Chewing mouthparts (i.e. water beetle, ants, caterpillars)
The chewing mouth, used to grid solid foods, represents the primitive condition from which many specializations, found in different insect groups, have evolved.
Stinging-sucking mouthparts (i.e. ranatra or water scorpion or water stick-insect)
The typical needle shape is used to pierce the prey’s body, inject it with a paralyzing liquid, and suck out its contents. It is typical in insects belonging to the Order Hemiptera, both terrestrial and aquatic.
biting sucking mouthparts (i.e. Mosquito)
It is composed of 3 different parts with different purpose: sharp jaws to pierce the skin, hypopharynx to inject an anticoagulant saliva, and epipharynx, the channel used to draw blood.
Female mosquitoes use blood to feed their eggs
Lambent-sucking mouthparts (i.e. flies)
The short and squat trunk that characterizes this particular type of mouth has a spongy tissue that allows liquid food’s suction. Furthermore, flies are able to eat solid foods due to the production of a particular digestive enzyme within the saliva which softer the food.
Siphoning mouthparts (i.e. butterflies)
It is an extremely specialized apparatus in the shape of a suctorial proboscis, formed by elongated jaws that form a straw. When not in use, the proboscis is kept rolled up.
Lambent mouthparts (i.e. bees)
The mandibles are used to adapt the pollen and shape the wax to build the hives. The tongue and the two elongated jaws are used to suck the nectar from the flowers.
