 
*COMMENT Orders of British Insects: key-making character list. 22 
October 2011. 
 
*CHARACTER LIST 
 
#1. <nomenclature (synonyms, alternative names, etc.):>/
 
#2. <common name(s) of members:>/
 
#3. adults <whether terrestrial or aquatic>/
       1. terrestrial <implicit>/
       2. aquatic/
 
#4. adults <association of adults with water:>/
       1. nearly always found near water <e.g., when the larvae are aquatic or
          feed on helophytic plants>/
       2. not particularly associated with water <implicit>/
 
#5. <whether social insects:>/
       1. social insects, constituting organized colonies/
       2. not social <implicit>/
 
#6. adults <feeding habits>/
       1. predatory/
       2. phytophagous <on living plant material>/
       3. imbibing nectar/
       4. saprophagous <on decaying organic matter>/
       5. coprophagous/
       6. consuming stored produce/
       7. mycophagous/
       8. parasitic/
       9. incapable of feeding/
 
#7. adults <whether parasitic ADULTS victimize warm-blooded animals:>/
       1. ectoparasitic on mammals/
       2. ectoparasitic on birds/
       3. parasitising invertebrates only <implicit>/
 
#8. adults <whether the jumpers (saltatorial)>/
       1. conspicuous jumpers <saltatorial>/
       2. not jumpers <implicit>/
 
#9. adults <whether emitting sound:>/
       1. voluntarily emitting sound <by stridulation or other special
          mechanisms, and excluding flight-related buzzing, humming, etc.>/
       2. mute/
 
#10. <size, excluding antennae and abdominal appendages:>/
       1. minute <less than 3mm long>/
       2. small <3-15 mm long>/
       3. medium sized <15-25 mm long>/
       4. large <25-40 mm long>/
       5. very large <i.e., by the standards of British insects: more than 40
          mm long>/
 
#11. the adults <presence of elytra>/
       1. with hardened elytra (q.v., representing the fore-wings)/
       2. without elytra/
 
#12. adults <whether flying or flightless:>/
       1. capable of flight <wings conspicuous, and at least one pair
          functional for flight>/
       2. flightless <wingless, or wings all much reduced and not functioning
          directly for flight>/
 
#13. <flying adults: number of membranous propellant wings>/
       1. with one pair of (membranous) propellant wings/
       2. with two pairs of (membranous) propellant wings/
 
#14. adult body <plane of flattening>/
       1. dorsiventrally flattened/
       2. more or less cylindrical/
       3. laterally flattened/
 
#15. head <hypognathy>/
       1. prognathous/
       2. hypognathous/
       3. opisthognathous/
 
#16. head <whether prolonged into a beak>/
       1. prolonged into a rigid beak <rostrum>/
       2. not rigidly beaked <implicit>/
 
#17. adult mouthparts <feeding-related components, well developed or reduced>/
       1. well developed <relative to the 'generalized biting type' (q.v.):
          most of the components readily recognizable, or the mouthparts with
          evident feeding-related modifications>/
       2. much reduced <relative to the 'generalized biting type': all the
          feeding-related components much reduced or missing>/
 
#18. adult mouthparts <whether functional for feeding>/
       1. functional for feeding <implicit>/
       2. non-functional for feeding/
 
#19. adult mouthparts <type>/
       1. of the biting type <exhibiting recognisable, operational mandibles>/
       2. suctorial/
       3. adapted for both biting and sucking/
 
#20. adult mouthparts <whether piercing>/
       1. piercing/
       2. not piercing/
 
#21. adult mouthparts <trophi, whether of generalized biting or highly
          specialized type: see Notes for general discussion and morphological
          interpretation of insect mouthparts>/
       1. <more or less> conforming to the generalized biting type/
       2. highly modified <from the generalized biting type: specify how>/
 
#22. the clypeus <of adults, form>/
       1. divided into a narrow, transverse anteclypeus and a
          characteristically bulbous postclypeous/
       2. not transversely divided and bulbous above as in Psocoptera (q.v.)/
 
#23. antennae <present or absent>/
       1. present <implicit>/
       2. absent/
 
#24. antennae <whether conspicuous>/
       1. conspicuous <large or long>/
       2. inconspicuous <small and short>/
 
#25. antennae <simple or complex>/
       1. simple/
       2. complex/
 
#26. antennae <number of segments>/
       segmented/
 
#27. compound eyes <present or absent>/
       1. present and well developed <implicit>/
       2. vestigial or absent/
 
