| 1a. Insect has conspicuous wings | 2 |
|---|---|
| 1b. Wings inconspicuous or absent | 17 |
| Insects With Wings | |
| 2a. One pair of wings | 3 |
| 2b. Two pairs of wings | 4 |
| Insects With One Pair of Wings | |
| 3a. Conspicuous filaments at the end of the abdomen, wings held vertically above the body when at rest
 |
Order Ephemeroptera Mayflies
Found near water |
| 3b. No filaments at end of abdomen, wings held horizontally when at rest
 Fly  |
Order Diptera Mosquitos House Fly Black Fly
Found near water |
| Insects With Two Pair of Wings | |
| 4a. The two pairs of wings are unlike in structure, first pair thicker than second | 5 |
| 4b. The two pairs of wings are similar in structure, about the same thickness | 8 |
| 5a. First pair of wings hard and shell-like | 6 |
| 5b. Some part of the first pair of wings leathery | 7 |
| 6a. Prominent pair of pincer-like parts at the end of the abdomen
 |
Order Dermaptera Earwigs
Found in debris |
| 6b. Without pincer-like parts at end of abdomen
 Waterbug  |
Order Coleoptera The Beetles Lady Beetle Fireflies Japanese Beetle
Found in all habitats |
| 7a. First pair of wings leathery at base and membraneous at tip, sucking mouth parts
 |
Order Hemiptera The True Bugs Boxelder Bug Squash Bug
Found in all habitats |
| 7b. First pair of wings leathery and veined throughout
 Cockroach  Walkingstick  Grasshopper  Cricket  |
Order Orthoptera Grasshoppers Crickets American Cockroach German Cockroach Praying Mantis
Found on ground or vegetation |
| 8a. Wings covered with scales
 Moth  |
Order Lepidoptera Butterfiles and Moths
Found on vegetation |
| 8b. Wings not covered with scales | 9 |
| 9a. Mouth parts a tube for sucking
 |
Order Homoptera Cicadas
Found on vegetation |
| 9b. Mouth parts not a sucking tube | 10 |
| 10a. Body slender with long, slim antennae
 |
Order Trichoptera Caddisflies
Found near water |
| 10b. Body and antennae not as in 10a | 11 |
| 11a. Wings with few or no veins | 12 |
| 11b. Wings with many veins | 13 |
| 12a. First wings wider than back
 Wasp  |
Order Hymenoptera Honey Bees Carpenter Bees Mud Daubers Hornets Yellowjackets
Found on ground or vegetation |
| 12b. Both wings narrow, edged with bristly hairs
 |
Order Thysanoptera Thrips
Found in debris or on vegetation |
| 13a. Head prolonged into a trunk-like beak with chewing mouth parts
 Female  |
Order Mecoptera Scorpionflies
Found on vegetation |
| 13b. Head without a trunk-like beak | 14 |
| 14a. Antennae inconspicuous, long slender insects with long narrow wings
 Damselfly  |
Order Odonta Dragonflies Damselflies
Found near water |
| 14b. Antennae readily visible | 15 |
| 15a. Abdomen with two short tail-like projections (caudal cerci)
 |
Order Plecoptera Stoneflies
Found near water
|
| 15b. Abdomen without caudal cerci | 16 |
| 16a. Wing pairs not equal in size, males my have conspicuous claspers
 |
Order Neuroptera Lacewings
Found on vegetation near water
|
| 16b. Wing pairs equal in size, prothorax smaller than head
 |
Order Isoptera Termites
Found in ground or wood
|
| Insects Without Wings | |
| 17a. Narrow waisted with no tail-like projections (caudal cerci) on tip of abdomen
 |
Order Hymenoptera Ants Carpenter Ants
Found on ground or vegetation
|
| 17b. Not narrow waisted | 18 |
| 18a. Wide waisted with two short caudal cerci on tip of abdomen
 Soldier Termite  |
Order Isoptera Termites
Found in ground or wood
|
| 18b. Not as in 18a | 19 |
| 19a. Small, flat bodied insects with head as wide as body and chewing mouth parts | 20 |
| 19b. Not as in 19a | 21 |
| 20a. Antenna with many segments, insect normally found on old papers, etc
 |
Order Psocoptera Book Lice
Found in debris
|
| 20b. Antenna short with two to five segments, insect found mostly on birds
 |
Order Mallophaga Chewing Lice
Found on birds or mammals
|
| 21a. Small, plump bodied insects with small heads | Order Homoptera Aphids
Found on vegetation
|
| 21b. Not as in 21a | 22 |
| 22a. Small, broad and flat across back, fleshy legs with a single hook-like claw
 |
Order Anoplura Sucking Lice
Found on mammals
|
| 22b. Not as in 22a | 23 |
| 23a. Small insects flattened from side to side, sucking mouth parts, hind legs for jumping
 |
Order Siphonaptera Fleas
Found on birds and mammals
|
| 23b. Not as in 23a | 24 |
| 24a. Very delicate insects with long, jointed thread-like tails and antennae
 |
Order Thysanura Silverfish
Found in debris
|
| 24b. Not as in 24a | Order Collembola Springtails
Found in debris
|