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Taxa

Plecoptera

Insect Orders

Plecoptera is an order of insects commonly known as stoneflies, with some 3,500 described species found worldwide except Antarctica. Stoneflies are considered among the most primitive living groups of Neoptera, with close relatives known from Carboniferous and Lower Permian fossils, though most of their present day diversity appears to have arisen later, in the Mesozoic.

Facts
Taxonomic Rank
Order 1
Scientific Name
Plecoptera 1
Member Species/Taxa Count
3500 1
Geographic Distribution
Found worldwide except Antarctica 1
Defining Characteristics
Simple chewing mouthparts, long multi-segmented antennae, large compound eyes and two or three ocelli 1
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Both nymphs and adults carry long paired cerci at the tip of the abdomen, and each leg ends in two claws 1
Connections

Parent Taxon Of

Stonefly, Species
Source Catalogue of Life
Sources
1. Plecoptera - Wikipedia
  • Opening paragraph (rank)
    Plecoptera is an order of insects commonly known as stoneflies
  • Opening paragraph (name)
    Plecoptera is an order of insects commonly known as stoneflies
  • Opening paragraph (member count)
    Some 3,500 species are described worldwide, with new species still being discovered
  • Opening paragraph (distribution)
    Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica
  • Description and Ecology section (morphology)
    simple mouthparts with chewing mandibles, long, multiple-segmented antennae, large compound eyes, and two or three ocelli
  • Description and Ecology section (appearance)
    Both nymphs and adults have long, paired cerci projecting from the tip of their abdomens
View the Source
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeParent Taxon Of: StoneflyView the Source
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