#28. ocelli <number>/
 
#29. wings <ostensible number>/
       1. two <including forms where one pair is represented by vestigial
          structures>/
       2. four <including forms with fore-wings represented by wing-cases or
          elytra>/
 
#30. the single pair of wings <texture>/
       1. membranous/
       2. leathery/
       3. horny/
 
#31. hind-wings <whether represented by halteres>/
       1. <vestigial and> represented by small, clubbed halteres/
       2. not represented by halteres <implicit>/
 
#32. wings <when four, whether both pairs similar in texture>/
       1. of similar texture in both pairs/
       2. markedly differently textured in the two pairs/
 
#33. fore-wings <of 4-winged insects, texture>/
       1. membranous/
       2. leathery/
       3. basally leathery, distally membranous/
       4. horny/
 
#34. fore-wings <presence of pterostigma>/
       1. with a pterostigma/
       2. without a pterostigma/
 
#35. hind-wings <size relative to that of the fore-wings>/
       1. smaller <in area> than the fore-wings/
       2. similar in size to the fore-wings/
       3. larger <in area> than the fore-wings/
 
#36. hind-wings <breadth relative to fore-wings>/
       1. markedly broader than the fore-wings/
       2. no broader than the fore-wings/
 
#37. hind-wings <whether folded in the resting insect>/
       1. folded in repose/
       2. not folded in the resting insect/
 
#38. wings <venation>/
       1. with numerous cross-veins <reticulate venation>/
       2. with <relatively> few cross-veins/
 
#39. wings <vestiture>/
       1. conspicuously hairy/
       2. conspicuously scaly/
       3. more or less naked <neither conspicuously hairy nor scaly>/
 
#40. wings <presence of corneous dots>/
       1. exhibiting corneous dots <one distally near the base of vein fork
          2 of each fore-wing, often one also in the corresponding position in
          the hind-wings, and sometimes another in the thyridial cell proximal
          to the centre of the fore-wing as well>/
       2. without corneous dots <implicit>/
 
#41. wings <fringing>/
       1. fringed/
       2. not fringed/
 
#42. wings of the resting insect <carriage>/
       1. held above the body, with their upper surfaces more or less apposed/
       2. <more or less> outspread/
       3. closed and directed backwards/
 
#43. wings of the resting insect <whether held flat or roof-like over the
          abdomen>/
       1. held roof-like over the abdomen <with the hind margin uppermost>/
       2. not held roof-like <implicit>/
 
#44. adults <presence of thoracic legs>/
       1. with thoracic legs <implicit>/
       2. without thoracic legs/
 
#45. body and legs of wingless adults <whether scaly>/
       1. bearing <lepidopteran> scales/
       2. without scales/
 
#46. tarsi <reduction>/
       1. reduced to pretarsal claws terminating the tibiae <<Collembola>>/
       2. not completely reduced to pretarsal claws <implicit>/
 
#47. tarsi <number of segments>/
       segmented/
 
#48. adult abdomen <whether conspicuously appendaged>/
       1. <more or less> conspicuously appendaged at the rear/
       2. not conspicuously appendaged/
 
#49. adult abdomen <spectacular appendages>/
       1. furnished with very large, paired, pincer-like appendages <modified
          cerci>/
       2. exhibiting a conspicuous ovipositor/
       3. with <two or three> long terminal bristles <styles>/
       4. not spectacularly appendaged <without pincer-like appendages, with
          no conspicuous ovipositor, without terminal long bristles>
          <implicit>/
 
#50. abdomen <visibility of cerci>/
       1. with cerci clearly visible at its tip/
       2. lacking clearly visible cerci/
 
#51. abdomen of females <whether with an exserted ovipositor>/
       1. with an exserted ovipositor/
       2. with no exserted ovipositor/
 
#52. abdomen apparently <number of externally detectable segments>/
       segmented/
 
#53. abdomen <of adults, presence of rudimentary abdominal limbs>/
       1. exhibiting rudimentary abdominal limbs/
       2. with no rudimentary abdominal limbs <implicit>/
 
#54. the eggs <whether eggs in oothecae>/
       1. laid in batches within a protective case (ootheca)/
       2. not laid in batches within a protective case (ootheca) <implicit>/
 
#55. larvae <terrestrial or aquatic>/
       1. terrestrial <implicit>/
       2. aquatic/
 
#56. larvae <habits>/
       1. feeding in the open/
       2. clandestine feeders/
 
