List of insects

Insects (class Insecta) have segmented bodies, jointed legs, and external skeletons. Insects are distinguished from other arthropods by their body, which is divided into three major regions: (1) the head, which bears the mouthparts, eyes, and a pair of antennae, (2) the three-segmented thorax, which usually has three pairs of legs in adults and usually one or two pairs of wings, and (3) the many-segmented abdomen, which contains the digestive, excretory, and reproductive organs. This is an alphabetical list of significant insects grouped by order.

ants, bees, and wasps (order Hymenoptera)

• suborder Apocrita

  • ants (family Formicidae)

    • bullet ants (Paraponera clavata)
    • carpenter ants (genus Camponotus)
    • driver ants (subfamily Dorylinae)
    • Eciton army ant (Eciton burchellii)
    • fire ants (genus Solenopsis)
    • harvester ants (multiple genera)

      • leafcutter ants (genera Acromyrmex and Atta)
    • honey ants (multiple genera)
    • Sahara desert ants (genus Cataglyphis)
    • weaver ants (genus Oecophylla)
  • bees (superfamily Apoidea)

    • cuckoo bees (various families)
    • leaf-cutter bees (family Megachilidae)

      • mason bees (genus Osmia)
    • mining bees (family Andrenidae)
    • plasterer bees (family Colletidae)
    • sweat bees (family Halictidae)
    • family Apidae

      • bumblebees (genus Bombus)
      • carpenter bees (genus Xylocopa)
      • euglossine bees (tribe Euglossini)
      • carpenter bees (subfamily Xylocopinae)
      • honeybees (tribe Apini)

        • Africanized honeybee (Apis mellifera scutellata ×A. mellifera)
        • western honeybee (Apis mellifera)
      • stingless bees (tribe Meliponini)
  • wasps (several superfamilies)

    • braconid wasps (family Braconidae)
    • chalcid wasps (superfamily Chalcidoidea)

      • fig wasps (family Agaonidae)
      • trichogrammatid wass (family Trichogrammatidae)
    • cuckoo wasps (family Chrysididae)
    • ensign wasps (family Evaniidae)
    • gall wasps (family Cynipidae)
    • hornets (genus Vespa)

      • Northern giant hornet (V. mandarinia)
    • ichneumon wasps (family Ichneumonidae)
    • paper wasps (genus Polistes)
    • sand wasps (tribe Bembicini)
    • spider wasps (family Pompilidae)

      • tarantula hawks (genus Pepsis)
    • thread-waisted wasps (family Sphecidae)

      • cicada-killer wasp (Sphecius speciosus)
    • velvet ants (family Mutillidae)
    • yellow jackets (genera Dolichovespula or Vespula)
• suborder Symphyta

  • horntails (family Siricidae)
  • sawflies (superfamily Tenthredinoidea)
  • wood wasps (families Xiphydriidae, Orussidae, and Anaxyelidae)

apterygotes (subclass Apterygota)

• bristletails (order Thysanura)

  • silverfish (Lepisma saccharina)
• diplurans (order Diplura)
• proturans (class Protura)
• springtails (order Collembola)

beetles and weevils (order Coleoptera)

• antlike flower beetles (family Anthicidae)
• bark-gnawing beetles (family Trogossitidae)
• bess beetles (family Passalidae)
• blister beetles (family Meloidae)
• borer beetles (family Anobiidae)
• branch and twig borers (family Bostrichidae)

  • powderpost beetles (subfamily Lyctinae)
• carrion beetles (family Silphidae)
• checkered beetles (family Cleridae)
• click beetles (family Elateridae)
• darkling beetles (family Tenebridae)

  • comb-clawed beetles (subfamily Alleculinae)
• deathwatch beetles (family Anobiidae)
• dermestid beetles (family Dermestidae)
• feather-winged beetles (family Ptiliidae)
• fireflies (family Lampyridae)
• flat bark beetles (family Cucujidae)
• flat grain beetles (family Silvanidae)
• fruitworm beetles (family Byfuridae)
• fungus weevils (family Anthribidae)
• ground beetles (family Carabidae)
• hairy fungus beetles (family Mycetophagidae)
• hister beetles (family Histeridae)
• ladybugs (family Coccinellidae)
• leaf beetles (family Chrysomelidae)

  • asparagus beetles (genera Crioceris and Lema)

    • potato beetle (Lema trilineata)
  • casebearing leaf beetles (subfamilies Cryptocephalinae and Lamprosomatinae)
  • genus Chrysochus

    • cobalt milkweed beetle (C. cobaltinus)
    • dogbane beetle (C. auratus)
  • Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata)
  • cucumber beetles (genus Diabrotica)
  • flea beetles (subfamily Alticinae)
  • tortoise beetles (subfamily Cassidinae)
• leaf-rolling weevils (family Attelabidae)
• lizard beetles (family Languriidae)
• long-horned beetles (family Cerambycidae)

  • Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis)
  • harlequin beetle (Acrocinus longimanus)
• metallic wood-boring beetles (family Buprestidae)

  • emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)
• oedemerid beetles (family Oedemeridae)
• pleasing fungus beetles (family Erotylidae)
• predaceous diving beetles (family Dytiscidae)
• rove beetles (family Staphylinidae)
• soldier beetles (family Cantharidae)
• sap beetles (family Nitidulidae)
• scarab beetles (family Scarabaeidae)

  • chafers (subfamily Melolonthinae)

    • cockchafers (Melolontha melolontha)
    • June beetles (genus Phyllophaga)
  • flower chafers (subfamily Cetoniinae)

    • African goliath beetle (Goliathus goliatus)
  • rhinoceros beetles (subfamily Dynastinae)

    • eastern Hercules beetle (Dynastes tityus)
  • shining leaf chafers (subfamily Rutelinae)

    • Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica)
  • dung beetles (subfamily Scarabinae)
• silken fungus beetles (family Cryptophagidae)
• skin beetles (family Trogidae)
• spider beetles (family Anobiidae)
• stag beetles (family Lucanidae)
• tiger beetles (family Cicindeliade)
• tumbling flower beetles (family Mordellidae)
• water scavenger beetles (superfamily Hydrophiloidea)
• true weevils (family Curculionidae)

  • alfalfa weevils (Hypera postica)
  • bark beetles (subfamily Scolytinae)
  • billbugs (subfamily Rhynchophorinae)
  • boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis)
  • acorn and nut weevils (subfamily Curculioninae)

    • genus Curculio

      • plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar)
  • grain weevil (Sitophilus granarius)
• whirligig beetles (family Gyrinidae)

butterflies and moths (order Lepidoptera)

• butterflies (superfamily Papilionoidea)

  • brush-footed butterflies (family Nymphalidae)

    • admirals (subfamilies Limentidinae and Nymphalinae)

      • painted lady (Vanessa cardui)
    • fritillaries (multiple genera)
    • milkweed butterflies (subfamily Danainae)

      • monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
    • satyr butterflies (subfamily Satyrinae)
  • gossamer-winged butterflies (family Lycaenidae)

    • blue butterflies (subfamily Polyommatinae)
    • copper butterflies (subfamily Lycaeninae)
    • harvesters (subfamily Miletinae)
    • hairstreaks (subfamily Theclinae)
    • metalmarks (subfamily Riodininae)
  • morpho (family Morphidae)
  • family Pieridae

    • orange-tip butterflies (genus Anthocharis)
    • sulfur butterflies (subfamily Coliadinae)
    • white butterflies (subfamily Pierinae)

      • cabbage whites (Pieris rapae and P. brassicae)
  • skippers (family Hesperiidae)
  • swallowtail and parnassian butterflies (family Papilidae)

    • tiger swallowtails (Papilio glaucus and Battus philenor)
    • zebra swallowtail butterfly (Eurytides marcellus)
• moths (superfamily Noctuoidea)

  • bagworm moths (family Psychidae)
  • carpenter moths (family Cossidae)

    • leopard moth (Zeuzera pyrina)
  • clearwing moths (family Sesiidae)
  • ermine moths (family Yponomeutidae)

    • diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella)
  • forester moths (family Zyganidae)
  • gelechiid moths (family Gelechiidae)
  • geometrid moths (family Geometridae)

    • peppered moth (Biston betularia)
  • spongy moth (Lymantria dispar)
  • hawk moths (family Sphingidae)
  • genus Hyposmocoma
  • leaf roller moths (family Tortricidae)

    • olethreutid moth (subfamily Olethreutinae)
    • spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana)
  • midget moths (family Nepticulidae)
  • owlet moths (family Noctuidae)
  • plume moths (family Pterophoridae)
  • prominent moths (family Notodontidae)
  • pyralid moths (family Pyralidae)

    • flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella)
  • saturniid moths (family Saturnidae)

    • atlas moth (Attacus atlas)
    • regal moths (subfamily Citheroniinae)
    • luna moth (Actias luna)
  • silkworm moth (Bombyx mori)
  • slug caterpillar moths (family Limacodidae)
  • swifts (family Hepialidae)
  • tent caterpillar moths and lappet moths (family Lasiocampidae)
  • tiger moths (family Arctiidae)

    • footman moths (subfamily Lithosiinae)
  • tineid moths (family Tineidae)

    • carpet moth (genus Trichophaga)
  • tussock moths (family Lymantriidae)
  • window-winged moth (family Thyrididae)
  • yucca moth (genus Tegeticula)
• skippers (superfamily Hesperoidea)

order Blattodea

• cockroaches

  • Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa)
• termites

crickets, grasshoppers, and katydids (order Orthoptera)

• suborder Caelifera

  • grasshoppers (various families)

    • pygmy grasshoppers (family Tetrigidae)
    • pygmy sand crickets (family Tridactylidae)
    • short-horned grasshoppers or locusts (family Acridae)
• suborder Ensifera

  • crickets (family Gryllidae)
  • bush crickets or katydids (family Tettigoniidae)

