Clrad Master Gardener sm Prgram Clrad Gardener Certificate Training Clrad State University Extensin CMG GardenNtes #315 Key 2 Key t Insects Orders Ntes: This key cvers insect rders cmmnly and ccasinally bserved. Hwever, it des nt include all rders. Key #1 is similar, but easier, being limited t insect rders cmmnly assciated with gardening and landscape maintenance. This simplified key cvers insects shwing cmmn characteristics fr the rder. Species with atypical appearances will nt wrk with this simplified key. 1a. Wings present. g t 2 1b. Wings absent. g t 9 (1a) 2a. One pair f membranus wings. The insect may lk like a fly r bee. (Lk carefully fr a secnd pair f wings hidden beneath the frnt pair.) Diptera (flies) [details page 313-4] 2b. Tw pair f wings present. g t 3 (2b) 3a. Frnt and hind wings nt similar in texture. Frnt wings parchment-like, shell-like r leathery r thickened. Hind wings mre delicate r membranus. g t 4 3b. Frnt and hind wings similar in texture. Either membranus, transparent r cvered with pwderylike scales. g t 7 (3a) 4a. Chewing muthparts. g t 5 4b. Piercing-sucking muthparts. g t 6 315-1
(4a) 5a. Leathery frnt wings, withut veins, lay ver bdy in a shell-like fashin, making a straight line between wings. Hind wings membranus. N cerci (tail-like appendages). Cleptera (beetle) [details page 313-2] 5b. Frnt wings mre r less parchment like with a netwrk f veins. Hinds wings membranus, usually brad with flds like a fan. Hind leg enlarged fr jumping Orthptera (grasshppers, crickets, katydids) [details page 313-15] 5c. Frnt wings mre r less parchment like with a netwrk f veins. Flattened bdies, thread-like antennae Blattaria (cckrach) [details page 313-2] 5d. Frnt wings mre r less parchment like with a netwrk f veins. Frnt legs mdified t catch and hld prey. Mantdea (mantids) [details page 313-14] 5e. Frnt wings shrt and leathery. Hind wings membranus. Elngated flattened bdy with distinct frceps-like pinchers (cerci). Dermaptera (earwigs) [details page 313-4] (4b) 6a. Frnt wings thickened at base but membranus and verlapping at tips, s that the wings frm a triangle pattern n the back. Beak-like muthparts usually easily visible and appears t arise frm frnt f head, ahead f eyes. Hemiptera (true bugs) [details page 313-7] 6b. Wings membranus flded tent-like at rest. Beak-like muthparts nt very visible and appear t arise frm the area between the frnt pair f legs. Hmptera (leafhppers, treehppers) [details page 313-8] 315-2
(3b) 7a. Wings membranus g t 8 7b. Wings usually cvered with pwdery-like scales. Muthparts in the frm f a ciled up tube beneath the head. Lepidptera (butterflies, mths) [details page 313-12] 7c. Wings very narrw and fringed with hair. Tiny insect (less than 1/8 inch). Ft ending in balln-like swelling. Thysanptera (thrips) [details page 313-17] 7d. Wings cvered with fine hairs, held rf-like ver bdy at rest. Lks like mth with hairy wings. Lng antennae extended back ver bdy. Trichptera (caddisfly) [details page 313-18] (7a) 8a. Piercing-sucking muthparts. Beak-like muthparts nt very visible and appear t arise frm the area between the frnt pair f legs. Wings generally held rf-like ver bdy when at rest. Hmptera (aphids, cicadas, leafhppers, psyllids, treehppers, whiteflies) [details page 313-8] aphids cicada leafhpper whitefly 8b. Frnt wing usually larger than hind wing. Wings may be cnnected. Chewing r chewing sucking muthparts. Bee, wasp, hrnet like. Hymenptera (bees, wasps, hrnets, wings ants) [details page 313-9] 8c. Large wings in cmparisn t petite bdy. Wings usually with many veins and crss veins, held rf-like ver bdy when at rest. Muthparts chewing. N cerci (tail-like appendages). Neurptera (lacewing) [details page 313-14] 8d. Wings lnger than bdy. Bdy whitish, lks like a fat ant withut a slim waist. Straight and beaded antennae. Isptera (winged termite) [details page 313-11] 8e. Tiny (less than 1/8 inch). Wings held rf-like ver bdy when at rest. Veins prminent. Hair-like antennae as lng r lnger than bdy. Whitish bdy. Pscptera (bk lice) [details page 315-3
313-16] 8f. Insect dminated by very large eyes. Wings elngated, highly veined. Slender, needle-like bdy. Chewing muthparts used t capture and cnsume prey in flight. Odnata (dragnflies and damselflies) [details page 313-15] 8g. Elngated wings fld flat ver bdy when at rest. Lng thread-like antennae. Tw tail-like filaments. Plecptera (stnefly) [details page 313-16] 8h. Frnt wings large and triangular shaped. Hind wings small and runded. Held vertical ver bdy. Tw-very lng tail-like filaments. Ephemerptera (Mayfly) [details page 313-6] (1b) 9a. Piercing-sucking muthparts. g t 10 9b. Chewing muthparts. g t 11 9c. Rasping-sucking muthparts. Tiny (less than 1/8 inch), slender insects. Balln-like swelling n end f ft. Often nticed by scarring and defrmatin f leaves and flwers where it feeds. Thysanptera (thrips) [details page 313-17] (9a) 10a. Bug-like with jinted beak. Muthparts usually easily visible and appear t arise frm frnt f head, in frnt f eyes. Hemiptera (true bugs) [details page 313-7] 10b. Bug-like with jinted beak. Muthparts nt very visible and appear t arise frm the area between the frnt pair f legs. Hmptera (aphids, cicadas. leafhppers, etc.) [details page 313-8] 10c. Tiny, hard bdied, flattened sideways, cvered with bristles that prject backwards. Large hind legs designed fr jumping, fast mving. Siphnaptera (fleas) [details page 313-17] 315-4
