Chapter 5

Types of Textures in Insect Wings

and Classification

N. Chari, A. P. Rao, Ponna Srinivas, and N. Girish

Abstract Classification of flying insects into orders is based on the structure of

chitinous membranous wings, which are membranous outgrowths of the exoskeleton.

Distinct wing morphology and their design is characteristic feature of many orders

(25). Wing texture is highly characteristic for each ptereygote insect order and is

highly variable.

Keywords Peterygota · Wing structure · Fringed wings · Elytra · Halters · Wing

venation · Scutellum

Introduction

Butterflies and moths are classified as Lepidoptera, a word that literally means wings

having scales. Beetles belong to Coleoptera having hard elytra. The forewings of

beetles, which are hard, chitinous structures, protect the membranous delicate hind-

wings and are known as elytra. Bees and wasps are Hymenoptera because of their

membrane-textured wings. Flies possess only mesothoracic functional wings and

are named as Diptera and metathoracic wings (Halters) are rudimentary and act as

balancers. Wings of insects will help to escape from enemies, to find food and mates

and in migration. Wings are the characteristic features of adult insects and their

texture helps in coloration, survival, mimicking, protection to a large extent and in

classification.

Wings are the membranous outgrowths of insect exoskeleton that allow insects to

fly. They are found on the meso-thorax and meta-thorax (second and third thoracic

segments). These two pairs of wings are often referred to as the fore and hindwings,

respectively. In apterygote insects, the wings are absent. It is quite probable that the

N. Chari (B) · A. P. Rao

Kakatiya Unviersity, Warangal, India

P. Srinivas

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad, India

N. Girish

Dist. Medical & Health Office, Kadapa, AP, India

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021

N. Chari et al. (eds.), Biophysics of Insect Flight, Springer Series in Biophysics 22,

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5184-7_5

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