Bug Facts covers useful information about the most commonly found insects and a few commonly mistaken for insects, but actually non-insects in North America.  Topics range from insect development to simply odd interesting facts.  Written for adults and children alike, we invite you to explore the world of insects. There is also a checklist for children to use, much like one would find in a Bird Watcher's guide. 

Insects belong to a class known as arthropods.  What is an arthropod?  The technical definition is: 

: any of a phylum (Arthropoda) of invertebrate animals (as insects, arachnids, and crustaceans) that have a segmented body and jointed appendages, a usually chitinous exoskeleton molted at intervals, and a dorsal anterior brain connected to a ventral chain of ganglia.

This website concentrates on insects, though we do sneak in a  crustacean, one which might just surprise you.  We invite you to study insects, but as with all forms of arthropods...look and please do not touch. 

If you have a question about a particular insect and can't find the answer, we invite you to visit our Contact Us page.  Or you can simply click on: Ask A Scientist to email our respected museum entomologist.

ATTENTION:  Teachers, parents, students and bug lovers!  There is a pdf link for you to use on each page.  Please feel free to use this link to print individual pages for your classroom, homework, field trips or hobby.  To those that wish to link to us, please do and if you are an educational resource we will exchange a return link. 

Note:  The content of this website including the pdf downloads are excerpts from the publication Bug Facts: A Young Explorer's Guide. 

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