The Head

The mouth of the insect is formed by the labrum, or upper lip, the mandibles and maxillae which form the sides of the mouth; and the labium, which forms the lower lip. The labium and maxillae usually bear palps (palpi) that serve as sensory appendages.

Other structures include antennae, which serve as sensory structures, and the eyes, which can take a number of shapes including eye spots and compound eyes. If you look at compound eyes under a microscope you would see that the eye is actually divided into a number of tiny, 6 sided structures. There are about 50 to a 1000 seperate divisions depending on the insect species. Nymphs (naiads) and their adult forms as a rule always have compound eyes. (e.g. dragonfly nymphs). Larvae generally do not have complex compound eyes (e.g. Predacious diving beetle larvae).


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	The Ventral Side of a Beetle Head	What is an Insect The Head The mouth of the insect is formed by the labrum, or upper lip, the mandibles and maxillae which form the sides of the mouth; and the labium, which forms the lower lip. The labium and maxillae usually bear palps (palpi) that serve as sensory appendages. Other structures include antennae, which serve as sensory structures, and the eyes, which can take a number of shapes including eye spots and compound eyes. If you look at compound eyes under a microscope you would see that the eye is actually divided into a number of tiny, 6 sided structures. There are about 50 to a 1000 seperate divisions depending on the insect species. Nymphs (naiads) and their adult forms as a rule always have compound eyes. (e.g. dragonfly nymphs). Larvae generally do not have complex compound eyes (e.g. Predacious diving beetle larvae). The Thorax The Abdomen Insect Metamorphosis Tools and Methods for Collecting Aquatic Insects How to Use the Key