Insects are the most diverse and numerous animal group on the planet and include butterflies, moths, dragonflies, wasps, bees, ants, termites, weevils, grasshoppers and crickets.
Insects have six legs, a pair of antennae, compound eyes and have a hard exoskeleton made of chitin. Their bodies consist of three parts; the head, the thorax, and the abdomen.
Insects provide crucial roles in the ecosystem, some help break down organic matter, some pollinate flowers, some help aerate the soil and most form the basis of many animal diets.
All insects undergo metamorphosis. Some insects change in gradual stages, often shedding an exoskeleton as they grow larger, while others change quite dramatically like butterflies which grow from an egg, into a larva (caterpillar), into a pupa (which is encased in a cocoon), and finally into an adult butterfly.
