External structure of representatives of the class insects. External structure of representatives of the insect class Butterflies with antennae similar to feathers
There are many options for creating an image, so it’s worth thinking through the desired style in detail. It makes sense to discuss this issue with the future owner of the outfit - the daughter will like to work with her mother.
There are two types of butterflies: day and night. First They are distinguished by the rich shades of their wings, and their antennae are decorated with cute balls.Wings of night insects They are distinguished by dark tones and light hairiness. All that remains is to choose the best option.
Option 1
How to make a butterfly costume?You will need a base for the costume. A sports swimsuit or bodysuit, as well as bright tights or leggings, are best suited for this purpose. Wings are created from fabric that is stretched over a wire base, and a hoop with antennae is placed on the head. You can make this accessory from plain paper, rolling it into a thick tube decorated with small balls.
A wide elastic band is attached to the back of the wings, after which they are put on the back like a backpack. To make them brighter, you can draw a pattern or use several pieces of contrasting fabric from which circles of different diameters are cut out.
Special face mask in the form of a butterfly, complements the beauty of the appearance.
Option 2
To make a suit, you can use any body-fitting clothing, but the optimal solution is a sports swimsuit. You can use any accessories for decoration: buttons, rhinestones, shiny elements, ribbons. Lace details will help add charm to your look. It is best to choose lightweight materials that can be easily assembled and turned into a stylish decoration.
Studying how to make a butterfly costume with your own hands, it is important to take care of the manufacture of the wings. Initially, a frame is created, after which a base of a suitable size is cut out of transparent fabric. It is important not to forget about the allowances - 1.5-2 cm around the entire perimeter.
The parts are connected right sides together, carefully stitched, and then turned inside out - thanks to this, the seams will be securely hidden. You can simplify the process by using bias tape or braid. The easiest way is to sew all the elements by hand, without using a machine.
Applications and designs are applied to the fabric. Using tulle or any other light fabric it is easy to make a voluminous, fluffy skirt. Multi-colored materials look great - bright butterfly looks bright and charming.
Cute lace bracelets will help complement your look. You can buy ready-made accessories, or sew them yourself from any fabric of a suitable shade. Tape is also suitable for this purpose.
For the costume, you need tights or leggings, your feet are shod with Czech shoes or ballet shoes, onto which bright details are sewn. The head is decorated with a hoop, and the neck is decorated with a multi-colored necklace.
Option 3
How to make a butterfly costume for a girl?This outfit consists of 3 main parts:
-
Accessories.
Sheer tulle or tulle is suitable for a skirt. The dimensions depend on the parameters of the future owner, but for a magnificent product you will need at least 5 meters - this is about 30 cm long. For sewing you need a wide elastic band, as well as a lining.
The pattern is drawn on a sheet of 1.2 by 0.6 m. The paper is folded in half, the edges are connected by an arc. The radius of the skirt is from 20 to 30 cm. When cutting the fabric, it is important not to forget about the need to leave allowances.
5 circles are cut out, which are sewn together, after which the product is gathered at the waist. The length of the belt is about 75 cm, and the width is 5 cm. It is into it that the elastic band is inserted.
How to make butterfly wings: costume for girls
The wings are made on the basis of a wire frame - its thickness will be about 4 mm, and its length will be at least 6 meters. To avoid cutting fabric parts, it is better to use light white tights. In addition to this you will need:
Insulation tape
Spray paint
Multi-colored ribbons
Rhinestones or large beads
Glue gun
Two types of wings are created from a wire frame - upper and lower. The wire is bent to the shape of the wing; a pattern can be made in advance. The ends are carefully trimmed so that it does not cause inconvenience to the little owner of the outfit. It is better to additionally wrap them with electrical tape.
The spray will help you paint the product easily. Using ordinary paints, drawings, dots, circles or chaotic lines are applied. You can sew beads, beads or rhinestones in any order.
The upper and lower parts are connected and then sewn together with electrical tape. The wings are tied with ribbons. Elastic bands or bows are attached to the back, which will help you easily put the wing on your back. To hide the joints, you can decorate them with flowers or any other elements.
How to make antennae for a butterfly costume?
An ordinary hoop is decorated with ribbons, after which two thin wires are attached to it - they will act as antennae. The ends can be decorated with special beads. The hoop is braided with ribbons or fabrics. To decorate the product, the ribbon is twisted around a pencil, after which it turns into a multi-colored tendril with a disheveled end.
