Key to Arthropods 1

Key to arthropods 1. Does it have wings/wing cases? 6. Does it have pincers?

YES NO YES NO ►go to 28 ►go to 2 ►go to 7 ►go to 8

2. How many legs does it have? 7. Does it have a tail? (It’s possible that legs have broken off)

6 8 MORE THAN YES NO (+fangs 8 Scorpiones Pseudoscorpionida and/or (scorpion) (pseudoscorpion) pedipalps) ►go to 14 ►go to 3 ►go to 10

3. Does it have a segmented abdomen? 8. Does it have spiny pedipalps?

YES NO YES NO ►go to 6 ►go to 4 Ambly pygi ►go to 9

4. Is there a constriction between the 9. How many fangs (chelicerae) has it head and the abdomen? got?

YES NO 2 4 Araneae (spider) ►go to 5 Schizomida Solpugida

5. How long are the legs?

VERY LONG SHORT Opiliones Acari (mite) (harvestman)

1 Key to arthropods 10. Does it have a long thin body? 12. Does it have fangs?

YES NO YES NO ►go to 11 ►go to 13 Chilopoda Symphyla (centipede)) (symphylan)

11. How many legs on each body 13. Is the body segmented? segment?

4 2 YES NO ►go to 11A ►go to 12 ►go to 13A Decapoda: Brachyura (crab)

11A How many pairs of legs does it have? 13A. In which way is it flattened?

11 OR LESS 12 OR MORE DORSO-VENTRALLY LATERALLY (TOP TO BOTTOM) (SIDE TO SIDE) Pauropoda Diplopoda Isopoda Amphipoda (pauropod) (millipede) (woodlouse) (sandhopper)

2 Key to insects without wings 14. Does it have at least two appendages 18. Does it have pincers? projecting from the tip of the abdomen?

YES NO YES NO ►go to 15 ►go to 24 Dermaptera ►go to 19 (earwig)

15. Does it have long hind legs with wide 19. Are any of its legs spiny? femurs?

YES NO YES NO Orthoptera ►go to 16 ►go to 20 ►go to 21 (grasshopper or cricket)

16. How many abdominal appendages 20. How many of its legs are spiny? does it have?

3 OR MORE 2 FRONT TWO ALL 6 ►go to 17 ►go to 18 ►go to 20A Blattodea (cockroach)

17. Does it have large eyes? 20A. How long is the first thoracic segment?

YES NO LONG SHORT Archeognatha Zygentoma Mantodea Mantophasmatodea (bristletail) (silverfish) (praying mantis)

Key to insects without wings 21. Are the tips of its forelegs enlarged? 24. Is there a strong constriction between the thorax and abdomen?

YES NO YES NO Embioptera ►go to 22 Hymenoptera: ►go to 25 (web spinner) Formicidae (ant)

22. Does it have a long thin body with 25. Does it have a narrow thorax? elongated thorax?

YES NO YES NO Phasmatodea ►go to 23 Probably Isoptera ►go to 26 (stick insect) (termite)

23. Does it have eyes? 26. Is the body laterally compressed (Flattened from side to side)?

YES NO YES NO Collembola Diplura Siphonaptera ►go to 27 (springtail) (two-tailed bristletail) (flea)

27. Does it have a proboscis?

YES NO ►go to 52 Another wingless insect (adult, nymph or larva)

Key to winged insects I 28. How many wings does it have? 32. Do the cross-veins form a ladder-like pattern towards the posterior?

4 2 YES NO (Including wing cases) ►go to 48 Plecoptera ►go to 61 ►go to 29 (stonefly)

29. Do all four wings look the same? 33. Are the wings scaly, hairy or neither? (If you are not sure then try both answers

YES NO SCALY HAIRY ►go to 30 ►go to 36 Lepidoptera (moth) ►go to 34 (Including all insects with wing cases)

NEITHER ►go to 35

30. Do the wings have a lot of cross- 34. Is it small veins? (body length less than 2 mm. or 1/16 in)?

YES NO YES NO ►go to 31 ►go to 33 Thysanoptera Trichoptera (trips) (caddis-fly)

31. Does it have short antennae and a 35. Are the ends of its forelegs enlarged? long thin body?

YES NO YES NO Odonata ►go to 32 Embioptera Isoptera (dragonfly or (web spinner) (termite) damselfly)

5 Key to winged insects I 36. Are the hindwings smaller than the 40. Is the body hairy? forewings? (If you are not sure then try both answers)

YES NO YES NO ►go to 37 ►go to 43 ►go to 65 ►go to 41 (including all insects with wing cases)

37. Does it have a constriction between 41. Does only one vein originate from the the thorax and abdomen? base of the wing?

