Class | Main Body Region | Pairs Of Legs | Pairs Of Antenna | Wings |
---|---|---|---|---|
Crustacea | two - cephalothorax* and abdomen (some with head and trunk | five or more | two | absent |
Myriaopoda | two - head and trunk | many - one or two per trunk segment | one | absent |
Arachnid | two - cephalothorax* and abdomen | four | none (though palps may resemble antennae or legs) | absent |
Insecta | three - head, thorax and abdomen | three | one | usually present (but many wingless form) |
Each of the Classes of arthropods, including the insects are split into a number of smaller groups, which reflect progressively more detailed structural similarities between the group member. These smaller groups follow a strict hierarchy. The major class division in descending order of size are called Subclass, Order, Suborder, Family, Subfamily and Genus. A Genus is the smallest group of any real importance in the naming of individual species, although in some classifications generic groups may be further spllit into Subgenera. The scientific name of a species includes, first, the Genus to which it belongs and, second, its specific name, e.g. the European Violet Ground Beetle is called Carabus violaceus, meaning the species violaceus in the Genus Carabus (by convention, generic and specific names are always printed in italics; the generic name spelt with a capital letter and the specific name with a smaller letter). The full classification of insect would be as follow :
PHYLUM : | Arthropoda | arthropod |
CLASS : | Insecta | insect |
SUBCLASS : | Pterygota | winged insect |
ORDER : | Coleoptera | beetle |
SUBORDER : | Adephaga | carnivorous beetle |
FAMILY : | Carabidae | ground beetle |
SUBFAMILY : | Carabinae | - |
GENUS : | Carabus | - |
SPECIES : | Carabus violaceus L. | violet ground beetle |
ORDER | COMMON NAME |
---|---|
1. Branchiopoda | Water Fleas (Daphnia), Fairy, Brine, Tadpole, and Clam Shrimps |
2. Copepoda | Water Fleas (Cyclops), Fish Lice, Gill Maggots and Anchor Worms |
3. Ostracoda | Seed Shrimps |
4. Cirrepedia | Barnacles |
5. Stomatopoda | Mantis Shrimps |
6. Mysidacea | Opossum Shrimps |
7. Decapoda | Shrimps, Prawns, Lobsters, Crayfish and Crabs |
8. Amphipoda | Freshwater Shrimps (Gammarus) and Sand Hoppers |
9. Isopoda | Sea Slatters, Water Slatters, Water Lice and Hog Lice |
Isopoda: Oniscoidea (part) | Woodlice |
Class Myriapoda
ORDER | COMMON NAME |
---|---|
1. Pauropoda | - |
2. Symphylia | - |
3. Diplopoda | Millipedes |
4. Chilopoda | - |
Class Arachnid
ORDER | COMMON NAME |
---|---|
1. Xiphosura | King Crabs or Horseshoe Crabs |
2. Pseudoscorpiones (=Chernetidae) | Pseudoscorpions or False Scorpions |
3. Scorpionidae | Scorpions |
4. Pedipalpi | Whip Scorpions |
5. Solifuga (=Solpugae) | Wind Scorpions or Barrel Spiders |
6. Opiliones (=Phalangidae) | Harvestmen or Harvest Spiders |
7. Acari (=Acarina) | Mites and Ticks |
8. Araneae | True Spiders |
ORDER | COMMON NAME | SUBCLASSES & FEATURES |
1. Thysanura | Bristletails | APTERYGOTA These are wingless insects and their body structure suggests that they never had wings during their evolutionary history. Young stages resemble the adults – little or no metamorphosis |
2. Diplura | Two-pronged Bristletails | |
3. Protura | - | |
4. Collembola | Springtails | |
5. Ephemeroptera | Mayflies | PTERYGOTA Division EXOPTERYGOTA These are winged insects, although some have lost their wings during the course of evolution. When present, the wing develop externally and there is no marked change (metamorphosis) during the life cycle. The young stages, called nymph, resemble the adult except in seze and in lacking fully-developed wings – simply metamorphosis. |
6. Odonata | Dragonflies | |
7. Plecoptera | Stoneflies | |
8. Grylloblattodea | - | |
9. Orthroptera | Crickets, Grasshoppers and Locusts | |
10. Phasmida | Stick and Leaf Insects | |
11. Dermaptera | Earwings | |
12. Embioptera | Web-spinners | |
13. Dictyoptera | Cockroaches and Mantids | |
14. Isoptera | Termites | |
15. Zoraptera | - | |
16. Psocoptera | Psocids and Booklice | |
17. Mallophaga | Biting Lice | |
18. Siphunculata (=Anoplura) | Sucking Lice | |
19. Hemiptera | True Bugs | |
20. Thysanoptera | Thrips | |
21. Neuroptera | Alder Flies, Snake Flies and Lacewings | PTERYGOTA Division ENDOPTERYGOTA These are winged insects, although some have lost their wings during the course of evolution. When present, the wings develop internally (i.e. inside the body of the immature insect) and there is a marked change (metamorphosis) during the life cycle. The young stages are very different from the adults and are called larvae. The change from larva to adult takes place during a non-feeding stage called the pupa (or chrysalis) – complex metamorphosis. |
22. Coleoptera | Beetles | |
23. Strepsiptera | Stylopids | |
24. Mecoptera | Scorpion Flies | |
25. Shiponaptera | Flea | |
26. Diptera | True Flies | |
27. Lepidoptera | Butterflies and Moths | |
28. Tricoptera | Caddis Flies | |
29. Hymenoptera | Bees, Wasps and Ants |
Thanks to Dr David Kendall BSc PhD