Class Insecta
The insects are generally sub-divided into 29 Orders. These are listed below with links to pages describing general characteristics, recognition features and examples of each Order. You can also follow the link at the bottom of this page for a simply identification key to most of these Orders.


ORDER COMMON NAME SUBCLASSES & FEATURES
1. Thysanura Bristletails
APTERYGOTA
These are wingless insects and their body structure suggests that they have 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 wings develop externally and there is no marked change (metamorphosis) during the life cycle. The young stages, called nymphs, resemble the adults except in size and in lacking fully-developed wings - simply metamorphosis.

6. Odonata Dragonflies
7. Plecoptera Stoneflies
8. Grylloblattodea -
9. Orthoptera Crickets, Grasshoppers and Locusts
10. Phasmida Stick and Leaf Insects
11. Dermaptera Earwigs
12. Embioptera Web-spinners
13. Dictyoptera Cockroaches and Mantids
14. Isoptera Termites
15. Zoraptera -
16. Psocoptera Psocids or 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. Siphonaptera Fleas
26. Diptera True Flies
27. Lepidoptera Butterflies and Moths
28. Trichoptera Caddis Flies
29. Hymenoptera Bees, Wasps and Ants