Exopterygota
Translingual
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From exo- (“outside”) + pterygo- (“wing”) + -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.
