Systematic position
Kingdom: Animalia
Sub-kingdom: Eumetazoa
Super-phylum: Ecdysosoa
Phylum: Arthropoda
Sub-phylum: Hexapoda
Hexapoda (6 legs) Source Wikipedia
Hexapoda Characteristics
Ø A large taxa, includes insects and a small group of wingless arthropods
Ø Body plan: 3 parts, head, thorax and abdomen
Ø Head with six segments
Ø Thorax with three pairs of jointed legs (hence the name hexapoda)
Ø Head bears a presegmental acron
Ø Acron bears compound eyes
Ø Head segments are very closely fused
Ø Appendages absent in segment 1 and 3
Ø Segment 2 bears a pair of antennae
Ø Segment 4 bears mandibles for crushing the food items
Ø Segment 5 bears maxillae for chewing
Ø Segment 6 bears the labium which forms the lower lip of mouth
Ø Mouth lies between the fourth and fifth segments
Flesh Fly (source wikipedia)
Ø Thorax composed of three segments, each with a single pair of legs
Ø Each leg with single walking branch composed of five segments
Ø Abdomen usually with 11 segments
Ø Abdominal appendages are absent or extremely reduced
Ø Abdomen contains most of the internal systems such as respiratory, excretory and reproductive systems
Ø Respiration through tracheae
Ø Excretion through malphigian tubules
Ø Development always indirect
Ø Larval stage present, which undergo complete metamorphosis
Classification of Hexapoda
Sub-phylum Hexapoda is divided into two classes
Class – 1 : Insecta
Class – 2 : Entognatha
Classification of Sub-Phylum Hexapoda