Section
Blattodea
Cockroaches & termites. Flattened bodies, long antennae, leathery forewings. Termites are now classified within Blattodea — essentially social, wood-eating cockroaches.
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Coleoptera
Beetles. Hardened forewings (elytra) meet in a straight line down the back. The largest order of organisms on Earth — about 400,000 species.
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Dermaptera
Earwigs. Pincer-like cerci at the rear of the abdomen. Fan-folded hindwings. Mothers display rare maternal care of eggs.
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Diptera
True flies and mosquitoes. Only one pair of functional wings — the hindwings are reduced to balancing organs called halteres.
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Hemiptera
True bugs, cicadas, aphids, leafhoppers. Piercing-sucking mouthparts forming a beak tucked under the body.
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Hymenoptera
Bees, wasps, ants and sawflies. Membranous wings hooked together by tiny hamuli. Highly social in many groups.
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Lepidoptera
Butterflies and moths. Wings covered in tiny overlapping scales. Long coiled proboscis. Larvae are caterpillars.
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Mantodea
Praying mantises. Triangular head with huge compound eyes that swivel 180°. Raptorial forelegs held in prayer position.
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Megaloptera
Dobsonflies, alderflies, fishflies. Large soft-bodied insects. Predatory aquatic larvae — hellgrammites — are top-tier fish bait.
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Neuroptera
Lacewings, antlions, owlflies. Two pairs of equal-sized membranous wings with elaborate net-like venation. Predators as larvae and adults.
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Odonata
Dragonflies and damselflies. Large equal-sized wings with intricate venation. Enormous compound eyes. Aquatic nymphs are voracious predators.
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Orthoptera
Grasshoppers, crickets, katydids. Greatly enlarged hind legs for jumping. Males produce sound by stridulation.
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Phasmatodea
Stick and leaf insects. Extreme body elongation or flattened leaf-mimicry. Some of the longest insects on Earth — up to 64 cm.
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Psocodea
Booklice, barklice and parasitic lice. Combines the former Psocoptera with Phthiraptera. Tiny, soft-bodied, wingless or with membranous wings.
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Siphonaptera
Fleas. Wingless. Laterally compressed for navigating through host fur. Spectacular jumping legs. Obligate blood feeders.
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Zygentoma
Silverfish and firebrats. Wingless. Three tail filaments approximately equal in length. Flattened body covered in silvery scales.
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