| Main Entry: |
insect |
| Part of Speech: |
noun |
| Definition: |
bug |
Synonyms: |
ant, aphid, arachnid, arthropod, bedbug, bee, beetle, bumblebee, butterfly, cockroach, cootie, daddy longlegs, dragonfly, flea,
fly, fruit fly, gnat, grasshopper, hornet, ladybug, louse, mite, mite, mosquito, moth,
pest, praying mantis, spider, termite, tick, vermin, yellowjacket
|
| Notes: |
a bug is a particular kind of insect, specifically belonging to the order Hemiptera (tough leathery forewings attached to the body - like ladybugs, beetles) while insects generally belong to the class Insecta, which have bodies in three segments, usually two pairs or wings and three pairs of legs (like bees, mosquitoes); spiders are not technically insects because they have four pairs of legs
insect (from Latin animal insectum) literally meant 'divided animal' or 'cut up or into' from the segments of its body (head, thorax, abdomen) - the common word being 'bug'; insect is any of an extremely large group of small invertebrate animals - and most undergo metamorphosis while bug denotes a special group of insects with beaklike sucking mouth parts and partly membranous forewings
one major difference between insect, spider, and crustacean is the antennae; one pair on most insects, none on spiders, and two pairs for crustaceans |
