The document classifies the class Insecta into 31 orders, with 4 orders belonging to the subclass Apterygota which includes wingless insects, and 27 orders belonging to the subclass Pterygota which is further divided into exopterygota and endopterygota based on wing development. The orders are also grouped according to their wing flexing mechanism into paleoptera, orthopteroid, hemipteroid, and panorpoid complexes. The lecture provides details on the characteristics and examples of the different orders within the class Insecta.

1. Lecture no. 34
Classification of class insecta upto
order
R K PANSE
Assistant Professor
Entomology

2. Taxonomic categories of classification
Kingdom
Phylum
Sub-Phylum
Super-Class
Class
Sub-Class
Cohort
Super-Order
Order
Sub-Order
Super-Family
Family
Sub-Family
Tribe
Genus
Sub-Genus
Species
Sub-Species
Animalia
Arthropoda
Uniramia
Insecta
Pterygota
Endopterygota
Hymenoptera
Apocrita
Apoidea
Apidae
Apinae
Apis
indica
Taxonomic
position
of
honey
bee
Division

3. •The class Insecta has two subclasses viz., Apterygota and
Pterygota.
Apterygota Pterygota
Primarily wingless evolved from wingless
ancestors.
Winged or secondarily wingless
evolved from winged ancestors
e.g. Flea, head louse, bed bug.
Metamorphosis is totally absent or slight. Present
Mandibular articulation in head is
monocondylic i.e. single
Dicondylic i.e., double.
Pleural sulcus in thorax is absent. Present.
Pregenital abdominal appendages
present.
Absent.

4. The subclass Apterygota has 4 orders namely
1. Thysanura - Silverfish (Thysan-fringed, Ura-tail)
2. Collembola- Springtail or snowflea (coll-glue; embol-peg)
3. Protura - Proturans or Telsontail (Pro-first, Ura-tail)
4. Diplura - Diplurans or Japygids (Di-two; Ura-tail)
•The sub class Pterygota has two divisions, namely
exopterygota and endopterygota based on the wing
development.
Character Exopterygota Endopterygota
Wing development External Internal
Metamorphosis
(Hemimetabola)
Incomplete (Holometabola) or
gradual (Paurametabola)
Complete
Pupal stage Absent Present
Immature stage Naiad or Nymph Larva
No. of orders 10 17

5. •The class Insecta is divided in to 31 orders (4 in Apterygota
and 27 in Pterygota).
•All the 31 orders are divided in to 2 groups according to wing
flexing mechanism:
•A) Palaeoptera
•B) Neoptera
•Polyneoptera (orthopteroid orders)
•Paraneoptera (hemipteroid orders)
•Oligoneoptera (panorpoid orders)
PTERYGOTA orders
Exopterygota division
01. Ephemeroptera - Mayflies
02. Odonata-Dragonfly, Damselfly {I. Paleopteran orders (1,2)}

6. 03. Plecoptera - Stonefly
04. Grelloblatodia - Rock crawlers
05. Orthoptera-Grasshopper, locust, cricket, mole cricket
06. Mantophasmatodea- leaf stick insect
07. Phasmida-stick insect, leaf insect
08. Dermaptera-Earwigs
09. Embioptera-Webspinners/Embids
10. Dictyoptera-cockroach, preying mantis
11. Isoptera - Termites
12. Zoraptera - Zorapterans { II. Orthopteroid orders(3-12) }
13. Psocoptera - Book lice
14. Mallophaga - Bird lice
15. Siphonculata - Head and body louse
16. Hemiptera – Bugs
17. Thysanoptera - Thrips { III. Hemipteroid orders(13-17) }

7. Endopterygota division
01. Neuroptera- Antilions, aphidlion, owl flies, mantispid flies.
02. Mecoptera - Scorpionflies.
03. Lepidoptera - Butterflies and moths.
04. Trichoptera - Caddisfly.
05. Diptera - True fly.
06. Siphonaptera - Fleas. { Group IV. Panorpoid complex (1-6) }
07. Hymenoptera - Bees, wasps, ants.
08. Coleoptera - Beetles and weevils.
09. Strepsiptera - Stylopids.
10. Raphidioptera – snakefly