forewing

The Mark IV has a “canard” design, with a small forewing placed to the front of the main wing, making it reminiscent of a duck stretched out in flight.

One early idea that was proposed as an explanation is that beetles have hardened forewings, called elytra, that form a protective capsule over their flight wings.

But, his team hypothesizes, losing forewings and the ability to move could allow a beetle species to become more specialized and to more successfully occupy a tiny geographical niche.

To generate chirps, crickets and katydids rub their forewings together, scraping a toothy vein against a smooth counterpart on the other wing, similar to a spoon raking a washboard.

The wing color next to the body is a dark brown with patches of orange on the forewings.