Pterygota
Encyclopedia
Pterygota is a subclass of insect
s that includes the winged insects. It also includes insect orders that are secondarily wingless (that is, insect groups whose ancestors once had wings but that have lost them as a result of subsequent evolution).
The pterygotan group comprises almost all insects. The hexapod orders not included are the Archaeognatha
(jumping bristletails) and the Thysanura
(silverfish
es and firebrat
s), two primitively wingless insect orders. Also not included are the three orders that are no longer considered to be insects: Protura, Collembola, and Diplura.
and Neoptera
. The former are nowadays strongly suspected of being paraphyletic, and better treatments (such as dividing or dissolving the group) are presently being discussed. In addition, it is not clear how exactly the neopterans are related among each other. The Exopterygota
might be a similar assemblage of rather ancient hemimetabolous insects among the Neopteras like the Palaeoptera are among insects as a whole. The holometabolous Endopterygota
seem to be very close relatives indeed, but nonetheless appear to contain several clades of related orders, the status of which is not agreed upon.
The following scheme uses finer divisions than the one above, which is not well-suited to correctly accommodating the fossil groups.
Superorder Endopterygota
Neoptera orders incertae sedis
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s that includes the winged insects. It also includes insect orders that are secondarily wingless (that is, insect groups whose ancestors once had wings but that have lost them as a result of subsequent evolution).
The pterygotan group comprises almost all insects. The hexapod orders not included are the Archaeognatha
Archaeognatha
Archaeognatha is an order of wingless insects, also known as jumping bristletails. They are among the least evolutionarily changed insects, appearing in the Devonian period along with the arachnids. The name Archaeognatha is derived from Greek Archaeos meaning "ancient" and gnatha meaning "jaw"...
(jumping bristletails) and the Thysanura
Thysanura
Thysanura is an order of insects, encompassing silverfish and firebrats, known for their three long caudal filaments.The families Machilidae and Meinertellidae of the jumping bristletails were once included with Thysanura....
(silverfish
Silverfish
Lepisma saccharina, frequently called silverfish, fishmoths, carpet sharks or paramites, are small, wingless insects in the order Thysanura...
es and firebrat
Firebrat
The Firebrat is a small insect similar to the Silverfish, both in the order Thysanura....
s), two primitively wingless insect orders. Also not included are the three orders that are no longer considered to be insects: Protura, Collembola, and Diplura.
Systematics
Traditionally, this group was divided into the infraclasses PaleopteraPaleoptera
The name Palaeoptera has been traditionally applied to those primitive groups of winged insects that lacked the ability to fold the wings back over the abdomen as characterizes the Neoptera...
and Neoptera
Neoptera
Neoptera is a classification group that includes almost all the winged insects, specifically those that can flex their wings over their abdomens...
. The former are nowadays strongly suspected of being paraphyletic, and better treatments (such as dividing or dissolving the group) are presently being discussed. In addition, it is not clear how exactly the neopterans are related among each other. The Exopterygota
Exopterygota
The Exopterygota, also known as Hemipterodea, are a superorder of insects of the subclass Pterygota in the infraclass Neoptera, in which the young resemble adults but have externally-developing wings. They undergo a modest change between immature and adult, without going through a pupal stage...
might be a similar assemblage of rather ancient hemimetabolous insects among the Neopteras like the Palaeoptera are among insects as a whole. The holometabolous Endopterygota
Endopterygota
The Endopterygota, also known as Holometabola, are insects of the subclass Pterygota which go through distinctive larval, pupal, and adult stages. They undergo a radical metamorphosis, with the larval and adult stages differing considerably in their structure and behaviour...
seem to be very close relatives indeed, but nonetheless appear to contain several clades of related orders, the status of which is not agreed upon.
The following scheme uses finer divisions than the one above, which is not well-suited to correctly accommodating the fossil groups.
"Infraclass Paleoptera"
(probably paraphyletic)- Ephemeroptera (mayflies)
- PalaeodictyopteraPalaeodictyopteraThe Palaeodictyoptera are an extinct order of medium-sized to very large, primitive Palaeozoic paleopterous insects.-Overview:They were characterised by beak-like mouthparts, similarity between fore- and hind wings, and an additional pair of winglets on the prothorax, in front of the first pair of...
