Characteristics Of Orders Flashcards
(27 cards)
5 Major classes
Trilobites (extinct), Myriapods, Chelicerates, Crustaceans, Insects.
Ametabolous order
Egg -> Nymph -> Adult (no wings).
Hemimetabolous order
Egg -> Nymph -> Adult (can have wings).
Order Zygentoma
Silverfish and firebrats.
Ametabolous.
Chewing mouthparts, in forests, can be household pests.
Characteristics: no wings, long antennae, and three long caudal filaments.
Order Ephemeroptera
Mayflies.
Hemimetabolous.
Nymphs are an important indicator species of water quality.
Characteristics: Forewings larger than hindwings, membranous wings, abdomen ending with 2-3 long thread like tails.
Order Odonata
Dragonflies and damselflies.
Hemimetabolous.
Chewing mouthparts.
Characteristics: Membranous wings, fore - and hindwings are approximately same size, large compound eyes.
Order Dermaptera
Earwigs.
Hemimetabolous.
Chewing mouthparts.
Characteristics: Membranous hindwings folded underneath short forewings (rarely fly); cerci = abdominal appendages in the shape of “pinchers”.
Cerci used to hold prey, copulation; sexual dimorphism in cerci - males rounder almost forming a circle, women’s straight and less pointed.
Order Plecoptera
Stoneflies.
Hemimetabolous.
Chewing mouthparts.
Important indicator species.
Characteristics: Two “tails”, wings (when present) have complex venation (“braided wing”), wings fold flat and on top of each other.
Order orthoptera
Grasshoppers, crickets, katydids.
Hemimetabolous.
Chewing mouthparts.
Characteristics: Saltatorial hind leg; saddle-shaped pronotum; forewing si entirely “leathery” and hindwing is membranous.
Order Phasmatodea
Stick insects/walking sticks.
hemimetabolous.
Chewing mouthparts.
Characteristics: Cryptic morphology, often stick-like body.
Order Mantodea
Mantids.
Hemimetabolous.
Characteristics: Raptorial forelegs, large coxa in foreleg, triangular head, forewing is “leathery”, hindwing is membranous.
Order Blattodea
Cockroaches and termites.
Hemimetabolous.
Chewing mouthparts.
Cockroach characteristics: Head mostly hidden from above by pronotum; flattened body.
Termite characteristics: Eyeless, usually white bodies, straight antennae that resemble string of round beads.
Order Thysanoptera
Thrips.
Hemimetabolous.
Characteristics: Small (<= 1mm) with fringed wings, asymmetrical mouthparts (right mandible is reduced or missing).
Order Phthiraptera
True lice.
Hemimetabolous.
Egg masses are called “nits”.
Characteristics: Wingless (secondarily), small (< 3mm), abdominal segments distinct.
Order Hemiptera
True bugs.
Hemimetabolous.
Characteristics: Piercing-sucking mouthparts in which the mandible and maxillae are sheathed within a modified labium to for a rostrum (“beak”), called a proboscis, which can pierce tissues and suck out the liquids.
Holometabolous order
Complete metamorphosis.
Egg -> Larva -> Pupa -> Adult.
Order Hymenoptera
Sawflies, horntails, ants, bees, wasps.
Holometabolous.
Females have an ovipositor for depositing eggs; in social species, this is modified into a stinger.
Characteristics: Constricted between the thorax and abdomen (slender waist) with the exception horntails, membranous wings with the forewings are larger than hindwings (certain castes of ants are wingless).
Order Neuroptera
Lacewings, mantisflies, antlion.
Holometabolous.
Important predators (mostly genralists) and larvae and adults; some species used as biological control agents.
Characteristics: Large eyes, wings of approximately equal size wings containing many veins (“nerve-like”); note the enlarged prothorax in mantisflies but legs are articulated towards the front on the thorax and large coxa.
Order Megaloptera
Dobsonflies, fishflies alderflies.
Holometabolous.
Dobsonflies characteristics: Large adults (up to 7 in / 18 cm); wings vary from a grayish to translucent shade; weak fliers.
Order Raphidioptera
Snakeflies.
Holometabolous.
Characteristics: Elongate prothorax with prothoracic leg attached to the posterior end, giving rise to a “long neck”. Highly membranous hind - and forewings that are approximately equal in size (similar to Neuroptera).
Order Coleoptera
Beetles.
Holometabolous.
Characteristics: Forewings are sclerotized and not used in flight but they protect the membranous hindwings, which are used in flight; only insect order with the feature, and considered integral in their success.
Order Trichoptera
Caddisflies.
Holometabolous.
Characteristics: Chewing mouthparts (unlike moths and butterflies); to pairs of “hairy” membranous wings.
EPT Index Species
Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera.
Order Lepidoptera
Skippers, moths, butterflies.
Holometabolous.
Antennal morphology used to differentiate skippers, moths, and butterflies.
Characteristics: Vestigial mouthparts (most moths) or siphoning (contrast with chewing mouthparts of Trichoptera); two pairs of “scaly” wings).