What are Apterygota?
Q: What are Apterygota?
A: Apterygota are a small subclass of primitive insects which have never had wings at any time in their evolutionary history.
Q: When is their first known occurrence in the fossil record?
A: Their first known occurrence in the fossil record is in the Rhynie chert of the Devonian period, around 400 million years ago.
Q: How are Apterygota different from other insects that lack wings?
A: While some other insects, such as fleas, also lack wings, these are descended from winged insects, and have lost them during the course of evolution. By contrast, Apterygota are a primitive group of insects that diverged from other orders before wings evolved.
Q: What are some other primitive traits of Apterygota?
A: They have some other primitive traits, such as nymphs that go through little or no metamorphosis, have multiple instars after reaching sexual maturity, and have thin skin, making them appear translucent.
Q: How do male Apterygota reproduce?
A: Male Apterygota deposit sperm packages rather than fertilising the female internally.
Q: Are any species of Apterygota listed as being at conservation risk?
A: Currently, no species of Apterygota are listed as being at conservation risk.
Q: How do nymphs of Apterygota differ from other insects?
A: Nymphs of Apterygota go through little or no metamorphosis, so they look like the adults, and continue to moult throughout life with multiple instars after reaching sexual maturity. All other insects have only a single sexually mature adult stage.
