Insect Key Part 2

David A Kendall BSc PhD
Consulting Entomologist

2 Birchdene Nailsea Bristol BS48 1QD UK
Tel/Fax: 01275 854224
E-Mail: [email protected]

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Insect Identification

Key to the main Orders of Insects - Part 2

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(insect with two pairs of wings)
9a.	Forewings partly or entirely horny or leathery and forming stiffened covers for the membranous hindwings	10
9b.	Both pairs of wings membranous (flexible) and used for flying (though wings sometimes feather-like rather than membranous or their membranous nature may be obscured by a dense covering of hairs, scales or waxy powder)	16

10a.	Mouth-parts forming a tube-like 'beak' (rostrum) for piercing and sucking (rostrum usually folded backwards under the body when not in use)	Hemiptera
10b.	Mouth-parts with jaws (mandibles) for biting and chewing	11

11a.	Forewings overlapping at least a little in the centre-line and usually with many veins present	12
11b.	Forewings (elytra) meeting in the centre-line and without veins (though elytra may have longitudinal grooves or striae which should not be confused with veins)	14

12a.	Hind-legs enlarged and modified for jumping; insect grasshopper-like in general appearance	Orthoptera
12b.	Hind-legs not modified for jumping and usually similar in thickness to the middle-legs; insect not grasshopper-like	13

13a.	Prothorax much larger than the head; cerci nearly always many-segmented and fairly prominent	Dictyoptera
13b.	Prothorax and head of similar size; cerci always unsegmented and very short	Phasmida

14a.	Forewings (elytra) long and covering all or most of the abdomen	Coleoptera
14b.	Forewings (elytra) short and leaving much of the abdomen exposed	15

15a.	Abdomen with a pair of terminal pincers or forceps	Dermaptera
15b.	Abdomen without terminal pincers	Coleoptera

16a.	Wings very narrow without veins and fringed with long hairs (feather-like); tarsi 1- or 2-segmented (small slender insect often found in flowers)	Thysanoptera
16b.	Wings broader with veins present; if wings fringed with long hairs then tarsi comprised of more than 2 segments (though wing veins of some insects may be much reduced and hardly visible or partly obscured by hairs, scales or waxy powder)	17

17a.	Hindwings noticeably smaller than forewings	18
17b.	Both pairs of wings similar in size or hindwings larger than forewings	26

18a.	Wings and much of the body covered with white waxy powder; tiny insect usually less than 2-3 mm long	19
18b.	No such powdery covering	20

19a.	Wings held flat over the body at rest; mouth-parts forming a tube-like 'beak' (rostrum) for piercing and sucking (rostrum usually folded backwards under the body when not in use)	Hemiptera
19b.	Wings held roof-wise over the body at rest; mouth-parts with jaws (mandibles) for biting	Neuroptera

20a.	Wings more or less covered with minute scales; mouth-parts when present forming a coiled proboscis or 'tongue'	Lepidoptera
20b.	Wings usually transparent (without scales though often hairy); mouth-parts not forming a coiled proboscis	21

21a.	Forewings with many cross-veins making a network pattern; abdomen with 2 or 3 long thread-like terminal appendages	Ephemeroptera
21b.	Forewings with relatively few cross-veins; abdomen usually without or with only very short terminal appendages (cerci)	22

22a.	Wings noticeably covered with hairs; insect moth-like in general appearance	Trichoptera
22b.	Wings not noticeably hairy (though may be fringed with hairs or tiny surface hairs may be seen if wings examined under a microscope or strong hand-lens)	23

23a.	Mouth-parts forming a tube-like 'beak' (rostrum) for piercing and sucking (rostrum usually folded backwards under the body when not in use; abdomen sometimes with tubular outgrowths or cornicles near the hind end)	Hemiptera
23b.	Mouth-parts with jaws (mandibles) for biting and chewing	24

24a.	Tarsi 4- or 5-segmented; hard-bodied insects with abdomen often constricted at its base into a petiole or 'waist' (except Symphyta)	Hymenoptera
24b.	Tarsi 2- or 3-segmented; small soft-bodied insect	25

25a.	Antennae with at least 12 segments	Psocoptera
25b.	Antennae with only 9 segments	Zoraptera

26a.	Tarsi 5-segmented	27
26b.	Tarsi 3- or 4-segmented	29

27a.	Wings noticeably covered with hairs; insect moth-like in general appearance	Trichoptera
27b.	Wings not noticeably hairy (though tiny hairs may be seen if wings examined under a microscope or strong hand-lens)	28

28a.	Front of head extended downwards to form a beak-like structure with jaws (mandibles) at its tip	Mecoptera
28b.	No such beak-like extension of the head	Neuroptera

29a.	Tarsi 4-segmented	Isoptera
29b.	Tarsi 3-segmented	30

30a.	Wings noticeably hairy; front tarsi with first segment greatly swollen	Embioptera
30b.	Wings not noticeably hairy; front tarsi simple	31

31a.	Wings with many cross-veins making a network pattern and held away from the body at rest (either outstretched or folded vertically); antennae short and inconspicuous	Odonata
31b.	Wings with relatively few cross-veins and folded flat over the body at rest; antennae long and slender (longer than width of head)	Plecoptera

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Last revised January 2009