Several wire sections are connected to each other. It is best to fasten them with satin ribbons, and then complement the product with artificial flowers.
If you wish, you can buy a suit, complete with all the necessary accessories, in a specialized store. This will greatly simplify the process of preparing for the future matinee.
Option 4
For the wings you need to draw a drawing - you can choose any shape. The finished product is created from any available materials, for example, paper, gauze or fabrics. You can use the help of your daughter - the baby will certainly enjoy decorating her costume on her own. Ribbons or elastic bands will help you put the wings on your back.
If desired, you can use any creation options butterfly costume , using the proposed solutions as a basis. This will allow you to create a unique outfit, the owner of which will be the most beautiful and original at the party.
The butterfly belongs to the class insects, phylum arthropods, order Lepidoptera (lat. Lepidoptera).
The Russian name “butterfly” comes from the Old Slavonic word “babъka”, which denoted the concept of “old woman” or “grandmother”. In the beliefs of the ancient Slavs, it was believed that these were the souls of the dead, so people treated them with respect.
Butterfly: description and photo. The structure and appearance of butterflies
In the structure of the butterfly there are two main sections - the body, protected by a hard chitinous shell and wings.
A butterfly is an insect whose body consists of:
- Head, inactively connected to the chest. The butterfly head has rounded shape with a slightly flattened occipital part. Round or oval bulging eyes butterflies in the form of hemispheres, occupying most of the lateral surface of the head, have a complex facet structure. Butterflies have color vision and perceive moving objects better than stationary ones. In many species, additional simple parietal eyes are located behind the antennae. The structure of the oral apparatus depends on the species and can be of the sucking or gnawing type.
- Breasts with a three-segment structure. The front part is significantly smaller than the middle and back part, where three pairs of legs are located, which have a structure characteristic of insects. On the shins of the butterfly's front legs there are spurs designed to maintain the hygiene of the antennae.
- Abdomen shaped like an elongated cylinder, consisting of ten ring segments different shapes with spiracles located on them.
Butterfly structure
The antennae of the butterfly are located on the border of the parietal and frontal parts of the head. They help butterflies navigate their surroundings by sensing air vibrations and various odors.
The length and structure of the antennae depend on the species.
Two pairs of butterfly wings, covered with flat scales of different shapes, have a membranous structure and are penetrated by transverse and longitudinal veins. The size of the hind wings can be the same as the front wings or significantly smaller than them. The pattern of butterfly wings varies from species to species and captivates with its beauty.
In macro photography, the scales on the wings of butterflies are very clearly visible - they can have completely different shapes and colors.
Butterfly wings – macro photography
The appearance and color of the butterfly’s wings serve not only for intraspecific sexual recognition, but also act as protective camouflage, allowing it to blend into its surroundings. Therefore, colors can be either monochrome or variegated with a complex pattern.
The size of a butterfly, or better said, the wingspan of a butterfly, can range from 2 mm to 31 cm.
Classification and types of butterflies
The large order of Lepidoptera includes more than 158 thousand representatives. There are several classification systems for butterflies, quite complex and confusing, with constant changes occurring in them. The most successful scheme is considered to be one that divides this detachment into four suborders:
1) Primary toothed moths. These are small butterflies, the wingspan of which ranges from 4 to 15 mm, with a gnawing type mouthparts and antennae that reach a length of up to 75% of the size of the front wings. The family consists of 160 species of butterflies.
Typical representatives are:
- golden smallwing (lat. Micropteryx calthella);
- marigold smallwing (lat. Micropteryx calthella).
2) Proboscis butterflies. The wingspan of these insects, covered with dark small scales with cream or black spots, does not exceed 25 mm. Until 1967, they were classified as primary toothed moths, with which this family has much in common.
The most famous butterflies from this suborder:
- flour fire (lat. Asopia farinalis L.),
- moth fir cones(lat. Dioryctrica abieteila).
3) Heterobathmyas, represented by one family Heterobathmiidae.
4) Proboscis butterflies, which make up the largest suborder, consisting of several dozen families, which include more than 150 thousand species of butterflies. Appearance and the sizes of representatives of this suborder are very diverse. Below are several families demonstrating the diversity of proboscis butterflies.
- Family Sailboats, represented by medium and large butterflies with a wingspan from 50 to 280 mm. The pattern on the wings of butterflies consists of black, red or blue spots of various shapes, clearly visible on a white or yellow background. The most famous of them are:
- Swallowtail butterfly;
- Sailboat "Glory of Bhutan";
- Queen Alexandra's Birdwing and others.