(Extinct) - MegasecopteraMegasecopteraMegasecoptera is a paleozoic insect order. There are 22 known families of megasecopterans, with about 35 known genera.-Overview:Like all other paleodictyopteroids, the megasecopterans had sucking mouthparts...
(Extinct) - ArchodonataArchodonataArchodonata is an extinct order of palaeozoic paleopterous insects, sometimes included in Odonata....
(Extinct) - DiaphanopterodeaDiaphanopterodeaThe Diaphanopterodea or Paramegasecoptera are an extinct order of moderate to large-sized Palaeozoic insects. They are first known from the Middle Carboniferous , and include some of the earliest known flying insects.-Overview:Despite their very early appearance in the insect fossil record, they...
(Extinct) - ProtodonataProtodonataMeganisoptera is an extinct order of very large to gigantic insects often called griffenflies. The order was formerly named Protodonata for their similar appearance and relation to dragonflies...
or Meganisoptera (Extinct; sometimes included in Odonata) - Protanisoptera (Extinct; sometimes included in Odonata)
- Triadophlebioptera (Extinct; sometimes included in Odonata)
- Protozygoptera or Archizygoptera (Extinct; sometimes included in Odonata)
- OdonataOdonataOdonata is an order of insects, encompassing dragonflies and damselflies . The word dragonfly is also sometimes used to refer to all Odonata, but the back-formation odonate is a more correct English name for the group as a whole...
(dragonfliesDragonflyA dragonfly is a winged insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera . It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body...
and damselfliesDamselflyDamselflies are insects in the order Odonata. Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be distinguished by the fact that the wings of most damselflies are held along, and parallel to, the body when at rest...
)
Infraclass Neoptera
Superorder ExopterygotaExopterygota
The Exopterygota, also known as Hemipterodea, are a superorder of insects of the subclass Pterygota in the infraclass Neoptera, in which the young resemble adults but have externally-developing wings. They undergo a modest change between immature and adult, without going through a pupal stage...
- Caloneurodea (Extinct)
- TitanopteraTitanopteraThe Titanoptera are an extinct order of insects from the Triassic period. They were very large by comparison with modern insects, some having wingspans of up to ....
(Extinct) - ProtorthopteraProtorthopteraThe Protorthoptera are an extinct order of Palaeozoic insects, and represent a wastebasket taxon and paraphyletic assemblage of basal neoptera. They appear during the Middle Carboniferous , making them among the earliest known winged insects in the fossil record. Pronotal lobes may be expanded to...
(Extinct) - PlecopteraPlecopteraPlecoptera are an order of insects, commonly known as stoneflies. There are some 3,500 described species worldwide, with new species still being discovered. Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica...
(stoneflies) - EmbiopteraEmbiopteraThe order Embioptera, commonly known as webspinners, are a small group of mostly tropical and subtropical insects, classified under the subclass Pterygota. The order has also been referred to as Embiodea or Embiidina...
(webspinners) - ZorapteraZorapteraThe insect order Zoraptera contains a single family, the Zorotypidae, which in turn contains one extant genus with 34 species, Zorotypus as well as 9 extinct species.-Phylogeny:...
(angel insects) - Dermaptera (earwigs)
- OrthopteraOrthopteraOrthoptera is an order of insects with paurometabolous or incomplete metamorphosis, including the grasshoppers, crickets and locusts.Many insects in this order produce sound by rubbing their wings against each other or their legs, the wings or legs containing rows of corrugated bumps...
(grasshopperGrasshopperThe grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
s, etc.) - Proposed superorder DictyopteraDictyopteraDictyoptera includes three groups of polyneopterous insects - cockroaches , termites and mantids...
- PhasmatodeaPhasmatodeaThe Phasmatodea are an order of insects, whose members are variously known as stick insects , walking sticks or stick-bugs , phasmids, ghost insects and leaf insects...
(stick insects - tentatively placed here) - Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers - tentatively placed here)
- MantophasmatodeaMantophasmatodeaMantophasmatodea is a suborder of carnivorous African insects discovered in 2002, originally considered to be a new order, but since relegated to subordinal status, and comprising the single family Mantophasmatidae...
