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A simple way to tell insects apart - Anika Hazra

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TEDEd Animation

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There are nearly a million known insect species in the world, but most have one of just five common types of mouthparts. Why is this information useful to scientists? Anika Hazra explains how the features of an insect’s mouthparts can help identify which order it belongs to, while also providing clues about how it evolved and what it feeds on.

Why are some mouthpart types more specialized (obviously used for specific types of food) than others? Is it a better strategy to be able to eat only one type of food instead of many types of food?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Anika Hazra
  • Director Giulia Martinelli
  • Script Editor Mia Nacamulli
  • Animator Giulia Martinelli
  • Composer Alessandro Nepote Vesin
  • Sound Designer Alessandro Nepote Vesin
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott, Elizabeth Cox
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen
  • Fact-Checker Francisco Diez

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