Swallowtail butterfly
- Family Nymphalidae, characteristic feature which is the absence of thickened veins on wide angular wings with variegated colors and various patterns. The wingspan of butterflies varies from 50 to 130 mm. Representatives of this family are:
- Butterfly Admiral;
- Day peacock butterfly;
- Butterfly hives;
- Mourning butterfly, etc.
Admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta)
Day peacock butterfly
Urticaria butterfly (Aglais urticae)
Mourning butterfly
- , represented by moths with narrow wings, the span of which does not exceed 13 cm and has a characteristic pattern. The abdomen of these insects is thickened and fusiform. The most famous butterflies of this family:
- Hawkmoth "death's head";
- Hawkmoth oleander;
- Poplar hawk moth.
- Owl Family, which includes more than 35,000 species of moths. The span of the furry wings, gray with a metallic tint, averages 35 mm. However, in South America There is a species of butterfly called tizania agrippina with a wingspan of 31 cm or the atlas peacock eye, the size of which resembles a medium-sized bird.
Where do butterflies live in nature?
The distribution area of butterflies around the planet is very wide. It does not include only the icy expanses of Antarctica. Butterflies live everywhere from North America and Greenland to the coast of Australia and the island of Tasmania. Largest quantity species were found in Peru and India. These fluttering insects make their flights not only in flowering valleys, but also high in the mountains.
What do butterflies eat?
The diet of many butterflies consists of pollen and nectar from flowering plants. Many species of butterflies feed on tree sap, overripe and rotting fruit. And the death's head hawk moth is a real gourmet, because it often flies into hives and feasts on the honey they collect.
Some nymphalid butterflies need various microelements and additional moisture. Their sources are excrement, urine and sweat of large animals, wet clay, and human sweat.
.Such butterflies include the Madagascar comet, whose wingspan is 14-16 cm. The lifespan of this butterfly is 2-3 days.
There are also “vampires” among butterflies. For example, males of some cutworm species maintain their strength thanks to the blood and tear fluid of animals. This is the vampire butterfly (lat. Calyptra).
Butterfly body ( adult, imago) has a fundamentally different structure than that of the previous stages of development: eggs, caterpillars and pupae. Like all other insects, the butterfly's body is divided into three clearly distinct parts: the head, thorax and abdomen.
On the sides of the head (Fig. 1) there are disproportionately large, bulging eyes. These greasy, prominent, shiny, differently colored hemispheres consist of many small individual ocelli closely adjacent to each other; each of them, upon closer inspection, turns out to be equipped with a hexagonal facet. These are compound, or compound, eyes. The antennae of butterflies are the organ of smell, and the palps are the organ of touch. The antennae are located on the parietal part of the head and can have different shapes. Antennae can be filamentous, pineal, comb or feathery. In diurnal butterflies, the antennae are always club-shaped (hence the name of the department - “club-whiskered”). The proboscis, with which butterflies suck nectar and water, comes in very different shapes and lengths. In diurnal butterflies, the proboscis is usually very elongated and spirally curled; Only when eating does the butterfly unfold it to its full length.
The head and chest are connected by a webbed, soft and short neck. The chest also consists of three rings or segments connected to each other: prothoracic, midthoracic and metathoracic, which, when viewed externally, form a single, morphologically dissected whole. The second and third segments bear on their dorsal surface a pair of wings, covered with a huge variety of small scales of various shapes and colors. Special interest They represent the so-called odorous scales, or androconia, found mainly in male diurnal butterflies. These scales are associated with special glands that secrete an odorous secretion; they spread a characteristic odor around them, which can sometimes be detected by humans with their sense of smell. For example, the smell of turnips is well known. Scented scales form entire stripes on the forewings of diurnal butterflies. Each scale is attached to the cuticle by a narrowed base, or stalk. The color of the scales depends on the pigment present in them or is due purely physical phenomenon: refraction and reflection of light. Refracting in the sculpture of hollow scales, white Sunbeam decomposes into individual colors of the spectrum; thus, shiny, iridescent colored spots appear on the wings of butterflies (as in bluebirds, mother-of-pearl, etc.). The wings are riddled with veins, each of which has its own name. The number of veins and their arrangement on the wings are characteristic of individual families of butterflies and even of lower systematic units. The costal (extreme) and subcostal (anterior) veins run along the anterior edge of the fore wing, always remaining simple. Next follow the branched veins: radial (anteromedian), medial (actually median), cubital (posteriormedian) and anal (intramarginal).
