Identifying Your Insects
Identifying Your Insects
People experienced with insects may be able to tell you what some
of your insects are, but you should try to identify as many of
your insects as possible on your own. Here are some ways to do
that:
- You can identify the insects you have killed by
matching them with pictures in books. Handbook
of the Insect World, available as part of the
entomology project, contains many pictures of
common insects.
- If you don't find a picture to match an insect
you have, you can use a key to identify it. An
insect "key" is a step-by-step system which leads
you to the proper identification of an insect. A
Key to the Orders of Insects will help you identify
orders of insects, and also has descriptions of
the insect orders to supplement the information in
the key. The booklet is available with this project.
- There are also field guide books available at book
stores that are helpful for identification.