Neoptera Flashcards
Orthoptera: General traits
- Grasshopper, crickets, katydids
- Most have wings
- Forewings = tegmina
- Jumping hindlegs (saltatorial)
- Chewing mouthparts
- Tympana present in many
- Stridulate by rubbing 2 body parts together
Orthoptera: Suborders
Two suborders:
* Caelifera : Short-horned Orthoptera
* Ensifera: Long-horned Orthoptera
Caelifera: Traits
- Antennae much shorter than body
- Short and stout ovipositor
- Egg pod laid directly into the soil
- Tympana, if present, on first abdominal segment
- Sing by rubbing tegmina against hind legs
- Diurnal
- Phytophagous
Caelifera: Examples
Acrididae
* Most common of caelifera
* Along roadsides and meadows
* Grasshoppers + locusts
Romaleidae:
* Lubber grasshoppers
Tetrigidae:
* Pygmy grasshoppers
Ensifera: Traits
- Long antennae
- Usually long ovipositor
- Tympana, if present, on foretibiae
- Sing by rubbing tegmina together
- Often nocturnal and omnivorous
Ensifera: Examples
Gryllidae: Crickets
Tettigoniidae: Katydids
Phasmatodea: Traits
- Walkingsticks and leaf insects
- Herbivorous
- Chewing mouthparts
- Wings often reduced or absent
- Forewings = Tegmina.
- Sexual dimorphism common
- Many are parthenogenetic
Phasmatodea: Defense Mechanisms
- Camouflage
- Catalepsy
- Autotomy: Ability to shed limbs to escape predators.
- Chemical Defense: Some release noxious substances.
- Spines and nocturnal habits also provide protection
Grylloblattodea (Ice crawlers)
- Western North America and Asia
- Optimum T between 1- 4°C
- Prognathous head
- Wingless
- Long cerci and antennae
- Projecting ovipositor
Mantophasmatodea: African Rock Crawlers
- Most recently discovered order (2002)
- Various localities in South Africa.
- Wingless
- Chewing mouthparts
- Nocturnal
- Aggressive carnivores
- Use both forelegs and midlegs to catch prey
Dictyoptera Superorder
Mantodea, Blattodea, Infraorder Isoptera
Closely related: Evidence
* Distinctive structures in male and female reproductive systems (ootheca)
* Proventriculus (grinding organ)
* DNA analysis
Mantodea: Morphology
- Elongated prothorax
- Chewing mouthparts
- Hypognathous head
- Large lateral compound eyes
- Raptorial forelegs
- Forewings= tegmina
Mantodea: Behaviour
- Predaceous
- Chase during the day
Males:
* No sexual courtship.
* Aggressive pre-copulatory behavior
Female:
* Aggressive copulatory and/or postcopulatory behavior
Mantodea: Reproduction
- Eggs enclosed in an ootheca
- Ootheca overwintering on twigs and stems
- Nymphs emerge in spring.
Mantodea: Distribution and species
2,000 species worldwide, most in tropical regions. Only 3 species occur in Canada:
* European mantis: Introduced, Eastern Canada, 5 cm long.
* Chinese mantis: Introduced, 7-10 cm long, Eastern U.S.& southern Ontario & Quebec.
* Ground mantis: Native, 3 cm body length
Blattodea: Morphology
- Dorsoventrally flattened
- Head concealed by pronotum
- Hypognathous head
- Antennae long and filiform
- Tegmina
- Wings may be absent
- Cursorial legs
- Cerci present
Blattodea: Behaviour
- Nocturnal
- Omnivorous
- Resilient
Blattodea: Reproduction
Eggs are enclosed within an ootheca
Isoptera: Morphology
- Chewing mouthparts
- Intestinal microorganisms that can digest the cellulose. Transfer via “proctodeal trophallaxis”
- Different morphology based on caste (worder, soldier, reproductive)
Isoptera: Behaviour
Eusocial behaviour
* Division of labour
* Overlapping generations
* Cooperative care of young
Most species feed on wood
Workers
- Sterile, wingless, and often blind
- Most numerous, pale and weakly sclerotized.
- Build and repair nest, gather food, feed soldiers and reproductives.
Soldiers
- Sterile, wingless, and often blind
- Large sclerotized heads and large mandibles or other special head features
- Defend colony
Nasute termites
Soldiers with reduced mandibles but instead, a forward prolongation of the head that can eject a sticky poisonous substance
Reproductives
- Wings temporarily present
- King fertilizes queen in nest & stays to fertilize her throughout his life
- First born nymphs care for queen
- Queen lays eggs & becomes cloistered in a royal chamber
Isoptera: Distribution
- 3000 species, mostly tropical.
- Poorly represented in temperate climates.
- A few Canadian species. Mostly western
Isoptera: Nesting
- Galleries excavated in dead wood
- Arboreal “carton” nests
- Large mounds
Magnetic termites
- Live in northern Australia
- Nests = tall and thin mounds all facing in the same direction to protect colony from extreme temperature.
