Which order includes cicadas, scales, and aphids and is characterized by piercing-sucking mouthparts and gradual development?

Which order includes cicadas, scales, and aphids and is characterized by piercing-sucking mouthparts and gradual development?

• A. Homoptera
• B. Hemiptera
• C. Diptera
• D. Lepidoptera

Answer: (A)

This item tests how we classify insects by mouthpart type and development. Cicadas, scales, and aphids feed using piercing-sucking mouthparts to extract plant fluids and they undergo incomplete metamorphosis, meaning their nymphs resemble small adults and molt through several instars rather than forming a pupal stage. Because of these shared feeding method and immature-stage pattern, they were historically grouped into an order called Homoptera. While modern taxonomy often places these insects within the broader Hemiptera, the traditional grouping that specifically includes cicadas, scales, and aphids is Homoptera. The other options don’t fit: Diptera and Lepidoptera undergo complete metamorphosis, and Hemiptera is the broader order that encompasses a wider range of related insects beyond this historical grouping.

This item tests how we classify insects by mouthpart type and development. Cicadas, scales, and aphids feed using piercing-sucking mouthparts to extract plant fluids and they undergo incomplete metamorphosis, meaning their nymphs resemble small adults and molt through several instars rather than forming a pupal stage. Because of these shared feeding method and immature-stage pattern, they were historically grouped into an order called Homoptera. While modern taxonomy often places these insects within the broader Hemiptera, the traditional grouping that specifically includes cicadas, scales, and aphids is Homoptera. The other options don’t fit: Diptera and Lepidoptera undergo complete metamorphosis, and Hemiptera is the broader order that encompasses a wider range of related insects beyond this historical grouping.