Earwig hindwing

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:32 am

This is the HW of the male earwig HERE
The front wings are very short and serve to protect the incredibly delicate HW. The base of the HW (B) protrudes from beneath the FW.
To fit beneath the FW, the HW has to fold in a most complex way - perhaps the most complex wing folding of any insect. Part of the folding is like that of a fan, the thin white lines are regions where the wing folds like a fan. The other type of folding reduces the wing to a small package that fits under the elytron.
The membrane is very delicate and I managed to tear it in 2 places.

El Nikkor 80/5.6 @f/11 4 frames @ 0.2mm ZS PMax

NU09170

Harold Gough · Post by **Harold Gough** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:17 am

Thanks for that. Great images.

Not that I have made much of a study of insect wings, but I don't recall seeing such floating veins (my words) elsewhere.

Harold

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 9:45 am

Marvelous! I have often wondered how these things work, but I have never investigated. These pictures explain a lot.

The short wing covers of earwigs are superficially similar to those of rove beetles.

Do you happen to know whether the wing folding pattern is also similar, or have these beasts evolved different solutions?

--Rik

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 2:17 pm

I have neither looked at Rove Beetle wings nor dissected them out so can't comment.
This wing was difficult to unfold. From what little I have read about Earwig wings I think the pale semicircle about 1/3 rd in from the outer edge is where the wing folds up onto the top of the rest of the wing.

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 1:00 pm

Great stuff!
I caught one of these and fed it to one of my tarantulas earlier