Parts of an Insect Worksheet

Creepy, crawly, and cool! Insects are amazing, and you’ll want these parts of an insect worksheet to start off your study of insects. Then crawl over and check out more Free Insect Worksheets for Kids!

With the warm weather outside, this is the perfect time to get into bugs. Even if your child is a bit timid when it comes to bugs, educating them about bugs might help them hop right over that worry and fear. We use these to get accustomed to bugs and I think that it really does help!

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Parts of an Insect Worksheet

Use these worksheets as a simple way to help your child identify bug parts and learn more about them.

The basic parts of an insect

Insect bodies all have some things in common, and then they have some things specific to their genus or family.

Be certain to check out our Bug Counting Mats as well!

All insects, for example, have 6 legs and antennae, and a body divided in 3. But some kinds of insects have wings and some have shells. Some have a more prominent proboscis (sucking mouths), some have more prominent mandibles (biting mouths), and some have just labium (sponging mouths).

Every insect has 3 main body parts — the head, the thorax and the abdomen.

The head of the insect is where the antenna, the compound eyes and the external mouth parts are. Mosquitos will have proboscis, beetles generally have mandibles, and houseflies have labium, as an example.

The thorax is the middle part of the insect, and it’s where the legs (and wings, if there are any) attach. All true insects have 6 legs – 3 on each side of the body. Some insects may have just 2 wings, and some may have 4.

The abdomen is the end part of the insect, and usually the largest and most recognizable. This is where the insect’s internal organs are usually contained, such as their digestive system or reproductive organs. The abdomen is reactive, and it will expand as the insect feeds.

Located either on the thorax or the abdomen are the spiracles, the breathing holes of the insect. And all true insects have exoskeletons, or skeletal systems on the outside of their bodies, made of chitin, a kind of biological plastic.

Recommended Bug Books for Kids

Bugs are incredible creatures, and your students will want more. Check out our favorite books and stories about bugs — from the exotic to the common.

Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever (National Geographic Kids)Bugs A to Z Super Bug Encyclopedia: The Biggest, Fastest, Deadliest Creepy-Crawlers on the Planet (Super Encyclopedias)Hello, World! Backyard Bugs Backyard Bugs: An Identification Guide to Common Insects, Spiders, and More Everything You Need to Know About Bugs

Recommended Bug Kits

And there’s nothing like studying real life bugs to get your kids excited. Grab one of these kits, and get out there to look at bugs

INNOCHEER Explorer Kit & Bug Catcher Kit for Kids Outdoor Exploration GIFTINBOX Bug Catcher Kit for Kids, Outdoor Explorer Kit JVJQ Kids Explorer Kit – 16 Pcs Outdoor Exploration kit Bug Catcher kit for Kids Outdoor Explorer Kit – Bug Catcher Kit ESSENSON Outdoor Explorer Kit & Bug Catcher Kit NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Backyard Safari Kit

See the other activities in my 10 days of Biology Worksheets for Elementary Students series.

Download the Parts of an Insect Worksheets below:

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