Three pairs of thin legs are also attached to the chest of Lepidoptera, which serve not so much for movement as for attachment during rest. In some groups of diurnal butterflies, for example, ocelli, nymphalids, bluebirds, etc., the front legs are underdeveloped, shortened and unable to perform their function. The last segments of the legs are equipped with claws and pads, which allow the insect to hold on even on a very smooth surface. The abdomen of Lepidoptera has cylindrical shape, in daytime butterflies it is slender and rather long. Initially, the abdomen consisted of ten segments, similar to each other in their external and internal structure. In females we can count seven segments, in males - eight, since during evolution the last three (respectively two) segments were changed in connection with sexual function and transformed into external components of the reproductive organs. Copulatory organs, especially their hard, sclerotized parts, have great value from the point of view of lepidopteran taxonomy. They make it possible to accurately distinguish species that are similar in all other characteristics and in color. The structure of the copulatory organs is highly complex and typical for each given species. The copulatory organs of the two sexes of the same species form a closed system; they are often compared to a lock and a key that matches it. This system, reinforced by behavior and physiological barriers, prevents mating of different, even closely related, species. Scientists have developed a whole system of names for individual parts copulatory organs of Lepidoptera; Many scientific works are devoted to this issue.
Why are butterflies so beautiful? Why do their wings shine with all the colors of the rainbow? There are several reasons for this.
Firstly, both vision and color perception in butterflies are quite weak. Therefore, in order to be recognized by their relatives, they must have as bright a color as possible. Secondly, bright insects
Predators are afraid: brightly colored butterflies may turn out to be poisonous or simply disgusting in taste. Therefore, this coloring is safer. Thirdly, it is known that in many animal species during mating games males display a multi-colored outfit. Birds even deliberately adopt poses in which bright areas of their plumage are exposed. And people still have the custom of dressing in beautiful clothes
for your wedding. But butterflies emerge from their chrysalis only for a “wedding”: they have one goal - to find a “groom” or “bride” and leave offspring. This means that butterflies simply cannot help but be attractive! But what does this beauty consist of, how is it structured?
Hearing, smelling, touchingPerceptual organs of butterflies
The body of a butterfly, like other insects, is clearly divided into head, chest and abdomen. On the sides of the head there is a pair of huge convex hemispherical eyes. Different species of butterflies have eye colors ranging from white and yellow to orange, red and even dark brown. Butterflies distinguish moving objects better than stationary ones, see close objects quite clearly and perceive the silhouettes of distant ones. They begin to distinguish colors from three to four meters away. Butterflies are blind to the color red, but they detect ultraviolet light, not part of the spectrum. The pattern of the wings of many butterflies in ultraviolet light is noticeably different from the pattern in the colors we see. Thus, females of the American swallowtail Papilio glaucus, to the human eye, are found in two colors: yellow and dark brown or black. But in reflected ultraviolet rays they are very similar to each other, which makes it easier for the male to find the female.
Entomologists have no consensus regarding the visual acuity of butterflies. Sometimes their vision is simply assessed as “weak.” According to the observations of the authors, males of Charlton's Apollo (Parnassius charlto-nius) turn towards a swaying white net from 10-20 m, and males of the Guyanese morphid Adonis (Morphoadonis) hovering in the treetops descend towards a flying menelaus (Morpho menelaus) from a distance of 10-15 m .
The eyes of a butterfly consist of many ocelli, each of which forms a hexagonal cell - a facet. Hence the name of these compound eyes - compound eyes. The number of facets on the surface of the eye reaches many hundreds and even thousands. Therefore, the butterfly sees its surroundings as a mosaic made of tiny hexagonal pieces.
On the parietal part of the butterfly's head there is a pair of antennae (antennae). The shape of the antennae is varied. They can be club-shaped, filamentous, feathery, bristle-shaped, sawtoothed, etc. Usually, male moths have more developed antennae than females.
A butterfly cannot live without antennae. They perceive various signals from environment. Especially important are chemical signals (smells) that allow you to find a butterfly of the opposite sex and food. In diurnal butterflies, chemical receptors are concentrated mainly in recesses on the thickened tips of the antennae. With its antennae, the butterfly also perceives vibrations and air vibrations, receiving information about danger. With their help, she maintains balance in flight. The antennas also “work” as a radar device, allowing the aircraft to avoid various obstacles in flight and to flutter freely even in dense thickets. It has been experimentally established that without antennae, a butterfly actually “goes blind”: it flies into all objects, turning its wings into rags. Some moths have developed the ability to detect ultrasound emitted by bats and change their flight direction in response to the “radar pulses” of their enemies.
