Egg
Mature adult Aquatic naiad
Aerial
imago
- Gradual metamorphosis or paurometabolous
development : In this type of metamorphosis, the
life history includes egg, nymph (young) and imago
(adult). The nymph resembles an adult in general body
form, but lacks wings and external genital appendages.
E.g., cockroaches, grasshoppers, locusts, termites, stick
insect, praying mantis, bed bug and lice etc. - Complete metamorphosis or holometabolous
development : In this type of metamorphosis, the
life history includes four developmental stages – egg,
larva, pupa and imago (adult). Larva after hatching,
moults several times to become a fully grown adult.
It later becomes a pupa within a secreted case, called
puparium. Pupa differentiates into the young adult
that breaks the puparium open and emerges out. It
grows to a mature form, e.g., butterflies, moths, beetles,
houseflies, mosquitoes, fleas, honey bees, ants, wasps,
etc.
• Metamorphosis or post embryonic growth of insects, is
under hormonal control. The various hormones secreted
are as follows :
- Brain hormone (BH) : It is secreted by the
neurosecretory cells of the brain. It serves to activate
corpora cardiaca. - Prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) : This hormone
is secreted by the corpora cardiaca, which in turn
stimulates the prothoracic glands. - Prothoracic gland hormone (PGH) : This hormone is
secreted by the paired, bilateral sheet of cells in thorax,
constituting the prothoracic glands. This hormone is
known to trigger moulting as it acts on the tissues to
promote all of the changes characterising a moult.- Juvenile hormone (JH) : This hormone is secreted by
corpora allata. This hormone regulates morphogenesis
and so promotes metamorphosis, that is development
of the larvae into adult through pupal stage.
• The Class Insecta is divided into 30 orders. The most
important orders with common examples are listed in the
table given as follows :
Table : Important Orders of Class Insecta
with examples
Orders Examples
Thysanura Lepisma (Silver fish)
Orthoptera Schistocerca (Locust), Poecilocerus
(grasshopper), Gryllus (House cricket)
Periplaneta (Cockroach), Mantis (Praying
mantis).
Isoptera Microtermes (Termites or white ants).
Odonata Sympetrum (Dragon fly).
Anoplura Pediculus (Human louse).
Ephemeroptera Ephemera (Mayfly).
Hemiptera Cimex (Bed bug), Dysdercus (Red cotton
bug).
Homoptera Aphis (Aphid = Plant louse), Laccifer
lacca or Tachardia lacca (lac insect).
Coleoptera Coccinella (Lady bird beetle), Sitophilus
(Grain Weevil).
Lepidoptera Bombyx (Silk moth), Pieris (Cabbage
butterfly).
Diptera Musca (Housefly), Anopheles, Culex,
Aedes (All the three mosquitoes).
Siphonaptera Xenopsylla cheopis (Rat flea).
Hymenoptera Apis (Honey bee), Vespa (Wasp).
- Juvenile hormone (JH) : This hormone is secreted by
• Subphylum Onycophora that consists of unsegmented
terrestrial, primitive worm-like arthropods which
resemble both annelids and arthropods is considered as
connecting link e.g., Peripatus.
• They resemble annelids in worm like body, indistinct head,
thin flexible cuticle, unjointed appendages, segmentally
arranged nephridia and ciliated genital ducts.
• They resemble arthropods in having clawed legs,
antennae, haemocoel, salivary glands, tracheae and
dorsal tubular heart with lateral ostia.
onycophora : the Connecting link