Insects 101
By Debbie Hadley, About.com Guide to Insects
Insects grow, changes, eat, mate, and defend themselves in interesting ways. Start here to learn the basics of insects, spiders, and other arthropods.
Insect Bodies
Most people know that insects have three body regions, but what's inside? Learn more about the insect body and how it works.
- How Insects Taste
- How Do Insects Breathe?
- All About Insect Poop
- Why Ants (and Other Bugs) Are So Strong
Mating & Reproduction
Once an insect reaches adulthood, its main purpose is to produce the next generation of its species.
- The Art of Insect Seduction
- Love at First Sight? How Bugs Find Mates
- Aphids, the Amazons of the Insect World
- Periodical Cicada Brood Maps
Growth & Metamorphosis
Insects grow and change in dramatic ways. Many insects look entirely different in each stage of their life cycles.
- Molting - How Insects Shed Their Skin
- Types of Insect Metamorphosis
- The Life Cycle of Butterflies and Moths
Bug Behavior
Insect behavior teaches us how bugs adapt and evolve in a changing environment.
- Where Do Bugs Go in the Winter?
- Cunning Killers - How Assassin Bugs Hunt
- How to Fool a Cockroach With a Vacuum
- How Insects Recognize Their Host Plants
Communication
Like most animals, insects need to communicate with each other to survive. Insects "talk" using pheromones, light signals, songs, and dances.