Below the antennae there is a pair of three-segmented labial palps, densely covered with scales. Their role has not yet been fully clarified. It is believed that they contain taste organs and that the butterfly sometimes rubs its eyes with them. And the entomologist from Indian state Sikkim M. Haribal observed how Danaidae used them to clean their front legs.
Protrudes between the palpi long proboscis - oral apparatus insect. It is formed by highly modified and elongated lower jaws and is adapted for sucking nectar from flowers. Therefore, the butterfly is able to feed only on liquid food - nectar, tree sap and overripe fruits, etc. On hot days, you can observe how butterflies, gathering near puddles, on the gentle banks of streams and rivers, sip moisture from the wet sand with obvious pleasure. At rest, the proboscis is curled into a spiral. It unfolds when the insect sucks food or water. The proboscis of different species of butterflies differ in shape and length. In some tropical hawk moths (Sphingidae) their length exceeds 25 cm.
With a webbed, short and soft neck, the head is attached to the chest, which consists of three segments motionlessly connected to each other. The connection points are not noticeable. Each of the segments bears a pair of jointed legs (and the middle and rear segments also have two wings). The forelegs of male nymphalids, satyrs and pigeons are underdeveloped; in females they are more developed, but when walking they are also not used and are always pressed to the chest.
In swallowtails (Fapilionidae) and fatheads (Hesperiidae), all legs are normally developed, and the tibiae of their front legs are equipped with lobe-like structures, which are believed to be used for cleaning the eyes and antennae. The legs are mainly used to secure the certain place and only then - for movement. With the help of claws and pads on the last segments of the legs, the butterfly is held even on a very smooth surface. Some butterflies have taste buds on their legs: before such a butterfly touches the sweet solution with its limb, it does not open its proboscis and does not start eating.
The abdomen of butterflies is cylindrical, elongated, covered with scales, often with a pattern in harmony with the pattern on the wings. The organs of digestion and reproduction are located here. The cone-shaped abdomen of the male is thinner than that of the female, and sometimes flattened laterally. In the female it is spindle-shaped. The abdomen consists of 10 segments, but in the male 8 are fully developed, and in the female 7 segments: 2 modified segments in the male and 3 in the female form the external components of the reproductive organs - the genitals.
Since the structure of the mating organs, especially their hard parts, is specific to each species, they often make it possible to reliably distinguish similar butterflies, for example, species of Apollo, blueberries, etc.
The reproductive organs of the male and female of the same species, due to their complete mutual correspondence, form unified system according to the “lock and key” principle. This usually prevents the mating of different, even very close, species, although the emergence of hybrids that are not fully capable of producing offspring is still not excluded.
Butterflies breathe using breathing tubes - tracheas, through which oxygen enters and is removed. carbon dioxide. On the surface of the body, the trachea opens outwards with spiracles. The circulatory system of a butterfly, unlike vertebrates, is not closed. Blood fills the body cavity and the spaces between organs, washing them. Only part of the blood is located in a special circulatory organ - the spinal vessel - a muscular tube suspended from the dorsal wall of the body. The posterior section of the spinal vessel is the heart, consisting of several pulsating chambers; its anterior section is the aorta. Each chamber has a pair of side openings (stomata, or ostia), equipped with suction valves. When the heart pulsates, blood through these holes from the body cavity is absorbed into the heart and driven along the aorta to the head, where it flows into the body cavity from the aorta.
The central nervous system of a butterfly, connected by peripheral nerves nervous system with all sense organs, consists of the brain and several pairs of nerve centers represented in each segment. This system controls all movements of the butterfly, except for such involuntary functions as blood circulation, digestion, and breathing. Researchers believe that these functions are controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. With four segmented legs, the Nepalese blueberry firmly holds onto the leaf.
First scientific descriptions external structure of insects, presented in entomological works, date back to the 16th century. The characteristics of the histological structure were given by entomologists only three centuries later. Almost every representative of the Insect class has its own characteristics buildings that allow classification different kinds by type of limbs, antennae, wings and mouthparts.
