ECOS Guide to the Ecology of the Northern Rockies
 
   
 

Insect Key Introduction

The purpose of this site is to provide an easy to use key to identify some orders of insects found in W. Montana. This key includes common terrestrial and aquatic adults and some immature insects.

Instructions:
In this key you will be given two different characteristics that describe an insect. In addition, you will be shown pictures of all the possible choices. Choose the description and/or the picture that most closely matches your insect and you will be given more choices until the insect is identified to the order level (butterfly, beetle, fly, etc.).

Why identify the insect to the order level?
When people see an insect the first thing they ask is “what is it?’ It’s natural to want to know this but it’s very difficult to identify the exact species of an insect. In fact, it’s difficult for experts who are looking at the insect through a microscope! Identifying an insect to the order level is a reasonable place to start and if you can do this, you’ll know more than most people. If you’d like to give it a try, use our key. Once you know the order of insect you are interested in, you can learn a lot about the interesting behaviors of these animals.

Use the Insect Key

 
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.