All flying insects come into the subclass called Pterygota. This subcalss has myraid varieties of insects like grasshoppers, dragonflies, ants, beetles and wasps. In this article we shall understand some of the major classes and how to go about identifying flying insects.

The beetle is one of the largest insect groups. There are many species within the braod group of beetles and all of them have in common a shiny black or steely armor. These insects also have two pairs of wings. The front pair of wings are very tough and are not cut out for flying. These cannot actually be called wings and are in fact a sort of protection mechanism for the real wings which are located beneath the front wings. In contrast to the front wings, the real wings are very elegant. You will find it easy identifying flying insects when the beetle takes flight.

The grasshopper is another species which is easy when it comes to identifying flying insects. There are many species of grasshoppers to be found but the most important among them would be the redlegged, differential and two-striped grasshoppers. The differential and two-striped grasshoppers are commonly found in gardens and commercial plantations. The adults of these species are much larger in size than any other species. They are abour 1 ½ to 2 inches in length. Grasshoppers can be yellow and black, and the insects have complete V-shaped patterns on their hind legs . Two-striped grasshoppers are brown or gray in color. It has two cream colored stripes running down the top of the head.

Dragonflies are large heavy-bodied insects. These are easy when identifying flying insects because they usually hold their wings flat open at rest. Their eyes are close together, often touching. Dragonflies come in many sizes. The average size of a dragonfly is 1 to 4 inches in length. Although mostly found near ponds and streams, they are very skilled fliers. Adults come in a variety of colors.Skimmers are the most common variety of dragonfly families. The males are usually in non-metallic colors. Skimmers glide while flying. Darners are large and fast flying. Their coloring can be blue, green or brown with clear wings. They live near lakes, creeks, and rivers. Some may be seen in fields.

Ants are social insects which are easy when identifying flying insects. The colony is established by a mated “queen” who is originally winged. After mating she sheds her wings. When the colony
is well-established some resources are put into rearing reproductive forms. These are the winged ants, some females – the potential future queens – and the majority males. They are usually seen in the three to five days after heavy rains. At this time, the winged reproductive forms emerge from the colony in large swarms. Such swarming behavior is usually synchronized with neighboring colonies so large numbers of winged ants can be seen at a time. All mating for the species takes place, often over the course of a single day.

Richard Dorads – InsectPest.net