Dicondylia

Pronunciation: /di-KON-di-lee-uh/

Category: Taxonomy

Singular: Dicondylian

Plural: Dicondylians

Definition

A group of insects characterized by having two articulations (condyles) in their mandibles, including most modern insects except for some primitive groups like bristletails.

Etymology

From Greek 'dicon-', meaning 'two', and 'kundylos', meaning 'knuckle' or 'joint'.

Example

Dicondylians include diverse insect orders such as Coleoptera and Lepidoptera.

Related Terms

Insecta
Mandible

Usage Notes

Dicondylia is a fundamental grouping in the classification of insects, separating them from more primitive hexapods.