Insects are invertebrates that are taxonomically referred to as the class Insecta. They are the most numerous and most widespread terrestrial taxon within the phylum Arthropoda. Insects are the most diverse group of animals on the earth, with around 925,000 species described—more than all other animal groups combined. Insects may be found in nearly all environments on the planet, although only a small number of species have adapted to life in the oceans where crustaceans tend to predominate.

There are approximately 5,000 dragonfly species, 2,000 praying mantis, 20,000 grasshopper, 170,000 butterfly and moth, 120,000 fly, 82,000 true bug, 350,000 beetle, and 110,000 bee and ant species described to date. Estimates of the total number of current species, including those not yet known to science, range from two to thirty million, with most authorities favoring a figure midway between these extremes. Adult modern insects range in size from 555 mm (see Phobaeticus serratipes) to 0.139 mm (see Dicopomorpha echmepterygis)

The study of insects (from Latin insect, meaning "cut into sections") is called entomology, from the Greek εντομος, also meaning "cut into sections" .

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RT @CB4wildlife RT @PineLilyFNPS @RitcheyWoods: 96% of birds raise young on insects, but w/o native plants fewer insects so fewer birds
TJCOG_Smrtgrwth (Jon Barsanti) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:08:43 -0000
RT @CB4wildlife RT @PineLilyFNPS @RitcheyWoods: 96% of birds raise young on insects, but w/o native plants fewer insects so fewer birds
Reds under beds! RT @animaliac before we dismiss socialism in its entirety, ask yourself this, could the human race survive without insects?
RedScareBot (Robot J. McCarthy) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:06:35 -0000
Reds under beds! RT @animaliac before we dismiss socialism in its entirety, ask yourself this, could the human race survive without insects?
NIN - Reptile #songinmyhead She spreads herself wide open to let the insects in ... She has the blood of REPTILES just underneath her skin.
brianpartridge (Brian) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:04:16 -0000
NIN - Reptile #songinmyhead She spreads herself wide open to let the insects in ... She has the blood of REPTILES just underneath her skin.
before we dismiss socialism in its entirety, ask yourself this, could the human race survive without insects?
animaliac (mel horvitz) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:03:30 -0000
before we dismiss socialism in its entirety, ask yourself this, could the human race survive without insects?
about spider "they're not insects, they're arachnids", "you mean they're from the middle east".
captainraz (Rachel 'Tonks' Hill) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:57:08 -0000
about spider "they're not insects, they're arachnids", "you mean they're from the middle east".
RT @PineLilyFNPS @RitcheyWoods: 96% of birds raise young on insects, but w/o native plants fewer insects so fewer birds (via @nativespring)
CB4wildlife (Carole Brown) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:54:47 -0000
RT @PineLilyFNPS @RitcheyWoods: 96% of birds raise young on insects, but w/o native plants fewer insects so fewer birds (via @nativespring)

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