Insect Diversity
There are currently roughly 1,032,000 described species of animals on the planet earth. The total number may be much higher, as much as 10-30 million in fact. Of those described species, insects comprise 751,000 species or 72.8% of all the animals. Insects are an even larger proportion of the terrestrial animals (nearly 85%). One of the major features of insects is their extraordinary diversity in terms of numbers and morphological forms. It is important to have a general understanding of the major groups (Orders) of insects and in two lectures I will present an overview of the 32 currently recognized insect orders. We will do this in terms of a timeline (from the origins of insects in the Devonian [400 million years ago]) to the present. I will present the major evolutionary events in insect diversification, including the origins of wings, the origins of metamorphosis, and the rapid diversification of insects in association with the flowering plants (in the Cretaceous). We will also examine the major extinctions in insects, including the end-Permian and end-Cretaceous extinctions. You will come away with an understanding of both the timeline of insect evolution as well as the diversity of the insect orders.
This lecture will have an associated open laboratory that will span several days. In the lab you will be able to examine insect specimens of each insect order through the microscope.
Powerpoint: Download Lecture 1
Powerpoint: Download Lecture 2