#57. larvae <feeding habits of larvae>/
       1. predatory/
       2. phytophagous <feeding on living plant material>/
       3. saprophagous <feeding on decaying organic matter>/
       4. coprophagous/
       5. consuming stored produce/
       6. mycophagous/
       7. parasitic/
       8. feeding on food gathered and stored by the adults/
 
#58. larvae <presence of segmented thoracic legs>/
       1. with three pairs of segmented thoracic legs/
       2. without segmented thoracic legs/
 
#59. larvae <presence of ventral abdominal prolegs>/
       1. with ventral abdominal prolegs/
       2. without ventral abdominal prolegs/
 
#60. larvae <presence of anal prolegs>/
       1. with paired anal prolegs <claspers>/
       2. without anal prolegs/
 
#61. the larval abdominal prolegs <whether bearing crochets>/
       1. bearing crochets/
       2. without crochets/
 
#62. larvae <whether strongly pigmented>/
       1. brightly coloured/
       2. drab <pallid, whitish, grey, brown, etc.: implicit>/
 
#63. larval head <presence of sclerotized head capsule>/
       1. with a well sclerotized capsule/
       2. without a well sclerotized capsule/
 
#64. development <of larva into adult, gradual or involving discontinuous
          change>/
       1. gradual/
       2. involving marked metamorphosis/
 
#65. development <of larva into adult, endopterygote/exopterygote>/
       1. endopterygote <wings developing internally, only becoming apparent
          when they are fully developed and the insect emerges from its final
          moult>/
       2. exopterygote <the wings gradually developing externally as the
          insect grows>/
       3. apterygote <wings absent>/
 
#66. development <of larva into adult, whether involving a quiescent, pupal
          stage>/
       1. involving a <quiescent> pupal stage <immediately prior to emergence
          of the adult insect>/
       2. not involving a pupal stage/
 
#67. pupae <whether in a puparium>/
       1. in a puparium/
       2. without a puparium/
 
#68. pupae <presence of articulated mandibles>/
       1. with articulated mandibles <decticous>/
       2. without articulated mandibles <adecticous>/
 
#69. pupae <whether appendages free or fused to the body>/
       1. with free appendages <legs, wings: exarate>/
       2. with the appendages fused to the body <obtect>/
 
#70. Subclass/
       1. Apterygota/
       2. Pterygota/
 
#71. Division <of Pterygota>/
       1. Exopterygota/
       2. Endopterygota/
 
#72. <families in Britain:>/
 
#73. genera <number in Britain>/
 
#74. <number of species in Britain>/
       species/
 
#75. <possession of raptorial fore-legs associated with praying mantis
          posture>/
       1. with conspicuously modified, raptorial fore-legs, associated with a
          characteristic praying posture/
       2. the fore-legs not conspicuously raptorial, the posture not praying
          mantis-like <implicit>/
 
#76. <whether slender and stick-like>/
       1. slender and remarkably stick-like in appearance (stick insects)/
       2. not slender and stick-like in appearance (not stick insects)
          <implicit>/
 
#77. <whether adults spectacularly necked:>/
       1. with the prothorax remarkably elongated, forming with the narrowed
          back of the head a greatly elongated neck <Raphidioptera>/
       2. without the neck characteristic of Raphidioptera <implicit>/
 
#78. <peculiar features of Strepsiptera:>/
       1. the adult males actively flying, having fore-wings reduced to
          knobbed, haltere-like structures and large, membranous hind-wings;
          females larviform and confined to puparia inside hymenopterous or
          hemipterous hosts/
       2. the adult males not having fore-wings reduced to knobbed,
          haltere-like structures, and the females not larviform parasites;
          i.e., by contrast with Strepsiptera <implicit>/
 
#79. the wingless adults <whether larviform>/
       1. not larva-like, with only obscure thoracic segmentation <readily
          distinguishable thorax and abdomen>/
       2. larva-like, with the thorax clearly segmented/
 
#80. the adults <peculiar features of Pthiraptera>/
       1. highly specialized, very dorsoventrally flattened, blind external
          parasites, which spend their whole lives clinging to their hosts via
          their modified tarsi <Pthiraptera>/
       2. not having the peculiar features of Pthiraptera/
 
#81. <general descriptive comments:>/
 
#82. <unsatisfactorily resolved:>/
 
#83. <abbreviated taxon name:>/
 
#84. <illustrations:>/
