the basic type of mouthparts of most arthropods (especially crustaceans and insects)

It consists of an unpaired upper lip (labrum), paired mandibles (mandibles) and jaws (maxillae), a lower lip (labium) and a hypopharynx.

Examples of chewing insects include dragonflies, grasshoppers and beetles. Some insects do not have chewing mouthparts as adults but chew solid food in their larval phase. The moths and butterflies are major examples of such adaptations

Parts

The mandibles, usually the largest part of the biting mouthparts, are used to chew solid food, sometimes also as a weapon. They move with the help of muscles. The jaws tend to be weaker than the mandibles, but structurally more complex. They are used for further processing of food and for manipulating food. Taste receptors are usually found here. The upper lip covers the mouth from above and is mostly used by insects to move food. The lower lip closes the organ from below, or from behind (in the hypognathic position of the head). The lower lip is formed by the fusion of the second pair of jaws. The hypopharynx is an organ similar to the tongue that produces saliva and helps to move food further into the digestive tract.