Entomology: Scioly 26'

Protura

Wingless soil dwellers with telson-tails, showing ametabolous development.

Diplura

Small, eyeless ametabolous insects characterized by two cerci.

Collembola

Known as springtails, these ametabolous insects can jump with a furcula and live in soil or leaf litter.

Zygentoma

Includes silverfish and firebrats; wingless, flattened, nocturnal insects.

Ephemeroptera

Mayflies, characterized by hemimetabolous development, aquatic nymphs, and short-lived adults with triangular wings.

Odonata

Dragonflies and damselflies; hemimetabolous with aquatic nymphs and extendable jaws.

Blattodea

Includes cockroaches and termites; hemimetabolous with chewing mouthparts and social behavior in termites.

Mantodea

Mantids, notable for hemimetabolous development and predatory behaviors with raptorial front legs.

Embioptera

Webspinners; hemimetabolous insects known for spinning silk from their forelegs.

Dermaptera

Earwigs; hemimetabolous with pincer-like cerci and short forewings.

Plecoptera

Stoneflies; hemimetabolous with aquatic nymphs and two long cerci.

Orthoptera

Grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids; hemimetabolous with jumping hind legs and stridulation.

Phasmatodea

Walking sticks; hemimetabolous with mimicry as leaves or sticks.

Psocoptera

Includes booklice and barklice; hemimetabolous, small scavengers.

Thysanoptera

Thrips; hemimetabolous with fringed wings, primarily plant feeders.

Hemiptera

True bugs with hemimetabolous development, characterized by piercing-sucking mouthparts.

Megaloptera

Dobsonflies and alderflies; holometabolous insects with aquatic larvae and large mandibles.

Neuroptera

Includes lacewings and antlions; holometabolous with predatory larvae.

Coleoptera

Beetles, distinguished by holometabolous development and hardened forewings (elytra).

Strepsiptera

Twisted-wing parasites; holometabolous and exhibit parasitism on other insects.

Mecoptera

Scorpionflies; holometabolous with an elongated face and some males possess tails resembling stingers.

Raphidioptera

Snakeflies with holometabolous development, known for their long neck-like thorax.

Siphonaptera

Fleas; holometabolous, characterized by being wingless and jumping parasites.

Diptera

True flies with holometabolous development; possess one pair of wings and varying mouthparts.

Trichoptera

Caddisflies; holometabolous with aquatic larvae that build protective cases.

Lepidoptera

Includes butterflies and moths; holometabolous with scaled wings.

Hymenoptera

Ants, bees, and wasps; holometabolous with a narrow waist and often exhibit social behavior.

Acari

Subclass of arachnids including ticks and mites; possess eight legs and can be parasitic or free-living.

Ametabolous

Refers to insects that undergo no metamorphosis, where immatures look like small adults.

Hemimetabolous

Refers to insects that undergo incomplete metamorphosis: egg → nymph → adult.

Holometabolous

Refers to insects that undergo complete metamorphosis: egg → larva → pupa → adult.

Apterygota

Wingless insects that exhibit ametabolous development.

Pterygota

Winged insects that encompass both exopterygotes and endopterygotes.

Exopterygote

Insects whose wings develop externally during nymphal stages (incomplete metamorphosis).

Endopterygote

Insects whose wings develop internally during larval stages (complete metamorphosis).

Head

Part of an insect containing antennae, eyes, and mouthparts.

Thorax

Segment of an insect that contains three pairs of legs and where wings attach.

Abdomen

The part of an insect that contains digestive, excretory, and reproductive organs.

Antennae

Sensory organs in insects used for smell and touch.

Compound Eyes

Insect eyes composed of ommatidia, capable of detecting movement and color.

Ocelli

Simple eyes in insects that detect light intensity.

Mandibles

Chewing mouthparts found in various insects.

Proboscis

A tubular mouthpart used by some insects to suck nectar, as seen in butterflies.

Piercing-sucking mouthparts

Specialized mouthparts utilized by mosquitoes, aphids, and true bugs.

Beneficial Insects

Insects that serve roles in pollination, decomposition, pest control, and production of honey or silk.

Pest Insects

Insects that cause crop damage, infest stored food, or act as disease carriers.

Disease Vectors

Insects such as mosquitoes (malaria, dengue), fleas (plague), and lice (typhus) that transmit diseases.

Dichotomous Key

A method for identifying organisms using paired contrasting statements regarding traits.

Exoskeleton

A hard, chitinous outer covering that provides protection and support to insects.

Metamorphosis

The developmental process in insects characterized by structural changes across different life stages.