Powerful, crushing blades.

強勁的利刃

A pointed, piercing tube.

尖銳的管子

There are nearly a million known insect species in the world,

世界上已知的昆蟲有將近一百萬種

but most have one of just five common types of mouthparts.

但昆蟲的口器大致分為五種

And that's extremely useful to scientists

這對科學家來說非常實用

because when they encounter an unfamiliar insect in the wild,

因為當他們在野外遇到不熟悉的昆蟲

they can learn a lot about it just by examining how it eats.

他們可以藉由觀察昆蟲怎麼進食獲得許多資訊

Scientific classification, or taxonomy,

科學分類，或者說分類學

is used to organize all living things into seven levels:

用來將生物分成七個階層

kingdom,

界

phylum,

門

class,

綱

order,

目

family,

科

genus,

屬

and species.

種

The features of an insect's mouthparts can help identify which order it belongs to,

口器的特徵不只能辨認昆蟲所屬的目

while also providing clues about how it evolved and what it feeds on.

也透露了昆蟲演化和以何為食的線索

The chewing mouthpart is the most common.

最常見的是咀嚼式口器

It's also the most primitive—

這也是最原始的 —

all other mouthparts are thought to have started out looking like this one

其他類型的口器被認為是以這種口器為原型

before evolving into something different.

而發展出不一樣的型態

It features a pair of jaws called mandibles

咀嚼式口器有一對顎稱為大顎

with toothed inner edges that cut up and crush solid foods,

內側邊緣為鋸齒狀可以切斷和壓碎固體食物

like leaves or other insects.

像葉子或其他昆蟲

You can find this mouthpart on ants from the Hymenoptera order,

你可以在膜翅目螞蟻、

grasshoppers and crickets of the Orthoptera order,

直翅目的蚱蜢和蟋蟀、

dragonflies of the Odonata order,

蜻蛉目的蜻蜓

and beetles of the Coleoptera order.

鞘翅目的甲蟲身上發現這種咀嚼式口器。

The piercing-sucking mouthpart consists of a long, tube-like structure called a beak.

刺吸式口器有一種長管構造稱為喙

This beak can pierce plant or animal tissue

喙可以刺穿動植物的組織

to suck up liquids like sap or blood.

吸取樹液或血液等液體

It can also secrete saliva with digestive enzymes

喙也能分泌含有消化酶的唾液

that liquefy food for easier sucking.

液化食物來幫助吸食

Insects in the Hemiptera order have piercing-sucking mouthparts

半翅目的昆蟲具有次吸式口器

and include bed bugs,

包括臭蟲、

cicadas,

蟬

aphids,

蚜蟲

and leafhoppers.

葉蟬

The siphoning mouthpart,

虹吸式的口器

a friendlier version of the piercing and sucking beak,

是比較溫和版的刺吸式喙

also consists of a long, tube-like structure called a proboscis

同樣有長管構造稱為吻管

that works like a straw to suck up nectar from flowers.

可以像吸管一樣吸食花蜜

Insects of the Lepidoptera order—

鱗翅目的昆蟲 —

butterflies and moths—

蝴蝶和蛾

keep their proboscises rolled up tightly beneath their heads

不吃東西的時候會將吻管緊緊地捲起來

when they're not feeding

放在頭部下方

and unfurl them when they come across some sweet nectar.

遇到甜甜的花蜜再展開

With the sponging mouthpart, there's yet another tube,

舐吮式口器也有管狀構造

this time ending in two spongy lobes

末端有兩個類似海綿構造的口盤

that contain many finer tubes called pseudotracheae.

上面有許多稱作假器管的微小管子

The pseudotracheae secrete enzyme-filled saliva

假器管會分泌富含酶的唾液

and soak up fluids and dissolved foods by capillary action.

藉由毛細作用吸收液體並溶解食醋

House flies,

家蠅、

fruit flies,

果蠅、

and the other non-biting members of the Diptera order

和雙翅目中其他不會叮咬的昆蟲

are the only insects that use this technique.

是唯一用這種技巧的昆蟲

But, there's a catch.

但有個小細節要注意

Biting flies within Diptera,

雙翅目中會叮咬的昆蟲

like mosquitoes,

像蚊子、

horse flies,

家蠅

and deer flies,

鹿蠅

have a piercing-sucking mouthpart instead of the sponging mouthpart.

有刺吸式的口器而不是舐吮式

And finally, the chewing-lapping mouthpart is a combination of mandibles

最後，咀吸式口器是由大顎和

and a proboscis with a tongue-like structure at its tip

頂端有舌尖構造的吻管

for lapping up nectar.

來舔食花蜜

On this type of mouthpart,

這種類型的口器

the mandibles themselves are not actually used for eating.

大顎不是用來取食

For bees and wasps, members of the Hymenoptera order,

對蜜蜂和土蜂這些膜翅目的昆蟲

they serve instead as tools for pollen-collecting and wax-molding.

大顎用來採集花粉、塑造蜂蠟

Of course, in nature, there are always exceptions to the rules.

當然，在大自然中永遠都有例外

The juvenile stages of some insects, for example,

例如有些昆蟲在幼蟲和成蟲階段

have completely different kinds of mouths than their adult versions,

有完全不同型態的口器

like caterpillars, which use chewing mouthparts to devour leaves

像是毛毛蟲，原本用咀嚼式口器吃樹葉

before metamorphosing into butterflies and moths

蛻變成蝴蝶或蛾後

with siphoning mouthparts.

變成虹吸式口器

Still, mouthpart identification can, for the most part,

不過一般來說，辨識口器

help scientists—and you —categorize insects.

可以幫助科學家和你分類昆蟲

So why not break out a magnifying lens

所以何不拿出你的放大鏡

and learn a little more about who's nibbling your vegetable garden,

看看誰在你啃你的花園蔬菜

biting your arm,

咬你的手臂

or just flying by your ear.

或只是單純飛過你的耳旁