forewing
Insect's forward sail
A forewing is one of the front pair of wings on a four-winged insect such as a butterfly, moth, or beetle.
In many species, the forewings differ from the hindwings in size, shape, or function—beetle forewings, for instance, have hardened into protective covers called elytra.
The term appears mainly in entomology and nature writing when distinguishing the two pairs of wings.
Rear wing of insect
- frenulumSmall tissue fold restricting movement
- costaRib-like anatomical structure
- apexUppermost point or culmination
- submarginalBelow minimum acceptable level
Central body cavity
- articulationClear vocal expression
- chitinArthropod shell polymer
- membraneThin tissue sheet
- veinsBlood-return tubes
Mechanism for vertical transport
- thrustForceful forward motion
- flightAerial journey by aircraft
- glidingEngineless aerial movement
- hoveringSuspended without support
maneuverability · aerodynamics · camouflage · thermoregulation · courtship display · startle display · sound production · stridulation
Arrangement of veins
- colorationSurface hue arrangement
- pigmentationNatural tissue coloring
- eyespotsSimple light-detecting organs
- markingsIdentifying visual features
spots · bands · stripes · iridescence · camouflage · mimicry · cryptic · polymorphism
hindwing
Rear wing of insect
thorax
Central body cavity
- articulationClear vocal expression
- chitinArthropod shell polymer
- membraneThin tissue sheet
lift
Mechanism for vertical transport
hovering · maneuverability · aerodynamics · camouflage · thermoregulation · courtship display · startle display · sound production · stridulation · elytra
venation
Arrangement of veins
- colorationSurface hue arrangement
- pigmentationNatural tissue coloring
- eyespotsSimple light-detecting organs
markings · spots · bands · stripes · iridescence · camouflage · mimicry · cryptic · polymorphism · seasonal variation