Hexapoda

Insect orders
There are generally thought to be around 29 insect orders, though this is under review
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Uniramia

--Centipedes

--Hexapoda 1 (insects)

--Hexapoda 2 (insects)

--Insect orders

----Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths)

----Ephemeroptera (mayflies)

----Hemiptera (bugs, cicadas)

----Hymenoptera (bees, ants, wasps & saw flies)

------Bumblebees

----Coleoptera (beetles)

----Dictyoptera (mantids, cockroaches)

----Diptera (true flies)

----Neuroptera (lacewings, ant lions)

----Orthoptera (crickets, locusts)

----Thysanura (bristletails, silver fish)

----Strepsiptera (stylops)

----Thysanoptera (thrips)

----Odonata (dragonflies, damselflies)

----Trichoptera (caddis flies)

----Siphonaptera (fleas)

----Isoptera (termites)

----Phasmida (stick & leaf insects)

----Dermaptera (earwigs)

----Anoplura/Sipunculata (sucking lice)

----Mallophaga (biting lice, bird lice)

----Psocoptera (book lice)

----Mecoptera (scorpion flies)

----Collembola (springtail)

----Embioptera (web spinners)

----Plecoptera (stone flies)

----Diplura (bristletails)

----Protura

----Zoraptera

Order	Subclass Apterygota (wingless)
Thysanura silverfish	Small, long bodies covered with scales, usually compound eyes, long antennae, biting mouthparts, three terminal abdominal filaments. Found mostly in damp, dark places. About 600 species in the world.
Diplura bristletails	Similar to Thysanura, but with paler soft bodies, usually no eyes, and only two terminal abdominal filaments, usually less than 10 mm long. Found mostly in soil in damp environments. About 800 species worldwide.
Protura	Minute, 1.0 - 1.5 mm long, colorless, eyeless, no antennae or terminal filaments. Found in damp soil. About 400 species worldwide.
Collembolla springtails	Small, short bodied, often covered with scales, biting mouthparts, short antennae, small or no eyes, terminal forked springing organ (furcula) folded up under the body when at rest. Found mostly in damp places. About 6500 species worldwide, over 300 in British Isles.

Order	Subclass Pterygota (winged)
	Division Hemimetabola/Exopterygota (insects without a specialised larval form, at each moult they get more and more like the adult form. The less specialised orders.
Ephemeroptera mayflies	Soft bodies, large eyes, minute antennae, atrophied mouthparts in the adult, hindwings much smaller than fore wings, or may be absent, 2 or 3 terminal abdominal filaments. Nymphs aquatic, long lived, adults ephemeral. About 2500 species worldwide, 200 in Europe, 47 in British Isles.
Odonata dragonflies, damselflies	Large, long bodies, large eyes, minute antennae, specialised mouthparts strong teeth, two pairs of similar wings finely veined. Both adult and nymph are predators. Nymphs aquatic and long lived. 5500 species worldwide, 113 European, 40 British.
Plecoptera stoneflies	Soft bodied, usually long filametous antennae, pair of anal cerci, both pairs of wings similar and membranous, mouthparts biting. Weak fliers. Nymphs aquatic with 2 slender tails. 3000 species worldwide, 150 in Europe, 34 in Britain.
Grylloblattodea	Rare crickets, wingless, reduced eyes or no eyes, long antennae, biting mouthparts. 6 species worldwide.
Orthoptera grasshoppers locusts, crickets	Robust with large, jumping legs, biting mouthparts, antennae medium to long, forewings modified and hardened as wing covers, specialised stridulatory and auditory apparatus. Mature females usually have a well-developed ovipositor. 20 000 species worldwide, 650 in Europe, 30 in British Isles, 7 in Scotland.
Phasmida stick insects	Large, usually wingless, frequently elongated and stick-like or leaf-like, biting mouthparts. About 2500 species worldwide, mostly tropical, but a few species have been introduced to the UK and survive in hot-houses. Often kept as pets.
Dermaptera earwigs	Forewings reduced to small wing covers, hindwings large and complexly folded, biting mouthparts, abdomen terminated by forceps. About 1900 species worldwide, 45 in Europe, only 4 in the British Isles.
Embioptera web spinners	Elongated bodies, 2 pairs of similar wings in males, females wingless, large silk gland on anterior legs, biting mouthparts. Gregarious, living together in silk tunnels under stones and bark. About 300 species worldwide, mainly tropical.
Dictyoptera cockroaches mantids	Robust, antennae and cerci many segmented, biting mouthparts, forewings thickened to wing covers, wings folded flat over abdomen, pronotum shield-like. Cockroaches about 4000 species worldwide, 130 in Europe, 3 in British Isles. Mainly nocturnal and omnivorous. Mantids about 2000 species worldwide, mainly tropical about 12 species reach Southern Europe.
Isoptera termites	Soft bodied, biting mouthparts, either two pairs of similar wings (soon shed) or wingless. Many specialised morphological forms. Social. About 2750 species worldwide, 2 in Europe, recently 1 species has been found in the south of England.
Zoraptera	Minute (around 2.5 mm), winged and wingless, biting mouthparts, colonial. Similar to Psocoptera and Isoptera. Very rare, tropical. Found below bark, in rotten wood or humus. About 30 species worldwide.
Psocoptera booklice	Minute, winged and wingless, biting mouthparts, large clypeus, look similar to termites. Gregarious. Wide habitat range. About 3500 species worldwide, 100 in Europe, 90 in the British Isles.

