Pterygota

Pterygota Temporal range:Upper Carboniferousto Recent, 320 mya – 0
Giant Honey BeeApis dorsataonTribulus terrestris(orderHymenoptera)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Superphylum:	Ecdysozoa
(unranked):	Tactopoda
Phylum:	Arthropoda
(unranked):	Pancrustacea
(unranked):	Hexapoda
Class:	Insecta
Subclass:	Pterygota
Extantorders
Infraclass:Palaeoptera(probably paraphyletic) Ephemeroptera(mayflies) Odonata(dragonfliesanddamselflies) Infraclass:Neoptera Superorder:Exopterygota Dermaptera(earwigs) Plecoptera(stoneflies) Orthoptera(grasshoppers,etc) Phasmatodea(walking sticks) Embioptera(webspinners) Zoraptera(angel insects) Grylloblattodea(ice-crawlers) Mantophasmatodea(gladiators) Psocoptera(booklice, barklice) Thysanoptera(thrips) Phthiraptera(lice) Hemiptera(truebugs) Superorder:Endopterygota Hymenoptera(ants,bees,etc.) Coleoptera(beetles) Strepsiptera(twisted-winged parasites) Raphidioptera(snakeflies) Megaloptera(alderflies,etc.) Neuroptera(net-veined insects) Mecoptera(scorpionflies, etc.) Siphonaptera(fleas) Diptera(trueflies) Trichoptera(caddisflies) Lepidoptera(butterflies,moths) Blattodea(cockroaches and termites) Mantodea(mantises)

Pterygotais asubclassofinsectsthat includes thewingedinsects. It also includes insect orders that are secondarily wingless. That means insect groups whoseancestorsonce had wings but that have lost them later inevolution.

The Pterygota today includes almost all insects. That is becauseflyingled to a greatradiationof insect types. The groups without flight are in theApterygota.

In the Pterygota, are thePalaeopteraand theNeoptera.The Palaeoptera isparaphyletic,and its classification is being discussed. Likewise theExopterygota.There are no agreed alternatives at present, so the taxonomy is left in its traditional form.

TheEndopterygotais made up of all the insects which havecomplete metamorphosis.It is agreed to be a goodmonophyleticclade,even though some of the details may need to be adjusted.