CHAPTER IV. 



CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE. 



A VERY large number of insects are known to occur in India as in 

 other tropical countries which it is no easy matter to classify. Insects 

 are primarily divided into nine orders, two of which are of little import- 

 ance and rarely met with. 

 The seven large orders 

 are easily distinguished 

 according to the structure 

 of the wings and mouth- 

 parts and by the life his- 

 tory, A knowledge of 

 classification is necessary 

 to enable one to place 

 every insect into its order ; 

 one then knows whether 



FIG. 72. 

 Orthopterous Insect. 



it may be expected to have a metamorphosis or not, and one has a clue to 

 its probable habits and nearest allies. It is not necessary in these pages 

 to go further than the principal orders. The final classification into 

 sub-families, tribes, genera and species is a matter of special study and is 

 best left to those who work in museums and study only the dead insect. 

 The student will require also a knowledge of the chief families of each 

 order, but this point cannot be entered upon here. The seven principal 

 orders are most conveniently known by their scientific names, since there 

 are not in all cases English equivalents. The following are the orders 

 with their distinguishing characters : 



Orthoptera (orthos = 



straight ; ptera = wings) . 

 Cockroaches, leaf and stick 

 insects, locusts, grasshoppers 

 and crickets. The first pair 

 of wings are narrow, with 

 straight edges, the second 

 pair large, folding up under 

 the first. Biting mouth-parts. 

 No metamorphosis. 



This order is easy to recog- 

 nise by their thick ; coloured 



FIG. 73. 

 Jfeuropterous Insect. 



