plural noun

• A large group of insects that comprises those that have wings or winged ancestors, including the majority of modern species.

  Compare with Apterygota

  Subclass Pterygota, class Insecta (or Hexapoda): many orders

  ‘In most insects (the Pterygota) the thorax posses one or two pairs of wings for flying.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘It is possible that Pterygota occurred as early as the Upper Devonian, but, again, there is no evidence for this.’