Classification of insects and mites

Insects and arachnids (e.g., spiders, mites, and ticks), as well as crustaceans (e.g., crabs) and centipedes, are all arthropods, a diverse group of invertebrates with segmented bodies and jointed appendages. Arthropods are important components in most aquatic and terrestrial environments, but this website focuses exclusively on those insects and arachnids that feed on or damage trees in Canada.

In biology, organisms are classified according to a taxonomic system that comprises several hierarchical levels, beginning at the most general (i.e., domain) and progressing through to the species name. In this database, the system generally starts at the kingdom level, which is one below the domain level, and is followed by phylum, class, order, family, and genus name. The genus name combined with a species epithet forms the unique double name (binomial) for each distinct species. These scientific binomials are usually formed from Latin or Greek roots. The name of the authority who described the species is added at the end. Revisions to binomials (name changes to species) are a common occurrence, the result of ongoing research that may discover morphological or genetic features revealing new relationships in populations of organisms. For example, name changes happen when new genera are described, when one species is divided into several new species, or when closely related species are combined. If the result is a change in the binomial (either a new genus name or species epithet), the older binomial is known as a synonym.

Most familiar organisms also have common names. Unlike their scientific names, which is international, their common names will be different in each language and in different locations. Current common names are provided in English and French for insects, as maintained by The Entomological Society of Canada.