There are over 1 million species of insetcs and over 100,000 species of arachnids present today, with many more being identified daily. Given such a magnitude, to try and identify every individual specimen is not possible. Instead, an easier approach I to familiarise oneself with the common characteristics and key identification for different families. This book aims to do so--by walking the reader through the different orders, using beautiful photographs of these amazing organisms--and will help identify most of them out in the field. Arachnids abound just as insects, and this book serves as two guides in one book. Though we have limited ourselves to insects and arachnids found in the southern states of India, most species are quite ubiquitous and are found through most parts of India. This guide, therefore, can be used quite easily anywhere in India.
Insects:
1. Introduction
2. How do I identify insects?
3. Growth and development in insects
4. A brief overview into the taxonomic position of insects:
i. Order Thysanura: firebrats, silverfish
5. Subclass Pterygota:
i. Order Ephemeroptera: mayflies
ii Order Odonata: dragonflies, damselflies
6. Neoptera:
i. Order Orthoptera: grasshoppers, katydids, crickets, locusts
ii. Superorder Dictyoptera: cockroaches, mantids, termites
iii. Order Phasmida: stick insects, leaf insects
iv. Order Plecoptera: stoneflies
v. Order embioptera: webspinners
vi. Order dermaptera: earwigs
7. Hemipteroid assemblage:
i. Order Psocodea: parasitic lice, bark lice, book lice
ii. Order thysanoptera: thrips
iii. Order Hemiptera: true bugs
8. Endopterygota:
i. Order Coleoptera: beetles
ii. Order Neuroptera (Neuropteroid Assemblage): antlions, lacewings, dobsonflies, alderflies, snakeflies
iii. Order diptera: flies, gnats, mosquitoes, skeeters
iv. Order siphonaptera: fleas
v. Order Mecoptera: scorpionflies
vi. Order Trichoptera: caddisflies
vii. Order Lepidoptera: butterflies, moths
viii. Order Hymenoptera: wasps, ants, bees
9. Arachnida: How do I identify arachnids? A brief overview into the taxonomic position of arachnids
10. Class Arachnida:
i. Order Araneae: spiders
ii. Order Thelyphonidae: Whip scorpions, Vinegaroons
iii. Order Acari: mites, ticks
iv. Order opioliones: harvestmen, daddy-long legs
v. Order scorpions: scorpion
vi. Order solifugae: sun spiders, camel spiders, wind spiders
Glossary
Index
Bibliography