Insect Orders

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Angel Insects

Zoraptera

One of the smallest and least-known insect orders with about 40 species. Tiny gregarious insects found under bark feeding on fungal spores....

5 species 🐝

Ants, Bees & Wasps

Hymenoptera

One of the most ecologically important orders, including key pollinators and social insects. Many species exhibit complex social behavior an...

183 species 🪲

Beetles

Coleoptera

The largest order of insects, comprising about 25% of all known animal species. Beetles are found in nearly every habitat and are distinguis...

444 species 🦋

Butterflies & Moths

Lepidoptera

Known for their large, often colorful wings covered in tiny scales. Lepidoptera undergo complete metamorphosis through egg, larva, pupa, and...

373 species 🏠

Caddisflies

Trichoptera

Closely related to moths. Their aquatic larvae are famous for building portable cases from silk, sand, pebbles, and plant material. Key indi...

37 species 🪳

Cockroaches & Termites

Blattodea

One of the most ancient insect orders, dating back over 300 million years. Includes both cockroaches and termites, which were recently recla...

59 species 🦷

Dobsonflies & Alderflies

Megaloptera

Large-winged insects with aquatic larvae. Males of some dobsonfly species have enormous sickle-shaped mandibles used in mating combat....

19 species 🪻

Dragonflies & Damselflies

Odonata

Ancient predatory insects with large multifaceted eyes and two pairs of strong transparent wings. They are agile fliers and important predat...

97 species ✂️

Earwigs

Dermaptera

Recognizable by the forceps-like pincers (cerci) on their abdomen. Despite myths, earwigs do not enter human ears. Most are nocturnal omnivo...

19 species 🦠

Fleas

Siphonaptera

Wingless parasites with laterally compressed bodies and powerful jumping legs. They can jump up to 150 times their body length and are vecto...

17 species 🪰

Flies

Diptera

Characterized by having only two wings, with the hindwings reduced to halteres used for balance. Diptera includes mosquitoes, gnats, midges,...

112 species 🗡️

Gladiators

Mantophasmatodea

The most recently described insect order, discovered in 2002. Small wingless predatory insects found only in Africa, sometimes called heelwa...

4 species 🦗

Grasshoppers & Crickets

Orthoptera

Known for their powerful hind legs adapted for jumping. Many species produce sounds by stridulation and are important herbivores in grasslan...

142 species 🧊

Ice Crawlers

Grylloblattodea

Rare wingless insects found in cold mountainous environments. They live on glaciers and snowfields at near-freezing temperatures....

5 species 🧚

Lacewings & Antlions

Neuroptera

Delicate insects with large, veined wings. Lacewing larvae are voracious predators of aphids, while antlion larvae build conical sand traps....

34 species 🔬

Lice

Phthiraptera

Obligate parasites that live on birds and mammals. They have flattened bodies and strong claws for gripping hair or feathers. Species-specif...

15 species 🙏

Mantises

Mantodea

Predatory insects known for their raptorial forelegs and triangular heads that can rotate 180 degrees. They are ambush predators with excell...

60 species 🪽

Mayflies

Ephemeroptera

Among the most ancient winged insects. Adults live only hours to days, just long enough to mate. Their aquatic nymphs are important indicato...

35 species 🦂

Scorpionflies

Mecoptera

Named for the males upturned abdomen tip that resembles a scorpion stinger but is harmless. They are considered among the most primitive hol...

11 species 🪵

Stick Insects

Phasmatodea

Masters of camouflage that resemble twigs, leaves, or bark. Some species can reproduce parthenogenetically and many can regenerate lost limb...

55 species 🪨

Stoneflies

Plecoptera

Aquatic insects found near clean, cold streams. Their nymphs require high-oxygen water, making adults excellent bioindicators of water quali...

29 species 🏗️

Termites (traditional)

Isoptera

Now classified within Blattodea, termites are eusocial insects that build elaborate mound structures. They play crucial roles in decompositi...

0 species 🌾

Thrips

Thysanoptera

Tiny slender insects with fringed wings. Many are agricultural pests that damage crops by feeding on plant juices. Some species are predator...

10 species 🐛

True Bugs

Hemiptera

Distinguished by their piercing-sucking mouthparts. Includes cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield...

123 species 🔀

Twisted-Wing Parasites

Strepsiptera

Bizarre endoparasitic insects with extreme sexual dimorphism. Males have twisted hindwings while females are often limbless and spend their ...

1 species