Insect morphology

Wing features

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

General wing features

Number of wings present

zero wings

zero wings

two wings

two wings

four wings

four wings

Forewing texture

fringed forewings: thrips

fringed

scaled and membranous forewings: butterflies and moths

scaled and membranous

membranous forewings without scales: true bugs and flies

membranous without scales

leathery forewings with membranous tip: true bugs

leathery with membranous tip

hardened forewings: beetles

hardened

completely leathery forewings: grasshoppers and katydids

completely leathery

Wing positions at rest

held flat over body but abdomen is exposed

abdomen exposed

held flat over body and creates a central line

flat central line

held flat over body with overlapping forewings

overlapping forewings

held roof-like over the body

roof-like

held upright

upright

Distinct wing color patterns and appendages

Diptera: fruit flies

Bactrocera: dark bands, curved tip

Bactrocera

Mediterranean fruit fly: black reticulations and three dark arrowheads

Medfly

Anastrepha: costal band and anal streak

Anastrepha

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 and ventral color markings

wing tail

Insect morphology