exopterygote

[ ek-soh-ter-i-goht ]

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the class Exopterygota, comprising the insects that undergo incomplete metamorphosis.

noun

1. an exopterygote insect.

Word History and Origins

Origin of exopterygote¹

< New Latin Exopterygota, equivalent to exo- exo- + Greek pterygōtá, neuter plural of pterygōtós winged

Example Sentences

The change from an exopterygote to an endopterygote development could, therefore, be brought about by the gradual postponement to a later and later instar of the appearance of the wing-rudiments outside the body, and their correlated growth inwards as imaginal disks.

From Project Gutenberg

All these insects must have been exopterygote in their life-history, if we may trust the indications of affinity furnished by their structure.

From Project Gutenberg

The foregoing brief outline of our knowledge of the geological succession of insects shows that the exopterygote preceded, in time, the endopterygote type of life-history.

From Project Gutenberg

The acquisition of wings is, as we have seen, a dominating feature in them all, but if we try to go yet a step farther back and speculate on the origin of wings in the most primitive exopterygote insects, the task becomes still more difficult.

From Project Gutenberg

In a previous chapter reference was made to the exopterygote insects, stone-flies, dragon-flies, and may-flies, whose preparatory stages live in the water.

From Project Gutenberg