Insects are a fascinating part of biology, and are some of the most abundant and

misunderstood organisms on Earth. Scientists who study insects are called

entomologists.

Entomology (n)

Entomology breaks down easily into two parts: entom and –logy. Entom comes from the
Greek word ‘entomon‘ meaning insect and we already know that logycomes from the
Greek word logia which means ‘the study of’. Therefore, entomology, as you probably
expected, means the study of insects.

There is much dispute, but scientists recognize between 27 and 31 orders of insects.
Some of these orders are more common than others, and they offer a great introduction
into scientific terminology. Here are nine of the most common, and also some of my
favorites!

Ephemeroptera

Ephemeroptera breaks down into ephemero and –ptera. Ephemero comes from the
Greek word ‘ephemeros‘ meaning short-lived and ptera comes from the Greek word
‘pteron‘ meaning wing. Therefore, ephemeroptera refers to adult insects that are short-
lived and winged. An example of this is the mayfly. Adult mayflies only live long enough
to reproduce and don’t even have mouths!

Odonata

Odonata doesn’t need to be broken down. It comes from the Greek word ‘odontos‘
meaning tooth. This refers to the teeth on the lower jaw of these insects; however, this
is not actually a good identifier as many different types of insects have toothed
jaws. Odonata includes dragonflies and damselflies and is one of my favorite insect
orders!

Orthoptera

Orthoptera breaks down into ortho and ptera. Ortho is the Greek word for straight
and ptera, like I mentioned before, means wings. Therefore, Orthoptera means straight
wings. Orthoptera includes grasshoppers, locusts and crickets. Interestingly, locusts
and other Orthoptera are the only insects that are considered kosher.

Phasmida
Phasmida comes from the Greek word phasma which means phantom. This refers to
stick insects’ ability to blend in to their surroundings. Stick insects make good pets and
many species don’t need males in order to reproduce.

Hemiptera

Hemiptera breaks down into hemi and -ptera. Hemi is a Greek word meaning half
and ptera means wing. This refers to the order’s characteristic wings that are hardened
at the base, leaving only half a wing. These insects are the true bugs and include
cicadas, aphids and leafhoppers. Not all insects are bugs, but all bugs are insects.

Coleoptera

Coleoptera breaks down into coleo and ptera. Coleo comes from the Greek word
‘koleos’ which means sheath and ptera means wing.
Therefore, Coleopterameans sheathed wing insects, which describes beetles perfectly.
Their hard shells protect their wings. In other words, ladybugs and june bugs aren’t
actually bugs, they’re beetles!

Diptera

Diptera breaks down into di and ptera. Di is a Greek word meaning two
and ptera means wing. Ergo, Diptera describes insects with two wings: the true flies.
This includes fuit flies, which are used as a model organism in genetics experiments.

Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera breaks down into lepido and ptera. Lepido comes from the Greek word
‘lepis‘ which means scale and ptera means wing. Lepidoptera includes moths and
butterflies and the name refers to the small scales on their wings. They are also known
for their proboscis, a straw-like mouth used to suck up nectar.

Hymenoptera

Hymenoptera breaks down into hymeno and ptera. Hymen is a Greek word meaning
membrane and ptera means wing. Hymenoptera describes the thin, membranous wings
of wasps, bees and ants, and is one of the largest insect orders.