Exopterygota
Translingual
Etymology
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
Exopterygota
- A taxonomic superorder within the infraclass Neoptera – various winged insects that undergo incomplete metamorphosis.
Usage notes
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
- (superorder): Hemipterodea
Hyponyms
- (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 insects) (orders)
See also
- exopterygote
References
- Exopterygota at OneLook Dictionary Search