YES NO YES NO Hymenoptera: ►go to 38 ►go to 42 Psocoptera Apocrita (barklouse)

38. Does it have at least two long tails? 42. Is the vein unbranched?

YES NO YES NO Ephemeroptera ►go to 39 Hymenoptera: ►go to 54 (mayfly) Chalcidoidea (chalcid wasp)

39. Does it have lots of cells in the wing? 43. Does it have pincers?

YES NO YES NO Hymenoptera: ►go to 40 Dermaptera ►go to 44 Symphyta (earwig) (sawfly)

Key to winged insects I 44. Does it have a proboscis? 48. Does it have branching antennae, like antlers?

YES NO YES NO ►go to 56 ►go to 45 Strepsiptera ►go to 49 (stylopid)

45. Does it have wing cases that meet 49. Do the wings have no veins and a down the middle of the body? fringe of hairs?

YES NO YES NO Coleoptera ►go to 46 Hymenoptera: ►go to 50 (beetle) Mymarommatidae (fairy fly)

46. Does it have long hind legs with wide 50. Does the wing have only two femurs? unbranched veins?

YES NO YES NO Orthoptera ►go to 47 Hemiptera: Coccoidea ►go to 66 (grasshopper or (scale insect) cricket)

47. Which of the legs are spiny?

FRONT 2 only ALL 6 Mantodea Blattodea (praying mantis) (cockroach)

Key to bugs 56. Does its proboscis originate at the 51. How many wings does it have? front or back of the head?

0 2 4 (includes tegmina) FRONT BACK ►go to Coccoidea ►go to 47 Heteroptera Homoptera 47 ►go to 57 ►go to 58

52. Is its proboscis longer than its body? 57. Does it have very long legs?

YES NO YES NO Aphidoidea (greenfly) ►go to 56 Reduviidae Another bug

53. Are the hindwings smaller than the 58. Does it have a greatly enlarged head- forewings? shield?

YES NO YES NO ►go to 54 ►go to 56 Membracidae ►go to 59 (includes all bugs with (treehopper) leathery forewings)

54. Does the forewing have a 59. Does it have very spiny hind legs? pterostigma?

YES NO YES NO Aphidoidea (green fly) ►go to 55 Cicadellidae ►go to 60

55. Does the main vein branch once near 60. If it has wings, do the forewings have the centre of the wing? converging anal veins?

YES NO YES NO Aleyrodoidea Psylloidea Fulgoroidea Cercopoidea

Key to winged insects II 61. Does it have an elongated thorax? 63. Does it have a rostrum that points downwards?

YES NO YES NO ►go to 62 ►go to 63 Mecoptera ►go to 64 (scorpion fly)

62. Are the front legs spiny and do they 64. Do its wings have thick, black veins? originate near the head?

YES NO YES NO Neuroptera: Raphidioptera Megaloptera Neuroptera Mantispidae (snake fly) (Alder fly) (lacewing) (mantis fly)

65. Does it have scaly or hairy wings?

SCALY HAIRY Lepidoptera Trichoptera (moth) (caddis-fly)

Key to true flies 66. Are the antennae much longer than 70. Does the wing have many equally the length of the head? spaced, parallel veins?

YES NO YES NO ►go to 67 ►go to 72 Psychodidae ►go to 71 (moth fly)

67. Does it have slender or rounded 71. Does it have long, beaded antennae? wings?

SLENDER ROUNDED YES NO ►go to 68 ►go to 70 Cecidomyiidae ►go to 72 (gall midge)

68. Does it have a cell in the wing? 72. Does the radial sector reach the wing tip?

YES NO YES NO Trichoceridae ►go to 69 ►go to 73 ►go to 74 (winter gnat)

69. Does it have a long proboscis and 73. Do the cubitus or radial sector scaly wings? branch?

YES NO YES NO Culicidae Probably Bibionidae ►go to 75 (mosquito) Chironomidae (march flies) (midge)

Key to true flies 74. Does the cubitus branch? 78. How many cross-veins does it have?

YES NO 0 1 Ceratopogonidae Scatopsidae ►go to 79 Dolihopodidae (biting midge) (scavenger fly) (long-legged fly)

2 or 3 ►go to 80

75. Does the wing have many cells? 79. Does the radial sector reach the tip of the wing?

YES NO YES NO ►go to 76 ►go to 78 Simuliidae Phoridae (black-fly) (scuttle-fly)

76. Does it have veins running close to 80. Are the cross-veins together near the the posterior margin? centre of the wing?

YES NO YES NO ►go to 81 ►go to 77 Empididae Probably Cyclorrapha (dance fly) (fly)

77. Does the cubitus converge with the 81. Does vein M1 end at the wing tip? anal vein?

YES NO YES NO Probably Rhagionidae Empididae Pollenia Syrphidae (snipe fly) (dance fly) (bot fly) (howerfly)