This document provides an overview of an insect classification lab for university students. The objectives are to familiarize students with insect taxonomy, large insect orders, and the primitive wingless orders Zygentoma and Microcoryphia. The lab focuses on the taxonomy of insects, describing the distinguishing characteristics of silverfish, firebrats, and the order Microcoryphia. References are provided for further reading.

1. University of Sulaimania
School of Science
Department of Biology
2nd Class Year
14th Lab.
An Introduction to Insect Classification
Apterygota: Orders Zygentoma and
Microcoryphia
Lecturer: Farhad A. Khudhur

2. Objectives:
-Students will be familiar with common information in animal
classification.
- Provide familiarities with insect large taxa and important
orders.
-Then they will study primitive wingless insect orders in
detail.
Scientific content:
- An Introduction to Insect Classification
- Insect Orders
Apterygota:
Order: Zygentoma
Order: Microcoryphia

3. Subphyllum Hexapoda.
1. CLASS. Collembola
2. CLASS AND ORDER. Protura
3. CLASS AND ORDER. Diplura
4. CLASS. Insecta
I. SUBCLASS. Apterygota
ORDERS. Microcoryphia and Zygentoma
II. SUBCLASS. Pterygota
A. INFRACLASS. Paleoptera
ORDERS. Ephemeroptera and Odonata
B. INFRACLASS. Neoptera
a. DIVISION. Polyneoptera (orthopteroid orders)
ORDERS. Orthoptera, Grylloblattodea, Dermaptera, Plecoptera,
Embioptera. Blattodea, Mantodea, Isoptera, Phasmida, Mantophasmatodea, and
Zoraptera
b. DIVISION. Paraneoptera (hemipteroid orders)
ORDERS. Psocoptera, Phthiraptera, Hemiptera, and Thysanoptera
c. DIVISION. Oligoneoptera (endopterygote orders)
ORDERS. Mecoptera, Lepidoptera, Trichoptera, Diptera. Siphonaptera,
Neuroptera, Megaloptera, Raphidioptera, Coleoptera, Strepsiptera, and
Hymenoptera

4. Order: Zygentoma
Family: Lepismatidae
• This family includes the familiar silverfish and
firebrats
• They are common in both natural and domestic
habitats.
• Outdoor species occur in caves, under stones and
debris, and some species are associated with the nests
of ants.
• The domestic species occupy a variety of habitats,
and feed on starchy substances and plant material.

5. Common silverfish, Lepisma saccharina
• Adults are about 12 mm long.
• They are silver-gray, with a metallic sheen.
• This species is cosmopolitan and a domiciliary pest in
most regions of the world.
• Development and reproduction indoors require high
temperatures and humidity.
• Development from larva to adult takes 90-120 days at
27 ◦C.
• They damage paper products
• Paper with high cellulose content is preferred.
• Cotton and silk fabrics are also attacked.t

6. Firebrat, Thermobia domestica
• Adults are about 14 mm long.
• They are silver-gray.
• Firebrats prefer indoor locations with temperatures
above 32 ◦C; optimum development occurs between 37
and 39 ◦C.
• Firebrats are pests in commercial locations that maintain
high temperatures.

8. Silverfish, Lepisma saccharina,

9. Firebrat, Thermobia domestica

11. Order: Microcoryphia
Family: Machilidae
Machilis sp.

12. References:
•David, B. V. and Ananthakrishnan, T. N. (2004). General and Applied
Entomology. 2nd ed. Tata McGraw-hill Publishing Co. Ltd. New Delhi.
India. 1184 p.
•Elzinga, Richard J. (1997). Fundamentals of Entomology. 4th ed.
New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, Inc. 475 pp.
•Gillot, Cedric. (2005). Entomology. 3rd ed. Springer, Dordrecht. The
Netherlands. 831 pp.
•Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia, 2nd edition. Volume 3, Insects,
edited by Michael Hutchins, Arthur V. Evans, Rosser W. Garrison,
•Resh, Vincent H. & Cardé, Ring T. (2003). Encyclopedia of Insects.
USA. Academic Press, Elsevier Science, 1266 pp.