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Insects (from Latin insectum) are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and a pair of antennae. Insects are the most diverse group of animals, with more than a million described species; they represent more than half of all animal species. (Full article...)

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Zigrasimecia hoelldobleri worker

Zigrasimecia, also known as iron-maiden ants, is an extinct genus of ants which existed in the Cretaceous period approximately 98 million years ago. The first specimens were collected from Burmese amber in Kachin State, 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of Myitkyina town in Myanmar. In 2013, palaeoentomologists Phillip Barden and David Grimaldi published a paper describing and naming Zigrasimecia tonsora. They described a dealate female with unusual features, notably the highly specialized mandibles. Other features include large ocelli, short scapes, 12 antennomeres, small eyes, and a clypeal margin that has a row of peg-like denticles. The genus Zigrasimecia was originally incertae sedis (uncertain placement) within Formicidae until a second species, Zigrasimecia ferox, was described in 2014, leading to its placement in the subfamily Sphecomyrminae. Later, it was considered to belong to the distinct subfamily Zigrasimeciinae. Zigrasimecia has 12 described species.

Due to the highly specialized mandibles, scientists believe that the ants exhibited habits no longer seen in extant ants. The highly movable head suggests that mobility was an important factor for them (probably for feeding behavior), and the rugose projections may have played a major role in nest excavation because the mandibles would have prevented such activity. Zigrasimecia most likely interacted with the extinct ant genus Gerontoformica through conflict and probably shared some of their ecological niches. The mandibles of these ants were probably used for mechanical interactions with food, and they may also have served as traps for potential arthropod prey such as mites and small flies. Zigrasimecia was possibly a generalist predator. (Full article...)

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... that the nearest living relatives of Eosacantha, a fossil tortoise beetle from Colorado, are found in Africa, tropical Asia, and Australia?
... that the extinct sweat bee Halictus? savenyei was the first fossil bee from Canada to be described?
... that the extinct planthopper Emiliana was described from a single 47 million year old wing?
... that the Albian 100-million-year-old fossil wasp Myanmymar is only half a millimetre long?
... that fairyflies include the smallest known insects, smaller than a single-celled Paramecium?

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The following are images from various insect-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Mandibles of Rhyniognatha hirsti, it may be one of the oldest insects, but also possible to be a myriapod. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 2Hoverfly (Philhelius pedissequum) has indirect flight musculature. (from Insect flight)
Image 3
Insect morphology
Legend of body parts
Tagmata: A – Head, B – Thorax, C – Abdomen.
1. antenna
2. ocelli (lower)
3. ocelli (upper)
4. compound eye
5. brain (cerebral ganglia)
6. prothorax
7. dorsal blood vessel
8. tracheal tubes (trunk with spiracle)
9. mesothorax
10. metathorax
11. forewing
12. hindwing
13. mid-gut (stomach)
14. dorsal tube (heart)
15. ovary
16. hind-gut (intestine, rectum & anus)
17. anus
18. oviduct
19. nerve cord (abdominal ganglia)
20. Malpighian tubes
21. tarsal pads
22. claws
23. tarsus
24. tibia
25. femur
26. trochanter
27. fore-gut (crop, gizzard)
28. thoracic ganglion
29. coxa
30. salivary gland
31. subesophageal ganglion
32. mouthparts
(from Insect morphology)
Image 4The Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) have direct flight musculature. (from Insect flight)
Image 5Diagram of a typical insect leg (from Insect morphology)
Image 6Evolution has produced astonishing variety of appendages in insects, such as these antennae. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 7Stylized diagram of insect digestive tract showing malpighian tubule, from an insect of the order Orthoptera. (from Insect morphology)
Image 8Reconstruction of a Carboniferous insect, the palaeodictyopteran Mazothairos (from Insect flight)
Image 9Direct flight: muscles attached to wings. Large insects only (from Insect flight)
Image 10A tau emerald (Hemicordulia tau) dragonfly has flight muscles attached directly to its wings. (from Insect flight)
Image 11Male genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 12Scanning electron micrograph of a cricket spiracle valve (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 13Variety of male structures in Phlebotominae (Diptera, Psychodidae) (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 14The abdominal terminus of male scorpionflies is enlarged into a "genital bulb", as seen in Panorpa communis (from Insect morphology)
Image 15Generalized arthropod biramous limb. Trueman proposed that an endite and an exite fused to form a wing. (from Insect flight)
Image 16Mazothairos, a Carboniferous member of the now extinct order Palaeodictyoptera. (from Evolution of insects)
Image 17Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) of Papua New Guinea (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 18Indian moon moth (Actias selene) with some of the spiracles identified (from Respiratory system of insects)
Image 19Reconstruction of Strudiella devonica as a possible hexapod (from Evolution of insects)
Image 20Bumblebee defecating. Note the contraction of the anus, which provides internal pressure. (from Insect morphology)
Image 21A pie chart of described eukaryote species, showing just over half of these to be insects (from Insect biodiversity)
Image 22Fossil gnat in amber, a well-preserved insect fossil (from Evolution of insects)
Image 23The female genitalia of Lepidoptera (from Insect reproductive system)
Image 24Frenulo-retinacular wing coupling in male and female moths (from Insect flight)
Image 25Cross-section of wing vein (from Insect morphology)
Image 26Mayfly nymph with paired abdominal gills (from Insect flight)

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Credit: Chrumps

The rose chafer Cetonia aurata (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is a beetle, 20 mm (¾ in) long, that has metallic green coloration.

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