SPECIAL I'Kor.LE.MS oF LNSECT (ONTKUL lo3 



Of IIr' iiiiK'tot'ii orders lliu .st'veii most iniportciiit are: 



I. Diptera {di-, "two"; pteron, "wing"). Two nn'iiiltniiious wings, 

 nioiith I'iirts lor i)k'rcing and sucking or for laj.ping; nn-tanior- 

 pliosis conqik'te, larva; various in form and lial>it l>iit always foot- 

 less; maggots, wrigglers, etc. >:xami)les: Hies, mos([uitoes, gnats; 

 40,000 known si)ecies ; estimated iiimil>er, :jr)0,000 (Howard). 



II. Coleoptera {koleos, "sheath"; pteron, "wing"). F<Mir wings, the 

 front pair horny cases which cover the meml)ranous hind wings; 

 mouth parts for biting; metamorphosis comi>lete, the larva a 

 grub, with usually six legs. Examples: beetles, potato beetle, 

 June beetle, lady beetle: 100,000 known species (Galloway). 



III. Hemiptera{hemi-,''hdi\V'\ /)feron, "wing"). F<.re wings membra- 



nous, i)archment-like or with horny ])ases and membranous tips; 

 hind wings membranous ; many wingless forms ; metamoridiosis 

 incomplete, the young resembling the adults, but wingless — 

 the true " bugs." Examples : plant lice, scale insects, cicadas, lice, 

 water l>ugs; 20,000 know^n species; probaldy 80,000 in all 

 (Howard). 



IV. Orthoptera (orthos, "straight"; pteron, "wing"). Fore wings parcli- 



ment-like, net-veined, hind wings almost always mend)ranous; 

 mouth parts for biting ; metamorphosis incomplete, the young 

 resembling the adult, but wingless. Examples : -grasshoppers, 

 crickets, cockroaches, walking sticks; estimated more than 

 10,000 species. 

 V. Lepidoptera (lepis, "scale"; pteron, "wing"). Wings au<l budy 

 seale-clad ; mouth parts modified into a coiling, sucking tul)e, or 

 absent ; metamorphosis complete, larva a caterpillar. Examples : 

 butterflies and moths; 2.5.000 known species ((;alloway). 

 VI. Hymenoptera (hymen, "membrane"; pteron, "wing"). Wings 

 four, membranous, u few wingless forms: mouth i-avts for 

 biting and lapi)ing ; metamorphosis complete, larva maggot- 

 like. Examples: bees, ants, wasps, sawflies, iehiuumons : about 

 80,000 known species: estimat<Ml nund)er, :)00,000 (Howard). 

 VII. Neuroptera(neuronr' sinew''; pteron, ''wing'' ). Wings four, mem- 

 branous, usually net-veined; mouth i.arts f(U- biting; metam(»r- 

 phosis incomplete or complete; larva usually unlike adult, 

 sometimes aquatic. Examj.les: dragon flies, lacewings, etc.i 



1 This group is now subdivided into eight onU'rs, among them the cmUlis 

 flies {Trkhoptcra), dragon flies {OdonaUi), and white ant,s {Uoptcra). 



