Insects In your pocket

With approximately one million species, insects are the most diverse group in the animal kingdom on Earth. What are the defining characteristics of an insect? Insects have a hard outer shell made of chitin, which acts a bit like a knight's armour.

The body consists of three parts: the head, thorax, and abdomen. Using a colour code, insects have been divided into seven groups, which makes it easier to identify individual species. Each colour is assigned to one group of insects that have a similar body structure.

However, the number and shape of the wings also play an important role here. This grouping does not follow strict zoological systematics, but rather is intended to make identification as simple and accurate as possible.