Insects make up 73% of the world's living organisms and have bodies divided into three parts - head, thorax, and abdomen. They go through life stages of egg, larva, pupae, and adult. Insects can eat using mandibles, tube-like mouthparts, or sponge-like mouthparts and move by flying, crawling, jumping, or swimming. While their communication is rudimentary, some argue insects coordinate behaviors through visual cues or behaviors like the bee dance.

1. Insects

2. Insects Creeping, crawling, flying, digging, swimming… insects are the most numerous group of organisms on Earth Insects make up 73% of all life on Earth whereas Vertebrates like us only make up 4%

3. What is an Insect? Insects have a body divided into three parts – head, thorax, and abdomen Insects have three sets of legs attached to their thorax

4. Stages of Life Egg Larva

5. Stages of Life (continued) Pupae Adult

6. Methods of Eating Insects have three ways of eating Mandibles are used to saw and grind food Tube-like mouthparts act as a straw to suck up liquids like water and nectar Sponge-like mouthparts secrete digestive enzymes, and lap up food

7. Methods of Eating (continued) Mandible Close-up Leaf-Cutter Ant

8. Methods of Eating (continued) Tube-like Close-up Monarch Butterfly

9. Methods of Eating (continued) Sponge-like Close-up House Fly

10. Methods of Movement Insects can get around in many ways Insects can fly, crawl, jump, even swim Chances are that wherever you are you are most likely being tracked by an insect

11. Methods of Movement (continued) Hopping Floating

12. Methods of Movement (continued) Flying Crawling

13. Methods of Communication Insects possess a very low-level method of communication Many argue that they truly are communicating with one another, others argue that they merely are just lucky or it is a big coincidence that they do these behaviors

14. Methods of Communicating (continued) Bee Dance Visual Cues