General structure of the body of insects (with diagram and pictures)
The body of insects consists of segments - segments that vary in shape and bear various external appendages and organs. The body structure of insects includes three sections: head, thorax and abdomen. The head contains the main sensory organs and the oral apparatus. Insects have on their heads a pair of elongated segmented antennae (antennae) - organs of touch and smell - and a pair of complex compound eyes - the main visual organs. In addition, many insects have from 1 to 3 small simple ocelli - auxiliary light-sensitive organs. The oral apparatus of insects is formed on the basis of 3 pairs of jaws - modified limbs of the head segments, the third pair of jaws is fused. The chest consists of 3 large segments: prothorax, mesothorax, metathorax - and carries locomotor organs. Each segment contains one pair of jointed legs: front, middle, hind. Most insects have two pairs of wings: the anterior ones, located on the mesothorax, and the posterior ones, located on the metathorax. In a number of insects, one or both pairs of wings may be underdeveloped or even completely lost. The abdomen, consisting of numerous uniform segments, contains most of the internal organs.
Pay attention to the picture - in the structure of the abdomen of insects there are 11 segments, but most insects retain from 5 to 10 segments:
In the 8-9th segments, respectively to the full staff, the reproductive apparatus is located. V females of some insects (Orthoptera, Hymenoptera) have a special ovipositor organ developed on the underside of these segments. Some insects (mayflies, cockroaches, orthoptera, earwigs) have a pair of cerci on the last abdominal segment - appendages of various shapes and purposes.
Look at the detailed diagram of the structure of insects, where all the main sections are indicated:
Insect head structure
The head is the most compact part of the insect body. The segments included in the structure of the insect's head merge without discernible boundaries. Their integument forms a dense monolithic head capsule. The head has different parts, often separated by sutures. The lower front part of the head is called the clypeus, followed by the front part - the forehead, then the upper part of the head - the crown, divided by a longitudinal suture into two halves. The area behind the crown - the occiput - is located above the foramen magnum. The lateral parts of the head, located below and behind the compound eyes, are called cheeks and temples, respectively.
The main types of pairs of antennae in insects
Basic tactile and olfactory; insect organs - paired articulated antennae (or antennae) are usually movably attached on the forehead, between the eyes, in special articular pits covered with a membrane. The length and shape of antennae in insects is extremely diverse and often serves as a visual indicator for identifying families, genera, and species of insects. The number of segments in the antennae varies with different insects from three to a hundred or more. IN general structure The antennae of insects are divided into three sections: the manubrium - the first segment, the stalk - the second segment and the flagellum - the totality of the remaining segments. Only the arm and leg are equipped with their own muscles and are actively mobile. Inside the leg there is a cluster of special sensitive cells - the Johnston's organ, which perceives environmental vibrations, and in some insects also sound vibrations.
Insects have numerous types of antennas. Setae-like antennae are thin, tapering towards the apex (cockroaches, grasshoppers), and filamentous antennae are thin, uniform along the entire length (ground beetles, locusts), and are also called simple due to their typical shape. The bead-shaped type of insect antennae is distinguished by convex, laterally rounded segments (darkling beetles). The segments of saw-shaped antennae have sharp corners, giving a jagged shape (click beetles and longhorned beetles). The elongated processes have segments of comb-like antennae (some species of click beetles and moths). The type of antennae of insects with the apex thickened due to the expanded last segments is called club-shaped (day butterflies). Antennae with a large, pronounced club are capitate (grave-digger beetles and bark beetles). The antennae of insects with a club consisting of wide lamellar segments are lamellar-clubs (chafer beetles and dung beetles). The spindle-shaped antennae widen towards the middle and are narrowed and pointed at the apex (hawkmoth butterflies). The cranked antennae are bent at the articulation of the handle with the rest of the body (wasps, ants). The geniculate pairs of insect antennae ending in a club or comb are called, respectively, geniculate-clubs (weevils) and geniculate-combed (stag beetles). The segments of the feathery antennae are equipped with densely located thin sensitive hairs (moths, some mosquitoes). The setaceous antennae are always short, 3-segmented, with a sensitive seta (flies) extending from the last segment. Antennae with asymmetrical segments of different shapes are called irregular (blister beetles).
Types of insect mouthparts
Insects, due to the variety of types of nutrition and methods of obtaining food, have developed a variety of mouthparts. The types of insect mouthparts serve as large systematic characters at the order level. Their study should begin with the primary and most common - the gnawing apparatus.