10d. Small, flattened parasites f animals and peple. Frelegs with claw designed t grasp hair r feathers. Head narrwer than thrax. Anplura (sucking lice, including head lice and bdy lice) [details page 313-1] (9b) 11a. Larva-like (caterpillar-like, grub-like, maggt-like). g t 12 11b. Bug-like with tail-like features (cerci, filaments). g t 15 11c. Ant-like. g t 16 11d. Dragn-like. g t 17 11e. Tiny, bug-like. g t 18 (11a) 12a. Caterpillar-like: sft bdied, three pair f legs n thrax, fleshy leg-like prlegs n abdmen. g t 13 12b. Grub-like: head capsule, three pair f legs n thrax, n legs n abdmen. typical f Cleptera (beetle grub) [details page 313-2] 12c. Legless g t 14 (12a) 13a. Up t five pair f prlegs n abdmen. Lepidptera 315-5
(butterfly and mth caterpillar) [details page 313-12] 13b. Six r mre pair f prlegs n abdmen. Hymenptera (sawfly larva) [details page 313-6] (12c) 14a. Maggt-like: n legs, n head capsule, muth-hks. typical f Diptera (fly maggt) [details page 313-5] 14b. Legless with enlarged head area. typical f Cleptera (brer larva) [details page 313-2] and sme Hymenptera larva [details page 313-9] (11b) 15a. Elngated flattened bdy with distinct frceps-like pinchers (cerci). Dermaptera (earwigs) [details page 313-4] 15b. Hind legs designed fr jumping. Antennae tread-like. ne pair f tail-like cerci n mst adults. Orthptera (grasshppers, crickets, katydids) [details page 313-15] 15c. Flattened bdy, lng thread-like antennae. Blattaria (cckraches) [details page 313-2] 15d. Frnt legs designed fr grasping and hlding prey. Bdy elngated. Lng, thread-like antennae. Mantdea (mantids) [details page 313-14] 15e. Very elngated, stick-like insect. Phasmida, (walkingstick) [details page 313-16] 15f. Tw r three lng, tail-like cerci. Fast mving. Small 1/4 t 1/2 inch. Zygentmaa (Silverfish, firebrats) [details page 313-18] 15g. Tiny (1-2 mm) sft-bdied insect. Springtail ften present, used t jump. Cllembla (springtail) [details page 313-4] 315-6
(11c) 16a. Three distinct bdy segments. Ant like with narrw ant waist. Elbwed antennae. Hymenptera (ant) [details page 313-9] 16b. Lks like a fat ant with ut a narrw waist. Creamy white. Straight beaded antennae. Isptera (termite) [details page 313-11] (11d) 17a. Generally dark clred with bright markings and spines. Lacking jaw as in 17b. Cleptera (lady beetle larva) [details page 313-2] 17b. Frward-prjecting, curved pinted jaws designed t grasp prey, which they crush and suck ut the insides f their prey. Neurptera (antlin) [details page 313-14] 17c. Aquatic nymphs. Cleptera (aquatic beetle larva) [details page 313-2] Diptera (msquit larva) [details page 313-5] Ephemerptera (Mayfly naiads) [details page 313-6] Odnata (dragnfly and damselfly naiads) [details page 313-15] Plecptera (stnefly naiads) [details page 313-16] Trichptera (caddisfly naiads) [details page 313-18] --- 315-7
(11e) 18a. Tiny parasite f birds. Flattened bdy. Head as wide r wider than thrax. Mallphaga (chewing r biting lice) [details page 313-13] 18b. Tiny, less than 1/8 inch. Hair-like antennae as lng r lnger than bdy. Whitish bdy. Pscptera (bk lice) [details page 313-17] Additinal Infrmatin CMG GardenNtes n Identify Insects #310 Identifying Insects: Reference and Study Questins #311 Taxnmy f Arthrpds (Insects and Insect Relatives) #312 Insect Anatmy and Grwth #313 Insect Orders #314 Key #1 Key t Insects Assciated with Gardening #315 Key #2 Key t Insect Orders #316 Wrksheet: Identifying Insects #317 Hmewrk: Identifying Insects Authr: David Whiting, Cnsumer Hrticulture Specialist, Clrad State University Extensin. Line drawings frm USDA. Phtgraphs by David Whiting. Clrad Master Gardener GardenNtes are available nline at www.cmg.clstate.edu. Clrad Master Gardener training is made pssible, in part, by a grant frm the Clrad Garden Shw, Inc. Clrad State University, U.S. Department f Agriculture and Clrad cunties cperating. Extensin prgrams are available t all withut discriminatin. N endrsement f prducts mentined is intended nr is criticism implied f prducts nt mentined. Cpyright 2005-2011. Clrad State University Extensin. All Rights Reserved. CMG GardenNtes may be reprduced, withut change r additins, fr nnprfit educatinal use. Revised December 2011 315-8