Insect Taxonomy Pt. 1

2. Insect Taxonomy Pt. 1 • Scientific and common names • General characteristics of appearance • Total number of families in U.S. and estimate for the number of families in Texas • Description of some of the more common or more economically/ecologically important families • Ideas where you can find members of an order, how to collect them • How to preserve them • The likelihood of encountering/collecting them

3. Insect Taxonomy Pt. 1 • What to expect on the practical: • You’ll need to know the common and scientific names for: • 29 Orders • ~14 Suborders • ~110 Families • Some ecological or biological information • i.e. male/female for some Orders or families • Predators/herbivores

4. Insect Taxonomy Pt. 1 • On the second practical: • Some Order level questions will be intentionally tricky, this is to determine if you understand the characteristics that define the Order. • Family level questions will be more straight forward

5. Insect Taxonomy Pt. 1 • Observations, dichotomous keys…. • Trying something new… • Identifying insects to family, some of this can be done strictly by sight, others will require you to pick them up and look for key features • Keep in mind that insects are incredibly diverse across Orders and even Families. Learn characters, not colors, size, etc.

6. Insect Taxonomy Pt. 1 • Use your time wisely. This week focuses primarily on Orders, but in future weeks there will be numerous families. • You will be able to use your drawings and notes on the practical.

7. Insect Taxonomy Pt. 1

8. Collembola • Common name: • Springtails • Appearance: • Size: small (<1-12mm) • Color: white, purple, brown, pink, yellow, some have patterns • Distinguishing Characteristics: collophore, furcula, tufts of hair

9. Collembola • Families in US (12) • Poduridae • Hypogastruridae • Onychiuridae • Isotomidae • Entomobryidae • Neelidae • Sminthuridae • Mackenziellidae • Tomoceridae • Cyphoderidae • Oncopoduridae • Paronellidae

10. Collembola • Families in Texas (9) • Poduridae • Hypogastruridae • Onychiuridae • Isotomidae • Entomobryidae • Neelidae • Sminthuridae • Mackenziellidae • Tomoceridae • Cyphoderidae ? • Oncopoduridae ? • Paronellidae

11. Collembola • Where do you find them? • Freshwater ponds, snow, under loose bark, rotting wood, leaf litter, tidal pools, soil, marshes, human structures, caves, on vegetation, ant mounds.

12. Collembola • Where do you find them? • Freshwater ponds, snow, under loose bark, rotting wood, leaflitter, tidal pools, soil, marshes, human structures, caves, on vegetation, ant mounds.

13. Collembola • How to collect them • Collect samples (soil, bark, leaf litter) • Berlese funnel • How to preserve them • Alcohol vials or slides • Likelihood: 9 (out of 10)

14. Berlese Funnel

15. Protura • Common Name: • Proturan • Appearance: • Size: tiny (0.6-1.5mm) • Color: clear - pale • Distinguishing Characteristics: no antennae, but use the first pair of legs like antennae

16. Protura • Families in US (3) • Eosentomidae • Protentomidae • Acerentomidae

17. Protura • Families in Texas (2) • Eosentomidae • Protentomidae • Acerentomidae

18. Protura • Where do you find them? • Moist soil, leaf litter, under bark, decomposing logs

19. Protura • How to collect them: • soil samples, leaf or log debris and put through a Berlese funnel • How to preserve them: • alcohol or slides • Likelihood: 1 (out of 10)

20. Diplura • Common Name: • Diplurans • Appearance: • Size: small (< 7mm) • Color: pale • Distinguishing Characteristics: long antennae, no compound eyes or ocelli, a pair of caudal filaments or appendages

21. Diplura • Families in US (5) • Campodeidae • Procampodeidae • Anajapygidae • Japygidae • Parajapygidae

22. Diplura • Families in Texas (3) • Campodeidae • Procampodeidae • Anajapygidae • Japygidae • Parajapygidae

23. Diplura • Where do you find them? • Damp soil, under bark, under stones or logs, in rotting wood, in caves, and other moist habitats

24. Diplura • How to collect them • Soil, leaf, or log debris, run through a Berlese funnel • How to preserve them • Alcohol vials or slides • Likelihood: 1 (out of 10)

25. Thysanura • Common Name: • Appearance: • Size: medium (7-19mm) • Color: silvery • Distinguishing Characteristics: Dorso-ventrally flattened, covered with scales, 3 caudal filaments

26. Thysanura • Families in US (3) • Lepidotrichidae • Nicoletiidae • Lepismatidae

27. Thysanura • Families in Texas (2) • Lepidotrichidae • Nicoletiidae • Lepismatidae

28. Thysanura • Where do you find them? • Under decaying bark, caves, mammal burrows, human dwellings

29. Thysanura • How to collect them • Most likely to find them in garages, attics, storage areas near paper products • How to preserve them • Alcohol vials • Likelihood: 8 (out of 10)

30. Microcoryphia • Common Name: • Appearance: • Size: medium (up to 15mm) • Color: silvery • Distinguishing Characteristics: similar to silverfish, but more cylindrical and compound eyes touch