Mallophaga biting lice	Body flattened, wingless, poorly-developed eyes, chewing mouthparts, head broader than long. All ectoparasitic upon birds and sometimes mammals at all stages. At least 3000 species worldwide, 700 in Europe and 500 recorded in Britain.
Anuplura sucking lice	Body flattened, wingless, piercing/sucking mouthparts usually retractable, thoracic segments fused, head longer than broad. All ectoparasitic on mammals at all stages. About 500 species worldwide, 50 in Europe.
Hemiptera bugs, aphids. cicadas, leaf-hoppers	Specialised piercing mouthparts forming a proboscis/stylets, large eyes, wings with simple venation, sometimes wingless. Over 70 000 species worldwide, over 7 000 in Europe, 1 650 in British Isles.
Thysanoptera thrips	Minute, slender bodies, short antennae, mouthparts stylet-like, wings narrow with long hair fringes, legs terminate in adhesive pads. About 5 000 described worldwide, over 300 in Europe, 150 in British Isles.
	Division Holometabola/Endopterygota. Usually with a highly specialised larval form with necessitates the provision of a reconstuructional (pupal) stage before the adult can appear.
Neuroptera lacewings ant-lions	Soft-bodies, often with mobile head on narrow neck, biting mouthparts, antennae well developed, 2 pairs of membranous wings with complex venation. Larvae predatory aquatic and terrestrial. About 5000 species worldwide, over 200 in Europe, 60 in British Isles.
Mecoptera scorpion flies	Soft, elongated body, large eyes, 2 pairs of long wings, head prolonged into a beak with biting mouthparts. Male has scorpion-like tail. Larvae chiefly subterranean, pupae in earthen cells. About 550 species worldwide, 30 in Europe and only 4 in the British Isles.
Lepidoptera butterflies moths	Small to very large, clothed with scales often of bright colours, suctorial proboscis. Larvae phytophagous and polypodus. Pupae usually in cocoons. Over 150 000 known worldwide, 5 000 in Europe and 2 500 in British Isles.
Trichoptera caddis flies	Moth-like with body and wings covered in fine hairs, antennae long, mouthparts reduced. Adults weak fliers, mostly nocturnal. Larvae aquatic, case builders. Pupae aquatic. About 8 000 known worldwide, 400 in Europe, 2000 in British Isles.
Diptera flies	Single pair of membranous wings, hind wings reduced to club-like balancing organs (halteres), mouthparts usually sucking or piercing. Larvae vermiform, often with specialised head structure. Pupae in puparium, usually no cocoon. Over 90 000 species known worldwide, 15 000 in Europe, 5 200 in British Isles.
Siphonaptera fleas	Very small, wingless, laterally compressed, adults ectoparasites of warm-bodied animals, hind legs specialised for jumping, piercing/sucking mouthparts. Larvae vermiform. Pupae in silk cocoons. About 2 000 species worldwide, over 100 in Europe, about 60 in British Isles.
Hymenoptera Bees, wasps, ants, saw-flies	Hard-bodies, smaller hind wing linked to fore wing by hooks (hamulae), venation specialised, mouthparts biting/sucking, some with complex behaviour, some social, many parasitic. Larvae polypodus or apodus. Pupae generally in cocoons. Over 120 000 species worldwide, over 40 000 in Europe, over 6 500 in British Isles.
Coleoptera beetles	Forewings horny elytra meeting midline down the back, hind wings membranous and covered by elytra or absent, biting mouthparts. Larvae diverse. Over 375 000 described species and thousands more waiting to be described, over 20 000 in Europe, over 4 000 in British Isles. "If one could conclude as to the nature of the Creator from a study of creation, it would appear that God has an inordinate fondness for stars and beetles." —J.B.S. Haldane, 1951.
Strepsiptera stylops	Minute and bizarre, male with club-like forewings and fan shaped hind wings, female maggot-like. Endoparasite of insects. About 560 known worldwide, about 30 in Europe, and 20 in the British Isles.

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