ECOS Guide to the Ecology of the Northern Rockies
 
   
 

Insect Guide

The purpose of this site is to provide an easy to use key to identify some orders of insects found in Western Montana.  

The key includes common terrestrial and aquatic adults and some immature insects.

Go to the insect key.

To learn more about insects click on the appropriate topic below.

Insect Key

An easy to use key to identify common insect orders found in Western Montana

What is an insect?

If you see an animal that has six legs and three main body parts you are looking at an insect.

How do insects develop?

Insects may look very different at different stages of their life so it is useful to understand an insect’s life cycle.

View Insect Descriptions

Here are descriptions of some insect orders and some common families.

Why should we care about insects?

“They are the little things that run the world.” – E.O. Wilson

Tips on using the key

Info and tips on using the insect key.

Insect Guide Tutorial

A step by step tutorial on using the insect key

Glossary of Insect Terms

Need to know the meaning of a term in the insect key? Use this glossary.

 

 
The ECOS program is sponsored by the University of Montana's Division of Biological Sciences, and the College of Forestry and Conservation. Carol Brewer Program Director, Division of Biological Sciences. Paul Alaback Program Co-Director, College of Forestry and Conservation.
NSF LogoECOS is supported by the GK-12 Program of the National Science Foundation.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.