbs 6:6-8: The ant "stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest."
  • Jonah 4:5-11: God used a worm to teach Jonah about His concern for people.
  • Acts 12:20-23: King Herod was eaten by worms and died.