The following points highlight the seven commonly known insects. The insects are: 1. Mosquito (Anopheles sp., Culex sp., Aedes sp.) 2. House Fly (Musca Domestica) 3. Silkmoth (Bombyx Mori) 4. Honey Bee (Apis Dorsata) 5. Locust (Lucusta Migratoria) 6. Lac Insect (Tachardia Lacca) 7. Rice Bug (Leptocorisa Varicornis).
Insect # 1. Mosquito (Anopheles sp., Culex sp., Aedes sp.):
Mosquito is quite common in the tropics and are found in abundance in marshy places. They are of sucking habits as well as carriers of germs of many diseases—malaria, elephantiasis, yellow fever, etc. and as such they are of considerable importance.
Only the females are dangerous, since they require animal blood-meal for the proper growth and development of their eggs. Anopheles female causes malaria, culex carries the larvae of filaria, as well as the virus of dengue fever. Aedes is the carries of yellow fever.
Insect # 2. House Fly (Musca Domestica):
House fly is a common nuisance to ordinary household. The house fly, Musca domestica is a menace to human welfare. Female flies are attracted by all kinds of dead and decomposing organic matters for laying their eggs. They are in the habit of regurgitating a part of the food they take and leave a vomit spot on the surface it sits on.
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Due to this ugly habit, the flies are the disseminators of various diseases, the enteric ones in particular. It may so happen that before sitting on exposed human food, they might have been feeding on some decomposed food material or even faecal matters.
Consequently, the pathogenic organisms, which are quite likely to be present there, contaminate the human food, being carried to them either through the sticky pad of the legs, or owing to the regurgitation of the previous diet. Cholera, typhoid, paratyphoid, anthrax, tuberculosis, diarrhoea, dysentery and a number of diseases are directly or indirectly caused by the house fly.
Insect # 3. Silkmoth (Bombyx Mori):
Silk moth is one of the beneficial insects that supplies silk for human luxury and comfort. In India, silk is produced by two types of silk moths of the family, Bombycidae and Satumidae.
The larvae of the moth spin the silk casings or cocoons to cover themselves during the chrysalis stage which is used for making the silk thread. It is the basis of large industries as well as cottage industry. Nowadays, besides the silk, the intestine of the silk moth is used in the preparation of gut, which is used for fishing as well as surgical works.
Insect # 4. Honey Bee (Apis Dorsata):
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The painful bite of the honey bee may possibly be counter-balanced with the important and palatable honey they produce. They are very ancient creatures. The colonial insects live in combs made up of wax scales of real bee’s wax, which is given off from the abdomen.
From the honey-sacs, usually the nector is regurgitated and is stored in the cells of the comb. After proper processing, the pure, tasteful honey is obtained. Both wax and honey obtained from honey bees are of economic importance.
Insect # 5. Locust (Lucusta Migratoria):
Locusts are migratory vegetable feeders. It passes through different phases of its life of which gregaria phase is one. This phase is harmful when great masses of locusts take long distance flight.
In course of their journey, they stop at places and consume every bit of vegetation during their temporary settlement over that region. During flight, they run in thick swarms, which look like dense cloud. Due to their such habits they are considered as one of the greatest enemies of human welfare.
Insect # 6. Lac Insect (Tachardia Lacca):
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The lac insects are mostly recognised by females which have bag-like bodies covered up by resinous substances secreted by the animal. The lac insect Tachardia lacca gives off an exudation of a resinous nature which yield shellac of commercial importance and red dye.
They are largely found in the forests of India and Myanmar (Burma). The shellac is used in making varnishes and polishes, insulation, as sealing wax, linoleum, buttons, pottery shoe polishes; toys, bangles and various other items.
Insect # 7. Rice Bug (Leptocorisa Varicornis):
In Bengal, it is popularly known as “Gondhi poka” because of its’ nauseating smell. It belongs to the subclass Pterygota, division Endopterygota. It is very easily recognised by its green colour and slender form. The maximum size attained by it is about 25 mm.
It is widely distributed and is reported to cause a serious damage to paddy crops in all the states of India. It feeds upon ripening seeds and also sucks sap from developing ears, which, as a result, die and turn white.