Insect Identifier

The general body plan of insects encompasses an exoskeleton made out of chitin covering fused body segments known as tagmata. The tagmata is made up of a head, thorax, and abdomen. The head contains the mouth, eyes, and antennae; six legs sprout from the thorax, which may also contain wings.

How To Identify Insects

The first question of insect identification is whether or not the insect in question has wings.

If it does not have wings, it is either a bristletail or a silverfish. The living orders can be distinguished by their coloration, and the presence of scales on the silverfish insect.

Bee Identification And Winged Insects

Winged insects belong to the subclass Pterygota. If the wings of the insect cannot fold back over the abdomen, the insect belongs in the orders Ephemeroptera, which make up the mayflies, or Odonata, which compose the dragonflies and damselflies. Mayflies are aquatic, dragonflies have large compound eyes, and damselflies are smaller than dragonflies and unlike dragonflies, hold their wings parallel to their torsos at rest. Bee identification is also a very interesting yet complex field.

If the wings of the insect can fold back over the abdomen, it belongs in the infraclass Neoptera, containing the rest of known insect species, whose taxonomy is currently a matter of debate. If the insect is small, brown, associated with freshwater lakes and streams, with an intricate vein pattern present on the wings, it is likely a stonefly.

Cockroach Identification Facts

Insects that do not have distinct stages of metamorphosis are grasshoppers, crickets, and locusts. Grasshoppers are large with short antennae, crickets are smaller with flatter thoraxes, and locusts travel in swarms.
If the body of the insect is long and cylindrical, with long legs and camouflaged pigmentation to match its surroundings, it is a stick insect. These insects are often confused with praying mantises. Beetle-like insects with flattened abdomens indicate cockroach identification. Insects mere millimeters in length can be lice or thrips.

Beetle Identification

The order Endypterygota, which includes butterflies, moths, fleas, ants, and beetle identification, is composed of insects with distinct stages of metamorphosis that can be easily distinguished from one another by their adult forms. Insect identification between different kinds of flies is difficult but classification can be established by looking at adult forms and checking for characteristics such as eye size and shape, chewing mouthparts, and wing type. Another special topic is worm identification covered in one of the next posts.

For insect identification, no handy guide exists that can be easily carried into the field. Large insect identification books and insect identification charts can be purchased at on-line and brick and mortar bookstores or had free on the Internet. However, an insect-hunter can still successfully identify a bug by keeping three items in mind.

Household Insect Identification

Insect Identification

Consider the habitat. If searching for a specific insect, be familiar with where to find them if you aren't just interested in household insect identification or  insect bites identification. Many species from butterflies to wasps can be found in gardens. Fields are excellent locations for crickets, and forests or swamps attract unique species. Some insects can only be found near water such as dragonflies.

Identify An Insect

To identify an insect the time of day is an important factor.

The activity of insects such as bees and butterflies normally peaks when the day’s temperature is at the highest — normally around noon. Other insects, such as mosquitoes, crank up their activity levels just as the sun is rising or setting. The earwig and the firefly, however, are nocturnal creatures.

Insect Identification Chart

The last item to consider in insect identification is field equipment. For novices or beginners interested in insect identification, a simple magnifying glass can show off an insect’s features much better than the unaided eye, and a camera allows photos to be taken so the insect can be later viewed or studied. Those more serious about insect identification may want to consider field collecting. Field collecting involves quite a bit of specialized equipment: a net, storage boxes, pins, pinning blocks, spreading boards, light and pitfall traps, killing jars, killing and preserving chemicals, assorted sized vials, and plastic bags. A collecting bag made of canvas or muslin can accommodate carrying much of the needed equipment into the field along with plant cuttings and found insects. For field equipment an insect identification chart can also be useful.

Flying Insect Identification

Examining several specific features about the bug found can help in the insect identification process as well. For example, check to see if there is any moving jaw or mouth parts. The type of mouth can lead to assumptions about the particular insect’s eating habits. Pincers indicate a predator, where as a straw-like mouth can indicate a vegetarian diet. Count the number of legs. If there are eight legs, what’s being examined is an arachnid such as a spider, as opposed to an insect, such as a beetle, which has six legs. Lastly, compare field results with some type of guide or check-list — whether a book or online web site.

You will learn a lot about mosquito identification, dragonfly identification as well as the insect life cycle and in some cases - household insect pests.