What do insects eat?

Many different things. Butterflies, moths, flies, and mosquitoes are sucking insects. They feed on liquids. These insects use their mouth parts to suck up nectar and other fluids. Grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and termites are chewing insects. They eat plants and other solid foods. These insects use one pair of jaws to cut off bits of food and grind them down. Another pair of jaws helps to push the food down the throat. A few insects, such as mayflies and some moths, never eat. That’s because their lives are over in just a few hours or days. These insects become adults, lay eggs, and die. Some insects are very heavy eaters. A silkworm eats enough leaves to increase its weight more than 4,000 times in just 56 days. A locust eats its own weight in plants every day. Just imagine eating your weight in food every day.