    • cone-headed grasshopper (subfamily Copiphorinae)
    • meadow grasshoppers (subfamily Conocephalinae)
    • shield-backed katydid (subfamily Tettigoniinae)
  • family Anostostomatidae

    • giant wētā (genus Deinacrida)
  • family Gryllacrididae

    • leaf-rolling grasshoppers (subfamily Gryllacridinae)
    • raspy crickets (subfamily Gryllacridinae)
  • Jerusalem crickets (subfamily Stenopelmatinae)
  • mole crickets (family Gryllotalpidae)

order Diplura

• diplurans

dragonflies and damselflies (order Odonata)

• damselflies (suborder Zygoptera)
• dragonflies (suborder Anisoptera)

order Dermaptera

• earwigs

order Embioptera

• webspinners

order Ephemoptera

• mayflies

flies (order Diptera)

• anthomyiid flies (family Anthomyiidae)
• balloon flies (family Acroceridae)
• bat flies (families Nycteribiidae and Streblidae)
• biting midges (family Chironomidae)
• black flies (family Simuliidae)
• blow flies (family Calliphoridae)

  • screwworms (genus Cochliomyia)
• bot flies (family Oestridae)
• crane flies (family Tipulidae)
• dung flies (family Scatophagidae)
• flesh flies (family Sarcophagidae)
• frit flies (family Chloropidae)
• fruit flies (families Trypetidae and Drosophilidae)

  • apple maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella)
  • Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata)
  • vinegar flies (genus Drosophila)
• fungus gnats (family Sciaridae and Mycetophilidae)
• gall midges (family Cecidomyiidae or Itonididae)

  • Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor)
• horse flies (family Tabanidae)
• hover flies (family Syrphidae)
• humpbacked flies (family Phoridae)
• long-legged flies (family Dolichopodidae)
• louse flies (family Hippoboscidae)
• March flies (family Bibionidae)
• marsh flies (family Sciomyzidae)
• midges (family Chironomidae)
• mosquitoes (family Culicidae)

  • genus Aedes
  • genus Anopheles
  • genus Culex
• moth flies (family Psychodidae)
• family Muscidae

  • horn flies (Haematobia irritans)
  • houseflies (Musca domestica)
  • stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans)
  • tsetse flies (genus Glossina)
• phantom midges (family Chaoboridae)
• picture-winged flies (family Otitidae)
• robber flies (family Asilidae)
• rust flies (family Psilidae)
• sand flies (family Phlebotomidae)
• shore flies (family Ephydridae)
• skippers (family Piophilidae)
• snipe flies (family Rhagionidae)
• soldier flies (family Stratiomyidae)
• stalk-eyed flies (family Diopsidae)
• stiletto flies (family Therevidae)
• tachinid flies (family Tachinidae)
• thick-headed flies (family Conopidae)
• warble flies (family Oestridae)
• window flies (family Scenopinidae)

hemipterans (order Hemiptera)

• aphids (family Aphididae)
• cicadas (family Cicadidae)

  • periodical cicada (genus Magicicada)
• froghopper (family Cercopidae)
• ground pearl (genus Margarodes)
• jumping plant louse (family Psyllidae)
• kermes (Kermes ilicis)
• leafhoppers (family Cicadellidae)
• mealybugs (family Pseudococcidae)
• genus Phylloxera

  • grape phylloxera (P. vitifoliae)
• plant hoppers (superfamily Fulgoroidea)

  • lanternfly (Lanternaria phosphorea)
  • spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula)
• scale insects (multiple families)

  • cochineal scale (Dactylopius coccus)
  • cottony-cushion scale (Icerya purchasi)
  • family Diaspididae

    • oystershell scale (Lepidosaphes ulmi)
    • San Jose scale (Quadraspidiotus perniciosus)
    • scurfy scale (Chionaspis furfura)
• treehoppers (family Membracidae)
• water scorpions (family Nepidae)
• whiteflies (family Aleyrodidae)

order Grylloblatodea

• ice bugs

neuropterans (order Neuroptera)

• antlions (family Myrmeleontidae)
• green lacewings (family Chrysopidae)
• mantispids (family Mantispidae)
• owlflies (family Ascalaphidae)
• spongillaflies (family Sisyridae)

lice (order Phthiraptera)

• chewing lice (suborder Amblycera and Ischnocera)

  • bird lice (multiple families)
• rhynchophthirinans (suborder Rhynchophthirina)
• sucking lice (suborder Anoplura)

  • human louse (Pediculus humanus)
  • pubic louse (Phthirus pubis)

order Mantodea

• mantises

order Mantophasmatodea

• gladiator bugs

order Mecoptera

• scorpionflies

megalopterans (order Megaloptera)

• alderflies (family Sialidae)
• dobsonflies (family Corydalidae)

order Psocoptera

• psocids

order Phasmatodea

• leaf insects (family Phyllidae)
• walking sticks (various families)

order Plecoptera

• stoneflies

order Siphonaptera

• fleas

order Strepsiptera

• strepsipterans

order Thysanoptera

• thrips

order Trichoptera

• caddisflies