Easy Key to Insect Orders

Easy Key to Insect Orders

This simple key is not meant to take the place of a comprehensive identification key.

It is provided as a reference to compare some, not all, of the insect orders.

Insects With Wings
1a Insect has conspicuous wings	2
1b. Wings inconspicuous or absent	11
2a. One pair of wings	3
2b. Two pairs of wings	4
Insects With One Pair of Wings
3. Only one pair of wings. Mosquito Fly	Order Diptera Mosquitos House Fly Black Fly Often found near water Complete metamorphosis
Insects With Two Pair of Wings
4a. The two pairs of wings are unlike in structure, first pair thicker than second	5
4b. The two pairs of wings are similar in structure, about the same thickness	8
5a. First pair of wings hard and shell-like Beetle	Order Coleoptera The Beetles Lady Beetle Fireflies Japanese Beetle Found in all habitats Complete metamorphosis
5b. Some part of the first pair of wings leathery	6
6a. First pair of wings leathery at base and membraneous at tip, sucking mouth parts Squash Bug	Order Hemiptera Suborder Heteroptera The True Bugs Boxelder Bug Squash Bug Found in all habitats Simple metamorphosis
6b. First pair of wings leathery and veined throughout, chewing mouthparts	7
7a. Six walking legs Cockroach	Order Blattoidea American Cockroach German Cockroach Found on ground or vegetation Simple metamorphosis Other Orders include: Mantodea (Praying Mantis), Phasmatodea (walkingsticks)
7b. Hind legs long and designed for jumping Grasshopper Cricket	Order Orthoptera Grasshoppers Crickets Found on ground or vegetation Simple metamorphosis
8a. Wings covered with scales Butterfly Moth	Order Lepidoptera Butterfiles and Moths Found on vegetation Complete metamorphosis
8b. Wings not covered with scales (clear and membrane-like)	9
9a. Mouth parts a tube for sucking Cicada	Order Hemiptera Suborder Homoptera Cicadas, Aphids Found on vegetation Simple metamorphosis
9b. Mouth parts not a sucking tube	10
10a. Wings with few or no veins Bee Wasp	Order Hymenoptera Honey Bees Carpenter Bees Mud Daubers Hornets Yellowjackets Found on ground or vegetation Complete metamorphosis Other Orders include: Order Thysanoptera (Thrips)
10b. Wings with many veins; Long slender insects with equal-sized long narrow wings, tiny antennae Dragonfly Damselfly	Order Odonta Dragonflies Damselflies Found near water Simple metamorphosis, Aquatic nymphs Other Orders include: Order Mecoptera (Scorpionflies), Order Plecoptera (Stoneflies) Order Neuroptera (Lacewings), Order Isoptera (Termites)
Insects Without Wings
11. Many of insects do not have wings as adults. Some of those are below:
Ants. Narrow waisted with no tail-like projections (caudal cerci) on tip of abdomen Ants	Order Hymenoptera Ants Carpenter Ants Found on ground or vegetation Complete metamorphosis
Termites. Wide waisted with two short caudal cerci on tip of abdomen Worker Termite Soldier Termite	Order Isoptera Termites Found in ground or wood Simple metamorphosis
Fleas. Small insects flattened from side to side, sucking mouth parts, hind legs for jumping Flea	Order Siphonaptera Fleas Found on birds and mammals Complete metamorphosis
Silverfish. Very delicate insects with long, jointed thread-like tails and antennae Silverfish	Order Thysanura Silverfish Found in debris Simple metamorphosis

Key modified for EISCA from one used by The Internet Science Room, Frontier High School, Red Rock, OK, http://scienceroom.frontierok.com