Insects such as dragonflies, Orthoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, most Hymenoptera and many smaller orders have gnawing mouthparts. It is intended for feeding mainly dense foods: plant, animal or organic residues. The apparatus consists of the upper lip, upper jaws, lower jaws and lower lip. Upper lip- specialized skin fold rectangular or oval shape. Covering other oral appendages in front, the upper lip serves as a tactile and gustatory organ. The upper jaws are monolithic, non-articulate, and heavily chitinized. The inner edge has teeth. With their help, insects capture, bite off and begin to chew food. The lower jaws retain segmentation and consist of a main segment attached to the head capsule and a stem extending from it; at the top of the stem there are external and internal chewing blades, the latter equipped with teeth. A 4-5-segmented mandibular sensory palp extends slightly to the side of the stem. The third pair of jaws in insects fuses to form the lower lip. The structure of the lip of the oral apparatus of insects is similar to the lower jaws.
The main part is divided by a transverse suture into the posterior chin and the prechin, which is bifurcated at the apex. Each half of the prechin bears a pair of small chewing lobes: internal - uvulas and external - accessory uvulas, as well as 3-4-segmented lower labial sensory palps.
The piercing-sucking mouthparts are designed to feed on a variety of liquid foods hidden under the integumentary tissues of animals or plants. This apparatus is developed in bugs, homoptera (aphids, etc.), fringed pterans (thrips) and part of the order Diptera ( blood-sucking mosquitoes). Outer part The oral apparatus of a bug is an elongated, articulated, movable proboscis, attached to the anterior edge of the head and folded under the head at rest. The proboscis is a modified lower lip. Inside the hollow proboscis lie modified upper and lower jaws - two pairs of thin, hard and pointed piercing needles or bristles. The upper jaws are simple needles that pierce the integument. A pair of lower jaws are tightly connected to each other and have inner surface two longitudinal grooves forming two channels. The upper one is food - serves to absorb food. Through the lower - salivary - channel, saliva is carried into the nutrient substrate, containing enzymes necessary for the primary processing of food. The small upper lip lies at the base of the proboscis. When feeding, the insect presses its proboscis onto the substrate. The proboscis bends slightly, and a bunch of piercing needles pierces the integument and penetrates the tissue. Next, saliva is pumped in and food is absorbed. Insects can damage plants with gnawing and piercing-sucking mouthparts.
The sucking mouthparts are developed in Lepidoptera (butterflies) and are adapted for obtaining nectar from the corollas of flowers. The upper and lower lips in the external structure of the sucking apparatus in representatives of the class Insects are small, in the form of simple plates; on the lower lip there are well-developed palps. The upper jaws are missing. The main part - a long, flexible proboscis that spirals at rest - is formed by modified lower jaws. Connecting with each other, the lower jaws form a tube with a large internal cavity that serves to absorb nectar. The walls of the proboscis contain many chitinous rings that provide its elasticity and keep the food canal open.
Gnawing-licking mouthparts are found in some Hymenoptera (bees, bumblebees). It is also designed to feed on nectar, but has a completely different structure. The upper lip and upper jaws retain the typical shape of a gnawing apparatus. The main working part consists of the highly elongated, modified and interconnected mandibles and lower lip. In the lower jaws, the outer lobes are especially developed, and in the lower lip there are internal lobes, fused into a long, flexible, tubular tongue. When folded, these parts form a proboscis, which is a system of three channels of decreasing diameter inserted into each other. Through the largest external canal formed by the mandibles and elongated palps of the lower lip, abundant and nearby food or water is absorbed. The second channel - the cavity of the tongue - serves to absorb nectar from the deep corollas. The third, capillary channel, passing in the upper wall of the uvula, is the salivary channel.
A significant portion of dipterans—most flies—have a licking mouthparts. This is the most complex oral apparatus in its structure among representatives of the class Insects. It serves to feed various liquid foods and fine food suspensions (sugar juices, decomposition products of organic residues, etc.). It is a fleshy, mobile proboscis, developed mainly due to the lower lip. The proboscis ends in a pair of semicircular lobes forming an oral disc, in the center of which is a mouth opening surrounded by a row of chitinous denticles. On the surface of the blades there is a developed system of tubules that open into tiny pores. This is the filtering part of the device, absorbing only small dense particles along with liquid. The denticles of the oral disc can scrape food particles from the substrate.
Types of insect legs: structure and main types of limbs (with photos)
The insect leg consists of 5 sections. The first from the base is called the coxa - a short and wide segment, movably attached to the lower part of the segment. The second section, a small trochanteric segment, increases the mobility of the leg. The third section is the thigh, elongated and thickened, containing the most powerful motor muscles. The fourth section is the tibia, connected to the thigh by the knee joint. It is also elongated, but narrower than the hips. The last section in the structure of insect legs is the segmented leg. It usually contains from 3 to 5, less often 1-2 segments. The foot ends in a pair of chitinous claws.
