Hemiptera

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/hemiptera

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the order classification?Hemiptera. A diverse order of insects comprising over 80,000 described species
2. What is the defining morphological trait?Piercing-sucking mouthparts (rostrum) adapted for liquid feeding
3. How do Hemiptera feed?They use their rostrum to pierce plants or other bugs and suck out sap, blood, or inject toxins into prey.
4. Why are Hemiptera important to plants and farms?Some feed on plant sap and can hurt crops, while others help by eating pests or pollinating flowers.

Phytophagous: Herbivorous insects that feed on plant sap or tissues, a common strategy in Hemiptera.
Incomplete Metamorphosis: A life cycle where young (nymphs) resemble adults and undergo gradual changes through molting.
Auchenorrhyncha: A suborder of Hemiptera including cicadas, leafhoppers, and planthoppers, often important pollinators.