(gladiators - tentatively placed here) - Blattaria (cockroaches)
- Isoptera (termites)
- Mantodea (mantids)
- Phasmatodea
- Proposed superorder ParaneopteraParaneopteraParaneoptera is a monophyletic superorder of insects which includes four orders, the bark lice, true lice, thrips, and hemipterans, the true bugs. The mouthparts of the Paraneoptera reflect diverse feeding habits...
- PsocopteraPsocopteraPsocoptera are an order of insects that are commonly known as booklice, barklice or barkflies. They first appeared in the Permian period, 295–248 million years ago. They are often regarded as the most primitive of the hemipteroids. Their name originates from the Greek word psokos meaning...
(booklice, barklice) - Thysanoptera (thrips)
- Phthiraptera (lice)
- HemipteraHemipteraHemiptera is an order of insects most often known as the true bugs , comprising around 50,000–80,000 species of cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and others...
(true bugHemipteraHemiptera is an order of insects most often known as the true bugs , comprising around 50,000–80,000 species of cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and others...
s)
- Psocoptera
Superorder Endopterygota
Endopterygota
The Endopterygota, also known as Holometabola, are insects of the subclass Pterygota which go through distinctive larval, pupal, and adult stages. They undergo a radical metamorphosis, with the larval and adult stages differing considerably in their structure and behaviour...
- HymenopteraHymenopteraHymenoptera is one of the largest orders of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees and ants. There are over 130,000 recognized species, with many more remaining to be described. The name refers to the heavy wings of the insects, and is derived from the Ancient Greek ὑμήν : membrane and...
(antAntAnts are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s, beeBeeBees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s, etc.) - ColeopteraBeetleColeoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
(beetles) - StrepsipteraStrepsipteraThe Strepsiptera are an order of insects with ten families making up about 600 species...
(twisted-winged parasites) - Raphidioptera (snakeflies)
- MegalopteraMegalopteraMegaloptera is an order of insects. It contains the alderflies, dobsonflies and fishflies, and there are about 300 known species.The Megaloptera were formerly considered part of a group then called Neuroptera, together with lacewings and snakeflies, but these are now generally considered to be...
(alderflies, etc.) - NeuropteraNeuropteraThe insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order contains some 6,010 species...
(net-veined insects) - Proposed superorder Mecopteroidea/Antliophora
- MecopteraMecopteraMecoptera are an order of insects with about 550 species in nine families worldwide. Mecoptera are sometimes called scorpionflies after their largest family, Panorpidae, in which the males have enlarged genitals that look similar to the stinger of a scorpion...
(scorpionflies, etc.) - Siphonaptera (fleaFleaFlea is the common name for insects of the order Siphonaptera which are wingless insects with mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood...
s) - DipteraDipteraDiptera , or true flies, is the order of insects possessing only a single pair of wings on the mesothorax; the metathorax bears a pair of drumstick like structures called the halteres, the remnants of the hind wings. It is a large order, containing an estimated 240,000 species, although under half...
(true fliesFlyTrue flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
) - ProtodipteraProtodipteraProtodiptera is an extinct order of insects containing the two genera Permotipula and Permila....
(Extinct)
- Mecoptera
- Proposed superorder AmphiesmenopteraAmphiesmenopteraAmphiesmenoptera is an insect superorder, established by Willi Hennig in his revision of insect taxonomy for two sister orders: Lepidoptera and Trichoptera ....
- TrichopteraTrichopteraThe caddisflies are an order, Trichoptera, of insects with approximately 12,000 described species. Also called sedge-flies or rail-flies, they are small moth-like insects having two pairs of hairy membranous wings...
(caddisflies) - LepidopteraLepidopteraLepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
(butterfliesButterflyA butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
, mothMothA moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
s)
- Trichoptera
Neoptera orders incertae sedis
Incertae sedis
, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...
- GlosselytrodeaGlosselytrodeaGlosselytrodea is an extinct order of insects....
(Extinct) - MiomopteraMiomopteraMiomoptera is an extinct order of insects. Although it is thought to be a common ancestor of all holometabolous insects, because no smooth transition between Miomoptera and other holometabolous insect orders is known it is considered to be in a separate order unto itself.The Miomopterans were small...
(Extinct)