There are so many living creatures. Some are small, some are big, and some we don’t even know about. Many people think that insects and pests are the same because of some similarities between them. Sometimes insects can be good for us, but mostly they are unbearable.
Insects eat pests, and by this, they help the ecosystem for stability. Maximum pests are not at all good for crops and food as they make them stale or not suitable for use. Some examples of pests are cockroaches, moths, bed bugs and weeds, etc. And some examples of insects are honeybees, spiders and wasps, etc.
Pest vs Insect
The main difference between insect and pest is that insects can be useful to stabilize nature, and they are not that harmful to humans, but pests are not at all good or useful as they destroy everything and make it stale or unsuitable for use. Pests are small and sometimes cannot be visible through the naked eye.
Pests are small in size. They spread disease and destroy everything. Pesticides are used to kill pests. Some examples of pesticides are DDT, Boric acid and Metaldehyde, etc. The place where these pests stay is referred to as hosts. Pests also transmit fungal and viral infections from one person to another.
Insects do not contain the spinal cord or backbone. They came from a class called Insecta in kingdom Animalia. Insects bodies are divided into three segments head, abdomen, and thorax, having three pairs of attached legs and one set of feelers. They constitute more than half of known living creatures.
Comparison Table Between Pest and Insect
| Parameters of Comparison | Pest | Insect |
| Classification | Pests are classified as destructive and unbearable because they destroy everything or make it non-suitable. | Insects are classified both as pests insects and simple insects. |
| Body characteristics | Pests are of both types having a backbone and not having a backbone. And are small in size. | Insects bodies are divided into three segments head, abdomen, and thorax, having three pairs of attached legs and one set of feelers. They are mostly invertebrates. |
| Body size | Body size is small and sometimes not visible through the naked eye. | Body size is slightly bigger than pests and is visible through the naked eye. |
| Chemicals used for removing | Pesticides are used for removing pests. Some examples of pesticides are DDT and Boric acid etc. | Insecticides are used for removing insects. Some examples of insecticides are Aldrin and chlordane etc. |
| Family | Pests belong to the Insecta family. | Insects belong to the Insecta family in the animal kingdom. |
| Examples | Some of the examples are cockroaches, moths, bed bugs and weeds, etc. | Some examples of insects are honeybees, spiders and wasps, etc. |
What is Pest?
Pests are the type of insects, but they are very much destructive and irritating. They are small in size, but they breed or replicate very fast, and if not stopped, they can destroy the whole field of crop and food, etc. Mostly they attack in crop fields and are removed by spraying pesticides.
Both insects and pests fall under the Insecta family in the animal kingdom, but the only difference is that pests are very small in size and are destructive in nature. Some pests have a backbone, and some do not have a backbone. They make hosts, and then they do attack. Pests also act as a medium in transferring viral and infectious diseases.
Some types of pests are weeds, bedbugs, cockroaches and caterpillars, etc. Some of the crop field destroyer pests are mites, weeds, and nematodes, etc. These are removed by spring DDT and Boric acids etc.
What is Insect?
Insects belong to the Insecta family and constitute half of the living organisms known yet. They act both as good and bad insects. Some insects are useful. For example, honeybees are useful for pollination, honey purposes, and silkworms are used for silk production, while some insects act as the destroyer, for example, termites and ants, etc.
Insects bodies are divided into three segments head, abdomen, and thorax, having three pairs of attached legs and one set of feelers. They are mostly invertebrates which means they do not have a spinal cord or backbone. Insects have pairs of feelers or antennae with the help of which they communicate with each other.
Insecticides are used to remove destructive insects, and this includes spraying of DDT and Aldrin, etc. They are mostly hatched from eggs and grew with a different body shape.
Main Differences Between Pest and Insect
- Pests are classified as destructive and unbearable because they destroy everything, and Insects are classified both as pests insects and simple insects.
- The chemicals used for removing pests are pesticides. Some examples of pesticides are DDT and Boric acid, etc. And for removing insects, the chemical used is called insecticides. Some examples of insecticides are Aldrin and chlordane, etc.
- Pests do not contain feelers or antennae, Whereas insects have feelers through which they communicate.
- Insects are mostly invertebrates which means they do not have a backbone. But pests include vertebrates as well as non-vertebrates
- Some insects are useful, and they help in pollination. But pests are not at all useful in any condition even they act as a medium in transmitting diseases.
Conclusion
There are so many living organisms. Some are useful for us, and some are destructive. Insects have a large diversity, and some of them act as useful creatures while others are just destructive. Insect pests are small in size, are of ruinous nature. They mostly attack the host and destroy everything. While insects are useful for agriculture and help in pollination.
Insects bodies are divided into three segments head, abdomen, and thorax, having three pairs of attached legs and one set of feelers. They are mostly invertebrates which means they do not have a spinal cord or backbone. And pests can be vertebrates and non-vertebrates and are small in size. Some insects are useful, and they help in pollination. But pests are not at all useful in any condition even they act as a medium in transmitting diseases.
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0109564102000039
- https://books.google.com/bookshl=en&lr=&id=0QAl21IeeGgC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=insect&ots=pZFPIh2JC9&sig=ZQvG5z8-2A-JNxUM_Qlrxf6rgn8