Distinguishing Between Pests & Insects

There is a connection between pests and insects, as some pests are insects. However, not all insects are pests; in fact, some are beneficial to humans. The pest group includes vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. This article aims to compare these two organisms, pests and insects.

Key Takeaways

• Pests are organisms that cause harm to humans beyond the economic threshold level, while insects are a class of arthropods that can be either beneficial or harmful to humans.
• Some pests are insects, but not all insects are pests. In fact, some insects are beneficial to humans and the environment.
• While pesticides are used to kill pests, insecticides are used specifically to kill insects. There are also environmentally friendly methods available for controlling both pests and insects.

A pest is a competitor of humans. It can be defined as any creature or organism that causes harm to humans beyond the economic threshold level. The economic threshold level is the maximum level of pest population that can be tolerated without economic loss. The pest group includes insects, ticks, mites, nematodes, birds, mammals, and plants. Invertebrate pests include parasites (lice, bed bugs), disease-transmitting agents (mosquitoes, thrips, and flies), and damage-causing agents (termites). Any killing agent that kills pests is called a pesticide. Other than using pesticides, there are several alternative methods such as biological pest control, cultural practices, traps, and repellents.

Insects have been present for about 350 million years, whereas humans have only been around for 130,000 years. Insects are a class of arthropods that constantly interact with human life, either as pests or as beneficial organisms. Furthermore, some insect species are crucial components of ecosystems. Insects can tolerate adverse environmental conditions, so they are widely distributed all over the world.

The insect body can be divided into three parts: head, thorax, and abdomen. The characteristic features of insects include the presence of one pair of antennae, two pairs of wings (although some insects, such as ants, don’t have wings, and others, like flies, only have one pair of wings), and three pairs of segmented legs. Metamorphosis is a common feature of all insects, and there are two types of metamorphosis – incomplete and complete. They have exoskeletons made of chitin. Any killing agent used to kill insects is called an insecticide. Pests that are insects can be biologically controlled by another type of insect, either as a parasite (from the group Hymenoptera) or as a predator (from the groups Coccinellidae and Carabidae) of the insect pest. Additionally, insects are essential for pollination and environmental sustainability. Some insects, such as moths, are pests at the larval stage and beneficial as pollinators at the adult stage. Entomology is the branch of Zoology concerned with the study of insects.

In summary, pests are organisms that cause harm to humans beyond the economic threshold level, and pest control methods should be applied when the pest population reaches this level. Pests include invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants. Some pests are insects, but not all insects are pests. Even though all pests are harmful to humans, some insects are beneficial. Killing agents that kill pests are pesticides, and killing agents that kill insects are insecticides. Some environmentally friendly methods are available other than insecticides and pesticides. Insects belong to the phylum Arthropoda, and their characteristic features include one pair of antennae, two pairs of wings, and three pairs of legs. Metamorphosis is a common feature of all insects, with two types – incomplete and complete. The insect body can be divided into three parts – head, thorax, and abdomen – and they have an exoskeleton made of chitin. There are two types of biological control agents for insects: parasitic insects and predator insects. Finally, some insects, such as moths, are pests at the larval stage and become beneficial organisms at the adult stage.