Insects

Sternorrhyncha (Jumping Plant-Lice, Whiteflies. Aphids, and Scale Insects)

The Sternorrhyncha, comprising some 16,000 described species, is one of the suborders of the order Hemiptera (the true bugs). It contains four major groups, all entirely phytophagous, and usually recognized as superfamilies: the Psylloidea (psylloids or jumping plant-lice); Aleyrodoidea (whiteflies); Aphidoidea (aphids or aphidoids); and Coccoidea (scale insects or coccoids). The name “Sternorrhyncha” (from the […]

Sterile Insect Technique

The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a biologically based method for the control of key insect pests. Wild female insects inseminated by released, radiation-sterilized males do not reproduce, and repeated releases of the sterilized insects lead to a reduction in pest population numbers. Effective control using sterile insects is achieved when they are used systematically […]

Spiders (Insects)

For many, spiders are a cause of fear and a source of revulsion. Even to entomologists, spiders have often been thought of as a mere annoyance, filling nets and pitfall traps meant for insect quarry. It is therefore surprising to learn that spiders have held a prominent role in traditional cultures for centuries. Indeed, the […]

Springtail (Insects)

Stamps, Insects and One of the major recent developments in philately (stamp col-I lecting) is the popularity of “topical” or “thematic” collecting. The collector looks for anything that relates to the chosen theme. Popular examples are flowers, railroads, birds, sports, stamps-on-stamps, space, and insects. In a recent survey, butterflies and other insects on stamps ranked […]

Sound Production (Insects)

Spermatheca The spermatheca is a special pouch in the female in which spermatozoa are stored and maintained after mating. In more advanced insects, the male deposits seminal fluid or a spermatophore into the bursa copulatrix, and the sperm then move from the bursa into the spermatheca. The sperm often remain viable within the female’s spermatheca […]

Spermatophore (Insects)

In the more primitive insect groups, males synthesize specialized sperm carriers called spermatophores to protect the sperm during their transfer to the female genital tract. Insects are believed to have descended from aquatic ancestors whose males released their sperm directly into the water. In adaptation to a terrestrial existence, however, a more precise method of […]

Snake fly (Insects)

Sociality Insect sociality refers to populations of insects that use some form of social behavior. Eusocial insects, for example, are true social species that possess the following three characteristics: cooperative brood care, overlap of two or more generations with offspring assisting with brood care, and reproductive division of labor. In a broad sense, the term […]

Soil Habitats (Insects)

Many basic and applied studies in insect ecology have considered responses of insect populations to their physical or chemical environment. For insects that live above ground, the mechanisms of behavioral responses to environmental factors often are directly observable. However, behavioral responses of soil-inhabiting insects are much more difficult to observe and quantify. Soil texture and […]

Silverfish (Insects)

Siphonaptera (Fleas) The Siphonaptera are laterally compressed, wingless, holom-etabolous insects. The order contains approximately 2575 species. All species are parasitic in the adult stage and possess mouthparts modified for piercing and sucking, highly modified combs and setae on their body and legs, and legs that are modified for jumping. Some species are vectors of disease, […]

Silk Moth (Insects)

Silk Production Silks are ectodermal, proteinaceous secretions that polymerize into solid fibers in the external environment. Silk proteins might have evolved from cuticular secretions and occur in all three subphyla of terrestrial arthropods. However, only the silks produced by a few insects and some spiders have been examined in detail. The silks of a dozen […]

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