Dear Nature Lovers,
Greetings from oikos !
Wishing you a very Happy & Healthy New Year !!
Its great pleasure to reach all of you through these Desktop calendars ! This is 7th year.
Thank you for the encouraging response ! It definitely inspires us to work, to spread awareness about nature and its various elements !
This year we bring little unknown group of fauna to your desktop. Its insects !
We all know butterflies and bees commonly but there are numerous types of insects known and unknown to science. Through calendars, you will get acquainted to 12 different orders of insects, their habitats and their importance in Ecosystems around us. |
I N S E C T S
(in-sect = ‘cut into sections’)
Insects are among the most diverse groups of animals on the planet, including more than a million described species and representing more than half of all known living organisms ! They are a class of invertebrates within the arthropod phylum that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes and one pair of antennae. Life cycle is completed mostly within four stages i.e. Egg, Larva, Pupa, and Adult.
Some common Indian insects are Beetle, Cockroach, Fly, Butterfly, Grasshoppers, Dragonflies, Fleas, Ants, Mosquitoes etc. There are classified in around 30 orders. Every month we will cover one order. |
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BEETLE
ORDER : COLEOPTERA
The order Coleoptera includes the beetles. This is the largest order that contains most species.
Wings: They have two pairs of wings. The outside pair – forewings, are hard and protective. They are called elytra. They split and spread when the insect needs to fly so the soft wings underneath (hind wings) can be used.
Mouth Parts: Most have chewing mouthparts. Some have piercing mouthparts.
Metamorphosis: They undergo complete (complex) metamorphosis.
Significance to Humans: They can be beneficial (i.e. lady bird beetle), but some families attack food crops and are considered pests. |
