| Navigation bar - You will notice in the left hand margin of this website a set of buttons that help navigate through the site. Different areas of the site may have different buttons, but there are three buttons that are found on all pages. The Home button will bring you back to this page, the Main Key button will take you to the beginning of the main key to Orders page, and the Order List takes you to a list of all Orders of insects included in this key. You can use the Order List to jump to any Order and bypass the Main Key. |
| Identification keys to Order and Family levels - The keys are designed to give a quick and easy identification to the different taxa levels. We have tried to provide a lot of quality photographs to help in this process. |
| Description pages - These pages give a brief description of the different groups along with interesting information about feeding habits, water quality tolerances, and many other areas. We have description pages for both the Orders and Families of North Dakota aquatic insects. On the description pages photos of the entire insect, as well as photos of the features that identify the insect, are shown. |
| Links to definitions - We have linked most terms that we feel may be confusing or unfamiliar to a definition that in some cases includes pictures illustrating that feature. Those that have a picture will have a camera icon next to them. Just click on this icon to see the picture. |
| Range maps - We have generated these range maps from a data base that includes our collections and the NDDH's collections. These range maps give you a good idea of where in North Dakota the particular insect group can be found. The link to a range map is found towards the bottom of the Family description pages. |
| Penny Picture - The penny picture allows you to see the size of the insect relative to a US penny, giving the user a quick guide to insect size. |
