Explore Popular Insects: Names, Photos & Key Body Parts
Insects are the largest group of animals. About 75 percent of all animals come under the insect category. The insects were developed on Earth long before humans did. Today, there are about 1 million known species and types of insects. Scientists are still constantly discovering new species of insects.
The insects are found all over the world. They can survive globally at any place where food is available. For instance, insects can be found in cold regions, hot rainforests, deserts, mountains, caves, and freshwater. Even a few kinds of insects live in saltwater.
What are Insects?
The insects are members of a larger group called the arthropods. This is the group of insects that includes spiders, ticks, centipedes, lobsters, and crabs. Like all other arthropods, the insects also have a body that is divided into segments or sections. They also don't have a skeleton inside the body.
Instead of the skeleton, the insects and other arthropods have a covering on the outside of the body known as an exoskeleton. This exoskeleton helps them to protect their body. Unlike other arthropods, insects have three main body segments. The insects also contain six legs. In this way, the insects differ from the spiders, with eight legs. The insects also contain at least one pair of antennas.
Different Parts of Insects
Parts of an Insect
The parts of an insect are listed below:
Antenna
Simple eye
Compound eye
Frong wing
Hind wing
Leg
Abdomen
Thorax
Head
It is divided into three major segments, i.e., the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. The head has the insect’s antennae, mouthparts, and eyes. The adults of insects and many species have two kinds of eyes, i.e., simple and compound. The compound eyes contain many lenslike parts. Each of these captures a separate image. These images are combined into a single picture in an insect's brain.
Thorax
The thorax contains three pairs of legs and mainly two pairs of wings. Some insects contain only one pair of wings or have no wings at all. The insects can vary greatly in size. So many insects are small in size, less than 0.2 inches (6 millimetres) long. Whereas some insects known as walking sticks can grow to more than 12 inches (30 centimetres) long. The abdomen of an insect is made up of a maximum of 11 segments. It contains organs that digest food, then pushes out waste, and helps the insect to reproduce.
Insects Pictures with Names for Kids
The below-given picture shows the insects with the name.
Butterflies
The butterflies have four wings. They use their feet to taste and smell the flowers. They also have two antennas which help them know the time of the day. They don’t have mouths, they have a long straw-like tongue known as a proboscis.
Butterfly
Beetles
The Beatles are found in a variety of colours. They are one of the world's oldest animals. They can live everywhere as they can live in the hot environment as well as in the coldest ones. Mostly, the lifespan of a beetle is one year. They are not considered pests.
Beetle
Ants
The ants live with their queen in the colony. When the queen dies, a colony cannot survive more than a few months. They can lift more than 10 to 15 times their body weight.
Ant
Flies
The flies can be found everywhere in the world except for the ice caps of the South and North poles. They have the ability to taste with their feet. They can multiply so quickly. There are some diseases that spread through flies.
House Fly
Grasshoppers
The grasshoppers have long legs, hence they are good at jumping. They have special eyes that allow them to see in all directions at once. Some grasshoppers have the ability to fly. Mostly, they are found in green or brown colours.
Grasshopper
Fun Facts
Many insects are helpful to humans and to other animals. Some species of insects eat other insects that are pests. The insects are also a type of food for other animals. There are insects that produce valuable products such as honey, silk, and dyes. So many flowering plants are dependent on insects, for example, the bees to help them reproduce. As insects feed on flowers, they spread a substance called pollen from the male parts of flowers to the female parts. This allows the female parts to make seeds.
Summary
The insects have so many different ways to protect themselves from their enemies. For example, some insects hide by blending into their surroundings.
There are some insects that live alone, while others live in groups. Insects eat many plants, animals, and other living things. Mainly the insects hatch from eggs. Only a few kinds are born alive.
FAQs on Insect Names and Parts for Kids
1. What is an insect, explained in simple words for kids?
An insect is a very small type of animal that belongs to a group called arthropods. To be a true insect, it must have three main features: a body divided into three parts (head, thorax, and abdomen), six legs, and a pair of antennae on its head to feel and smell.
2. What are the main characteristics that all insects share?
All insects have a few things in common that make them unique. The most important characteristics are:
Three Body Parts: A head with eyes and mouth, a thorax where the legs and wings are attached, and an abdomen.
Six Legs: All insects have exactly six jointed legs, attached to their thorax.
Antennae: They have a pair of antennae on their head, which they use for sensing their surroundings.
Exoskeleton: Instead of bones inside, they have a hard, protective shell on the outside called an exoskeleton.
3. What are some common examples of insects I can find around my home or in the garden?
You can find many different insects right outside your door! Some of the most common ones include ants marching in a line, beautiful butterflies flying among flowers, buzzing bees, hopping grasshoppers in the grass, and tiny ladybugs on leaves. Even houseflies and mosquitoes are insects.
4. What is the difference between an insect and a spider?
This is a common point of confusion! The easiest way to tell the difference is by counting their legs. Insects always have six legs and three body parts. Spiders, on the other hand, are not insects; they are arachnids and have eight legs and only two main body parts.
5. How do insects like butterflies grow and change throughout their lives?
Many insects go through an amazing change called metamorphosis. A butterfly, for example, doesn't start its life as a butterfly. It goes through four distinct stages:
It starts as an egg.
It hatches into a larva, which we call a caterpillar.
The caterpillar forms a protective case and becomes a pupa (or chrysalis).
Finally, it emerges as a beautiful, winged adult butterfly.
6. Why are insects so important for our planet?
Insects play a huge and vital role in the environment. They are important because they pollinate plants, which helps grow the fruits and vegetables we eat. They also serve as a crucial food source for many birds, fish, and other animals. Additionally, some insects help clean up nature by breaking down dead leaves and animals.
7. Are all insects friendly and helpful?
While many insects like bees and butterflies are very helpful, not all of them are. Some insects can be harmful to humans, animals, or plants. For example, mosquitoes can bite and spread diseases, and locusts can eat entire fields of crops. This is why some insects are considered pests.
8. Why do some insects, like ants and bees, live together in large groups?
Insects like ants and bees are called social insects because they live and work together in large, organised communities called colonies. They do this for survival. Each insect has a specific job—like finding food, building the nest, or protecting the queen—which helps the entire colony grow and stay safe, something a single insect could not do on its own.
