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Insects and other arthropods

Search for an insect or an arthropod

  • Apis mellifera

    Honey bees have hairy bodies with thick waists. Their mouthparts are the licking-chewing type. They have two pairs of wings on the thorax held together with hooks. There are three castes in the species: the queen, workers and drones.

    Class
    Insecta
    Order
    Hymenoptera
    Family
    Apidae
  • Acheta domesticus

    House crickets are yellowish-brown, with dark lines on the head, long antennae, two compound eyes and grinding mouthparts. They have two pairs of many-veined wings on the thorax. The forewings are fairly tough. They protect the membranous hindwings, which are folded in a fan shape when at rest.

    Class
    Insecta
    Order
    Orthoptera
    Family
    Gryllidae
  • Hemaris thysbe

    These stocky moths have a wingspan of 3.8 to 5.5 cm and a relatively long proboscis. The narrow, pointed forewings are much larger than the hindwings. All four wings have patches free of scales, except on the veins.

    Class
    Insecta
    Order
    Lepidoptera
    Family
    Sphingidae
  • Indian meal moth

    These small moths can be recognized by their bicoloured hind wings. The base of their forewings is clear, grey, green or whitish, and the other extremity is darker, either reddish brown or dark grey. They range in size from 11 to 20 mm.

    Class
    Insecta
    Order
    Lepidoptera
    Family
    Pyralidae
  • Pyrrharctia isabella

    The caterpillar, called a “woolly bear caterpillar” because of its fuzzy appearance, is black at the ends and rust-coloured in the middle. It lives alone and is about 4 cm long.

    Class
    Insecta
    Order
    Lepidoptera
    Family
    Erebids
  • Japanese beetle

    These beetles are recognizable by their bright metallic colours. The head and thorax are usually green, and the elytra (wing covers) are copper. There are five small tufts of white hair on either side of the abdomen. They reach 12 mm long.

    Class
    Insecta
    Order
    Coleoptera
    Family
    Scarabaeidae
  • Dermestes lardarius

    The dermestid beetle is a dark brown or black beetle whose elytra feature a wide stripe of smaller, lighter hairs that range from yellow to grey or white in colour.

    Class
    Insecta
    Order
    Coleoptera
    Family
    Dermestidae
  •  Long-bodied cellar spider

    These spiders, which often live indoors, are recognizable by their long, thin legs and their elongated, greyish-white bodies. The females’ legs are five or six times as long as their bodies, which measure about 9 mm. The males are slightly smaller.

    Class
    Arachnida
    Order
    Araneae
    Family
    Pholcidae
  • Actias luna, Québec, Canada.

    The luna moth is one of the most beautiful moths. This magnificent insect, with its feathery antennae, is characterized by its emerald green colour and the extension of its back wings. The brown border of its back wings looks like a branch when the moth is resting.

    Class
    Insecta
    Order
    Lepidoptera
    Family
    Saturniidae
  •  Marsh meadow grasshopper (short-winged brown grasshopper)

    These crickets may be various shades of yellow, green and brown. Their legs are often reddish, with black joints on the hindlegs.

    Class
    Insecta
    Order
    Orthoptera
    Family
    Acrididae