With an estimated one million insects in the world, trying to identify an unfamiliar find can be overwhelming. However, if you get acquainted with the twenty-nine insect orders, you can quickly narrow down the possibilities and get closer to a correct ID.

Entomologists group insects by common physical and behavioral characteristics. For example, all insects that have only one pair of wings belong to the order Diptera (true flies). So, if you have an insect with just a single pair of wings and you know a little about insect orders, you will already know you have some kind of fly. That's a lot less overwhelming than opening a field guide from page one, and hoping you will eventually reach the right page.

Are you a novice to insect classification? Read my Guide to the Twenty-Nine Insect Orders, and you will feel like a pro.