Classification of Insects – Exopterygota, Endopterygota, Orders of insects & Beneficial and Neutral insects

Subclass Apterygota (= Ametabola)

Primitively wingless insects, without metamorphosis. The Head is prognathous. Abdominal appendages might be present. Ectognathous mouthparts, with mandibles connected at one point. There is no metamorphosis as nymphs resemble adults. The subclass has 4 orders.

Subclass Pterygota (= Metabola)

Winged or secondarily wingless insects, with prognathous or hypognathous head. Metamorphosis either insufficient without a pupal phase or total with a pupal stage. This subclass is divided into two superorders or divisions, specifically, Exopterygota and Endopterygota.

Exopterygota

The Exopterygota undergo simple metamorphosis. In molting from the egg, via the nymphal stages to an adult, there is a progressive change in the external look. The late nymphal phases currently show the advancement of wing pads. But just in the last molt, operational wings are developed. The nymphs usually have the very same feeding habits as adults.

Endopterygota

In the endopterygota, there is a complete metamorphosis. In these insects, the external (and internal) changes throughout life are the greatest. The eggs hatch into larvae which feed actively during the different instars. The larvae might or may not have legs. The advancement of wings is not noticeable during the larval phases. After numerous molts, a pupa is formed.

A pupa is a non-active phase, it does not feed and it does not move. In some cases, the pupa is protected by a cocoon of silk, or it is present in an earthen cell in the soil. During this pupal phase a large number of modifications take place internally. After the pupal phase, an extremely active winged adult appears. Typically, the larvae and the adults live in different kinds of environments and utilize different kinds of food.

Orders of insects

Apterygota

 

Order Thysanura	Bristletails
Order Diplura	Diplurans (Two-prongedBristletails)
Order Protura	Proturans
Order Collembola	Springtails

Exopterygota

 

Order Ephemeroptera	Mayflies
Order Odonata	Dragonflies and Damselflies
Order Orthoptera	Grasshoppers, Locusts, and Crickets
Order Dictyoptera	Cockroaches and Mantids
Order Grylloblattodea	Rock spiders
Order Phasmida	Stick pests and Leaf insects
Order Dermaptera	Earwigs
Order Isoptera	Termites
Order Embioptera	Web-spinners
Order Plecoptera	Stoneflies
Order Zoraptera	Zorapterans
Order Psocoptera	Psocopterans (Psocids, Booklice)
Order Mallophaga	Chewing lice (Biting lice)
Order Anoplura (= Siphunculata)	Drawing lice
Order Thysanoptera	Thrips
Order Hemiptera
suborder Heteroptera	Bugs
suborder Homoptera	Cicadas, Hoppers, Psyllids, Whiteflies, Aphids, and Scale Insects

 

Endopterygota

Order Neuroptera	Alderflies, Dobsonflies, Fishflies, Snakeflies, Lacewings, Antlions, and Owlflies
Order Coleoptera	Beetles
Order Strepsiptera	Twisted-winged parasites (Stylopids)
Order Mecoptera	Scorpionflies
Order Trichoptera	Caddisflies
Order Lepidoptera	Butterflies and Moths
Order Diptera	True Flies
Order Siphonaptera	Fleas
Order Hymenoptera	Sawflies, Ichneumons, Chalcids, Ants, Wasps, and Bees

Good, Bad, or Neutral?

The insects are likewise be classified as good, bad, or neutral insects.

Pests

A definition of “pest” is: animals triggering damage or annoyance to humans, their animals, crops, or belongings, such as bugs, termites, nematodes, rodents, birds. This implies that a specific insect could be a pest in one circumstance, however, the exact same insect would be neutral in another situation. For instance, the caterpillars of the Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) feed upon cabbage and other plants of the Cruciferae family.

A farmer who grows cauliflower or kale will therefore consider it a pest. But for a farmer who grows potatoes or bananas, the Diamondback moth is an innocent, neutral insect.

Beneficial insects

Beneficial insects are any of a number of species of insects that carry out valued services like pollination and pest control. The concept of advantageous is subjective and only emerges due to preferred results from a human perspective.

For example, the Assassin bug kills caterpillars and Ladybird beetles feed upon aphids. Other bugs are useful because they aid with the pollination of plants, e.g., bees and bumblebees. There are insects that produce beneficial products, for instance, honey (honey bee) or silk (silkworm). And in numerous countries insects are utilized as food.

Neutral insects

If an insect is not a pest and not helpful then we can call it neutral. However again, it truly depends upon the context. In a rice field, a mosquito can be thought about as a neutral pest (it doesn’t damage the crop), however, in your bedroom, you will call it a pest.

An example of the classification of an Insect

Kingdom— Animal

Phylum— Arthropoda

Class— Hexapoda (= insects)

Order— Lepidoptera (= butterflies and moths)

Family— Noctuidae (= noctuids)

Genus— Helicoverpa

Species— Helicoverpa armigera (= American bollworm)

 

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Classification of Insects