You can find more details about insect morphology by clicking one of the menu options on the right.

Character states are also illustrated in the Lucid key.

Wing features Insect wings are quite variable, providing many useful characters for identification.

Number of wings present

zero wings

zero wings: true bugs, ants

two wings

two wings: flies

four wings

four wings: true bugs, moths, butterflies, thrips, beetles, grasshoppers

Forewing texture:

fringed

fringed forewings: thrips

scaled and membranous

scaled and membranous forewings

membranous without scales

membranous forewings without scales: true bugs and flies

leathery with membranous tip

leathery forewings with membranous tip: true bugs

hardened

hardened forewings: beetles

completely leathery

completely leathery forewings: grasshoppers and katydids

Wing positions at rest:

abdomen exposed

held flat over body but abdomen is exposed

flat central line

held flat over body and creates a central line

overlapping forewings

held flat over body with overlapping forewings

roof-like

held roof-like over the body

upright

held upright

Distinct wing color patterns and appendages

Diptera: fruit flies

Bactrocera

Bactrocera: dark bands, curved tip

Medfly

Mediterranean fruit fly: black reticulations and three dark arrowheads

Anastrepha

Anastrepha: costal band and anal streak

Hemiptera: true bugs

central white marks

central white marks

brochosome production

brochosome production

Lepidoptera: moths and butterflies

moth wing diagram

moth wing diagram

black scent scale

black scent scale

ventral costal fold

ventral costal fold

wing tail

wing tail and ventral color markings