Insects have been classified into groups called Orders based on morphology and molecular based phylogenetic approaches. Members of each Order share unique apomorphies (derived characters) which characterise them.
The name of each Order ends with “ptera”; first part often indicates the shape/size/number/texture of wing.
Five major insect orders namely Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera constitute 80 percent of total described species of insects.
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Classification of Insect Orders ( from Wheeler et. al., 2001) |
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Order Name |
Common name |
Adult mouthparts |
Wings (no. and type) |
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Protura |
Proturans |
Chewing |
Lacking |
|
Collembola |
Springtails |
Chewing |
Lacking |
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Diplura |
Diplurans |
Chewing |
Lacking |
|
Microcoryphia |
Jumping bristletails |
Chewing |
Lacking |
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Thysanura |
Bristletails, silverfish |
Chewing |
Lacking |
|
Ephemeroptera |
Mayflies |
Vestigial |
2 pair, may be reduced, membranous |
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Odonata |
Dragonflies, damselflies |
Chewing |
2 pair, membranous |
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Orthoptera |
Grasshoppers, crickets, katydids |
Chewing |
2 pair, or may be reduced; 1st pair tegmina |
|
Phasmatodea |
Walkingsticks |
Chewing |
variable, 0-2 pair; tegmina |
|
Grylloblattodea |
Rock crawlers |
Chewing |
lacking |
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Mantophasmatodea |
Chewing |
lacking |
|
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Dermaptera |
Earwigs |
Chewing |
0-2 pair; front wings elytra |
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Plecoptera |
Stoneflies |
Chewing |
2 pair, membranous |
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Embiidina |
Web spinners |
Chewing |
0-2 pair; membranous |
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Zoraptera |
Zorapterans |
Chewing |
0-2 pair |
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Isoptera |
Termites |
Chewing |
0-2 pair |
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Mantodea |
Mantids |
Chewing |
0-2 pair |
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Blattodea |
Cockroaches |
Chewing |
0-2 pair; |
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Hemiptera* - now with 3 suborders; · Heteroptera - bugs · Auchenorrhyncha - cicadas, leafhoppers Sternorrhyncha - aphids, scales |
"True Bugs" |
Piercing, sucking |
0-2 pair; front wings hemelytra |
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Thysanoptera |
Thrips |
Rasping, sucking |
2 pair, fringed with hairs |
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Psocoptera |
Book and bark lice |
Chewing |
0-2 pair |
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Phthiraptera* - several suborders · Amblycera · Ischnocera · Anoplura |
Lice |
Chewing, piercing |
Lacking |
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Coleoptera |
Beetles |
Chewing |
2 pair; front wings elytra |
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Neuroptera |
Lacewings, owlflies, mantispids, antlions |
Chewing |
2 pair, membranous |
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Hymenoptera |
Bees, ants, wasps |
Chewing |
0-2 pair, membranous |
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Trichoptera |
Caddisflies |
Chewing |
2 pair, hairy or with scales |
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Lepidoptera |
Moths, butterflies |
Siphoning, vestigial |
0-2 pair; usually covered with scales |
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Siphonaptera |
Fleas |
Piercing- sucking |
Lacking |
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Mecoptera |
Scorpionflies |
Chewing |
0-2 pair |
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Strepsiptera |
Twisted- winged parasites |
??? |
0-2(1) pair |
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Diptera |
Flies |
Piercing, sucking, lapping |
0-1 pair |
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Reference cited Wheeler, W. C., M. Whiting, Q. D. Wheeler, and J. M. Carpenter. 2001. The phylogeny of the extant hexapod orders. Cladistics 17:113-169. |
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