As a result of adaptation to in different ways In order to move and perform other functions, insects develop various types of limbs. The two most common types of insect legs—walking and running—have a common structure. The running leg is distinguished by a longer thigh and lower leg, and an elongated, narrow tarsus. The parts of the walking leg are somewhat shorter and wider; at the end of the leg there is an extension - the sole. Running legs are characteristic of fast, agile insects (ground beetles, ants). Most insects have walking legs. Other specialized and modified types of legs are represented in insects, usually in one pair, usually anterior or posterior. Jumping legs are usually hind legs. A distinctive feature of the structure of these insect limbs is a powerful, noticeably thickened thigh, containing the main muscles that act when jumping. This type is common in the orders Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, locusts), Homoptera (leafhoppers and psyllids), fleas and some beetles (flea beetles). Swimming legs, also hind ones, are found in many aquatic insects - swimming and spinning beetles, rowing bugs and smoothies. This type of insect legs is characterized by a flattened, paddle-shaped shape; elastic bristles are developed along the edge of the tarsus, increasing the paddle surface. Digging legs are the forelimbs of some underground or burrowing insects (mole crickets, dung beetles). These are powerful, thick, somewhat shortened legs, the shin is shovel-shaped, widened and flattened, with large teeth. Grasping forelegs are found in some insect predators, most developed in mantises. These legs are elongated and mobile. The thigh and lower leg are covered with sharp spines. At rest, the grasping legs are folded; when prey appears, they are sharply thrown forward, pinching the victim between the thigh and lower leg. Collective legs are the hind legs of bees and bumblebees, which are used to collect pollen. The collecting device is located on the tibia and the large flattened first segment of the tarsus. It consists of a basket - a recess bordered with hairs on the lower leg - and a brush - a system of numerous small bristles on the foot. When cleaning the body, the insect successively transfers pollen to the brushes and then to the baskets of the hind legs, where pollen balls are formed - pollen.
These photos show Various types insect legs:
Main types of insect wings: photo and structure
The wing of an insect is formed by a modified fold of skin - the thinnest two-layer wing membrane, in which chitinized veins and modified tracheal vessels pass.
As you can see in the photo, there are three sides to the insect wing - Front edge, outer (outer) edge and rear (inner) edge:
Also, the structure of an insect wing includes three angles: the base, the apex and the posterior angle. According to the direction in the wing, the veins are divided into longitudinal and transverse. The basis of venation is made up of large, often branched longitudinal veins that reach the edges of the wing. Small, non-branching transverse veins are located between adjacent longitudinal ones. The veins divide the wing membrane into a number of cells, which are closed, completely limited by the veins, and open, reaching the edge of the wing.
The structure of the wings is considered in two main aspects: venation (the number and arrangement of veins) and consistency (the thickness and density of the wing plate). There are two main types of venation in insect wings. Reticulated is a dense, fine-mesh venation in which, in addition to longitudinal veins, there are many small transverse veins, forming numerous (more than 20) closed cells. Such venation is developed in dragonflies, orthoptera, lacewings and some other orders. Membranous venation - sparse, with a small number or absence of cross veins; the cells are large and few in number. This venation is developed in most orders of insects (Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, etc.). The venation of the fore and hind wings of insects is always the same.
Based on density, there are four types of insect wings. The most common are membranous wings, formed by the thinnest, transparent wing membrane. Only butterflies have membranous wings that are opaque, since they are covered with a layer of tiny scales. The hind wings of all insects are membranous, and in many (dragonflies, lepidoptera, lacewings, hymenoptera, etc.) both pairs are membranous. In a number of insects, the fore wings are compacted and serve as a protective cover. The front wings of orthoptera, cockroaches, mantises, and earwigs are called leathery. These wings are somewhat thickened, but not hard, opaque or translucent, always colored, and usually retain venation. The front wings of bedbugs are called semi-rigid, divided transversely into a compacted base and a membranous apex with developed veins. Such wings are active in flight and serve as a protective cover. Hard wings, or elytra, are the front wings of beetles. They are strongly thickened and chitinized, often hard, colored, and venation is completely lost. These wings, while providing reliable protection for the body, do not actively work in flight. Some forms of wings are distinguished by the nature of their pubescence, for example, fringed in thrips and scaly in butterflies.