31. Microcoryphia • Families in US (2) • Machilidae • Meinertellidae

32. Microcoryphia • Families in Texas (2) • Machilidae • Meinertellidae

33. Microcoryphia • Where do you find them? • Grassy or wooded areas, under leaves, stones, rocks, in dead wood

34. Microcoryphia • How to collect them • Hit or miss. Check in habitats where they are more likely to occur. • How to preserve them • Alcohol vials • Likelihood: 2 (out of 10)

35. Ephemeroptera • Common Name: • Appearance: • Size: small – large • Color: white, yellow, green, reddish, brown • Distinguishing Characteristics: Triangular front wings, lots of venation

36. Ephemeroptera

37. Ephemeroptera fine coarse • Families in US (21) • Acanthmetropodidae • Ameletidae • Ametropodidae • Arthropleidae • Baetidae • Baetiscidae • Behningiidae • Caenidae • Ephemerellidae • Ephemeridae • Heptageniidae • Isonychiidae • Leptohyphidae • Leptophlebiidae • Metretopodidae • Neoephemeridae • Oligoneuridae • Polymitarcyidae • Potamanthidae • Pseudironidae • Siphlonuridae Substrate swift still H2O speed large small Size of H2O source cold warm H2O temperature shallow deep H2O depth low high Pollution

38. Ephemeroptera fine coarse • Families in US (21) • Acanthmetropodidae • Ameletidae • Ametropodidae • Arthropleidae • Baetidae • Baetiscidae • Behningiidae • Caenidae • Ephemerellidae • Ephemeridae • Heptageniidae • Isonychiidae • Leptohyphidae • Leptophlebiidae • Metretopodidae • Neoephemeridae • Oligoneuridae • Polymitarcyidae • Potamanthidae • Pseudironidae • Siphlonuridae Substrate still swift H2O speed large small Size of H2O source cold warm H2O temperature shallow deep H2O depth low high Pollution

39. Ephemeroptera fine coarse • Families in US (21) • Acanthmetropodidae • Ameletidae • Ametropodidae • Arthropleidae • Baetidae • Baetiscidae • Behningiidae • Caenidae • Ephemerellidae • Ephemeridae • Heptageniidae • Isonychiidae • Leptohyphidae • Leptophlebiidae • Metretopodidae • Neoephemeridae • Oligoneuridae • Polymitarcyidae • Potamanthidae • Pseudironidae • Siphlonuridae Substrate swift still H2O speed large small Size of H2O source cold warm H2O temperature shallow deep H2O depth low high Pollution

40. Ephemeroptera fine coarse • Families in US (21) • Acanthmetropodidae • Ameletidae • Ametropodidae • Arthropleidae • Baetidae • Baetiscidae • Behningiidae • Caenidae • Ephemerellidae • Ephemeridae • Heptageniidae • Isonychiidae • Leptohyphidae • Leptophlebiidae • Metretopodidae • Neoephemeridae • Oligoneuridae • Polymitarcyidae • Potamanthidae • Pseudironidae • Siphlonuridae Substrate swift still H2O speed large small Size of H2O source cold warm H2O temperature shallow deep H2O depth low high Pollution

41. Ephemeroptera • Families in Texas (~18) • Acanthmetropodidae ? • Ameletidae • Ametropodidae • Arthropleidae • Baetidae • Baetiscidae ? • Behningiidae • Caenidae • Ephemerellidae ? • Ephemeridae • Heptageniidae • Isonychiidae • Leptohyphidae • Leptophlebiidae • Metretopodidae • Neoephemeridae • Oligoneuridae • Polymitarcyidae • Potamanthidae • Pseudironidae • Siphlonuridae

42. Ephemeroptera • Where do you find them? • They are attracted to lights, but aren’t great fliers. Check walls, fence posts, signs, etc. at gas stations and fast food restaurants

43. Ephemeroptera • How to collect them • Businesses or night collecting (light and sheet) • How to preserve them • Alcohol vials • Likelihood: 7 (out of 10)

44. Odonata • Common Name: • Appearance: • Size: medium to very large • Color: gray, black, brown, red, pink, purple, blue, green; dull and metallic • Distinguishing Characteristics: Well-known group

45. Odonata

46. Odonata • Families in US (11) • Anisoptera (dragonflies) • Petaluridae • Gomphidae • Aeshnidae • Cordulegastridae • Corduliidae • Libellulidae • Zygoptera (damselflies) • Calopterygidae • Lestidae • Platystictidae • Protoneuridae • Coenagrionidae

47. Odonata • Families in Texas (~9) • Anisoptera (dragonflies) • Petaluridae ? • Gomphidae • Aeshnidae • Cordulegastridae • Corduliidae • Libellulidae • Zygoptera (damselflies) • Calopterygidae • Lestidae • Platystictidae • Protoneuridae • Coenagrionidae

48. Odonata • Families in Texas (~9) • Anisoptera(dragonflies) • Petaluridae ? • Gomphidae • Aeshnidae • Cordulegastridae • Corduliidae • Libellulidae

49. Odonata • Families in Texas (~9) • Zygoptera(damselflies) • Calopterygidae • Lestidae • Platystictidae • Protoneuridae • Coenagrionidae

50. Odonata • Where do you find them? • Near water: ponds, lakes, creeks, streams, rivers • Dragonflies are better fliers and can be found further away from water than damselflies