51�Թ�

A study published earlier this year found that over 3,000 ethnic groups across 128 countries eat 2,205 species of Insecta, with everything from caterpillars to locusts appearing in dishes of every description.

Future studies will examine more basal families as well as families whose monophyly is dubious, including more genera into the analysis, to advance the phylogenetic understanding of Dermaptera and, ultimately of Polyneoptera and Insecta.

Anyone who has thrilled to the shrilling of cicadas or marvelled at the bizarre behaviour of praying mantises will be entranced by this homage to the class Insecta.

“Do you know, Calpurnia, that the class Insecta comprises the largest number of living organisms known to man?”

Wings allowed them to conquer new habitats and ecological niches, and Insecta quickly established themselves as one of the most diverse and successful animal classes, a position they still hold today.