Describing insects or other organisms that lack wings; belonging to the group of wingless arthropods that never evolved winged forms.
From anapterygote plus '-ous' (full of, having the quality of). Zoological adjective form describing the wingless condition.
When scientists describe something as anapterygotous, they're saying it's not just missing wings now—it never had them in its entire evolutionary history, which is why springtails stay on the ground.
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