Exopterygota
Translingual[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Ancient Greek ἔξω (éxō, “outside”) + πτερόν (pterón, “wing”) + New Latin -ota (“having”), reflecting the fact that the nymphs (larvae) of winged species bear their wing rudiments externally; compare Endopterygota.
Proper noun[edit]
Exopterygota
- A taxonomic superorder within the class Insecta – various winged insects that undergo incomplete metamorphosis.
Usage notes[edit]
Not commonly used.
The Exopterygota differ from the Endopterygota in that they generally undergo an "incomplete" metamorphosis. Their life cycle typically lacks a clearly defined pupal phase. In winged species the nymphs (larvae) generally bear external wing rudiments, which immature members of the Endopterygota do not.
The Exopterygota life cycle is: egg → larva or nymph → adult or imago. The transformation from larva to adult is gradual and proceeds by moulting.
For comparison, the complete metamorphosic life cycle is: egg → larva → pupa → adult or imago.
Synonyms[edit]
- (superorder): Hemipterodea
Hyponyms[edit]
- (superorder): Blattodea (cockroaches), Dermaptera (earwigs), Embioptera (webspinners), Hemiptera (true bugs), Isoptera (termites), Mantodea (mantids), Notoptera (ice-crawlers and gladiators), Orthoptera (grasshoppers, etc.), Phasmida (stick insects), Phthiraptera (lice), Plecoptera (stoneflies), Psocoptera (booklouse, barklouse), Thysanoptera (thrips), Zoraptera (angel insect) (orders)
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Exopterygota on Wikipedia.Wikipedia - “Exopterygota”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
