A condition where a specimen has no wings. A distinction should be made between the shedding of wings (e.g., some louse flies [Hippoboscidae] when they have found a suitable host) and the non-development of wings.
Aptery is often found in species that have a parasitic, terrestrial or even subterranean life style or that are found in other circumstances where wings are of little uses (e.g., boreal conditions or locations without natural enemies like some oceanic islands).
Within certain species apterous individuals may occur next to brachypterous individuals and/or fully winged individuals.
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