English
This chart presents the 30 orders* of insects known at present. It also provides information about the type of metamorphosis, wings and mouthparts of adults.
| Order | Examples | Wings | Type of mouth parts | Metamorphosis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archaeognatha | Petrobius maritimus | None | Chewing | None |
| Blattodea | Cockroaches | Four | Chewing | Incomplete |
| Coleoptera | Ladybugs, scarab beetles, lightning bugs | Usually four; hard, ribless front wings and folded, membranous back wings | Chewing | Complete |
| Dermaptera | Earwigs | None or four; short, thick front wings, folded back wings | Chewing | Incomplete |
| Diptera | Flies and mosquitoes | Two, very rarely none, back legs modified into halters | Sucking-licking or piercing-sucking | Complete |
| Embioptera | Anisembia texana | None (females and some males), four (males); similar front and back wings | Chewing | Incomplete |
| Ephemeroptera | Mayflies | Four (sometimes two); triangular, membranous back wings are smaller than front wings | Vestigial mouthparts | Incomplete |
| Grylloblattodea | Grylloblatta barberi | None | Chewing | Incomplete |
| Hemiptera | Giant water bug | None or four; front wings thick at the base or uniformly membranous front wings | Piercing-sucking | Incomplete |
| Hymenoptera | Bees, bumblebees, wasps and ants | Four, very rarely none; sparse ribs; front wings larger than back wings | Chewing or chewing-licking | Complete |
| Blattodea | Termites | Four, rarely none; sparse ribs, similar front and back wings | Chewing | Incomplete |
| Lepidoptera | Butterflies and moths | Four scaly wings, rarely none | Sucking | Complete |
| Mantophasmatodea | Mantophasma zephyra | None | Chewing | Incomplete |
| Mantodea | Mantids | Four | Chewing | Incomplete |
| Mecoptera | Scorpionflies | None or four similar, narrow wings | Chewing | Complete |
| Megaloptera | Dobsonflies | Four; front and back wings are similar, with abundant ribs | Chewing | Complete |
| Neuroptera | Lacewings | Four; front and back wings are similar, with abundant ribs | Chewing | Complee |
| Odonata | Dragonflies | Four similar wings with abundant rubs | Chewing | Incomplete |
| Orthoptera | Grasshoppers, locusts | None or four (sometimes small); thick, narrow front wings and folded back wings | Chewing | Incomplete |
| Phasmatodea | Stick insects | None or four; narrow front wings, folded back wings | Chewing | Incomplete |
| Phthiraptera | Lice | None | Chewing or piercing-sucking | Incomplete |
| Plecoptera | Stoneflies | Four; narrow front wings, wide back wings | Chewing | Incomplete |
| Psocoptera | Book lice | None or four; sparse ribs, front wings larger than back wings | Chewing | Incomplete |
| Raphidioptera | Snakeflies | Four; front and back wings are similar, with abundant ribs | Chewing | Complete |
| Siphonaptera | Fleas | None | Sucking | Complete |
| Strepsiptera | Stylops | None (females), four (males); reduced front wings and triangular back wings | Vestigial mouthparts | Complete |
| Thysanoptera | Thrips | None or four long, narrow fringed wings | Sucking | Between incomplete and complete |
| Thysanura | Silverfish | None | Chewing | None |
| Trichoptera | Caddisflies | Four hairy wings. | Chewing, greatly reduced mouthparts | Complete |
| Zoraptera | Zorotypus newi | None or four long, narrow, fringed front wings; front wings larger than back wings | Chewing | Incomplete |
* Adapted from Gullan P.J. & P. S. Cranston. 2010. The Insects: An Outline of Entomology.