Characteristics Of Orders

Question 1

5 Major classes

Answer 1

Trilobites (extinct), Myriapods, Chelicerates, Crustaceans, Insects.

Question 2

Ametabolous order

Answer 2

Egg -> Nymph -> Adult (no wings).

Question 3

Hemimetabolous order

Answer 3

Egg -> Nymph -> Adult (can have wings).

Question 4

Order Zygentoma

Answer 4

Silverfish and firebrats.
Ametabolous.
Chewing mouthparts, in forests, can be household pests.
Characteristics: no wings, long antennae, and three long caudal filaments.

Question 5

Order Ephemeroptera

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

Order Odonata

Answer 6

Dragonflies and damselflies.
Hemimetabolous.
Chewing mouthparts.
Characteristics: Membranous wings, fore - and hindwings are approximately same size, large compound eyes.

Question 7

Order Dermaptera

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

Order Plecoptera

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

Order orthoptera

Answer 9

Grasshoppers, crickets, katydids.
Hemimetabolous.
Chewing mouthparts.
Characteristics: Saltatorial hind leg; saddle-shaped pronotum; forewing si entirely “leathery” and hindwing is membranous.

Question 10

Order Phasmatodea

Answer 10

Stick insects/walking sticks.
hemimetabolous.
Chewing mouthparts.
Characteristics: Cryptic morphology, often stick-like body.

Question 11

Order Mantodea

Answer 11

Mantids.
Hemimetabolous.
Characteristics: Raptorial forelegs, large coxa in foreleg, triangular head, forewing is “leathery”, hindwing is membranous.

Question 12

Order Blattodea

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Order Thysanoptera

Answer 13

Thrips.
Hemimetabolous.
Characteristics: Small (<= 1mm) with fringed wings, asymmetrical mouthparts (right mandible is reduced or missing).

Question 14

Order Phthiraptera

Answer 14

True lice.
Hemimetabolous.
Egg masses are called “nits”.
Characteristics: Wingless (secondarily), small (< 3mm), abdominal segments distinct.

Question 15

Order Hemiptera

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

Holometabolous order

Answer 16

Complete metamorphosis.
Egg -> Larva -> Pupa -> Adult.

Question 17

Order Hymenoptera

Answer 17

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).

Question 18

Order Neuroptera

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

Order Megaloptera

Answer 19

Dobsonflies, fishflies alderflies.
Holometabolous.
Dobsonflies characteristics: Large adults (up to 7 in / 18 cm); wings vary from a grayish to translucent shade; weak fliers.

Question 20

Order Raphidioptera

Answer 20

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).

Question 21

Order Coleoptera

Answer 21

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.

Question 22

Order Trichoptera

Answer 22

Caddisflies.
Holometabolous.
Characteristics: Chewing mouthparts (unlike moths and butterflies); to pairs of “hairy” membranous wings.

Question 23

EPT Index Species

Answer 23

Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera.

Question 24

Order Lepidoptera

Answer 24

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).

Question 25

Order Siphonaptera

Answer 25

Fleas.
Holometabolous.
Characteristics: Small (< 3mm), wingless, flattened body, saltatorial hind legs.

Question 26

Order Diptera

Answer 26

Mosquitoes, midges, true flies.
Holometabolous.
Characteristics: 1 pair of wings; hindwings are modified into halteres.

Question 27

Halteres (wings)

Answer 27

Club shaped wings. One pair, thin at the body then get larger and rounded as they extend.