A housefly can beat its wings at more than 330 strokes per second. Some insects have taste buds on the pads of their feet. Bees can tell the difference between sugar and saccharin. Some insects have up to 5 hearts. Insects breathe through small holes in their abdomen called spiracles.
Insects play an important role in our lives.
They serve as food for many birds and other creatures. Bees and other insects pollinate flowers enabling us to have seeds and new plants each year. Even termites, which eat fallen limbs and debris on the forest floor, and other seemingly destructive insects can be beneficial in the right place. The following items are basic needs for making and maintaining an insect collection. Most of them can be bought through a biological supply house, like BioQuip, or they can be constructed fairly easily.