Micro View of Bugs

Some examples of the weird and wonderful micro-structure of insects and other arthropods. All can be seen with low power microscope (up to x200). Almost any insect or other 'creepy-crawly' found around the house or garden can reveal a hidden world of minute hairs, spines, scales and delicate sculpturing over the body surface. The colour patterns on the body and wings of insects are often due to one or other of these microscopic features.

Wings

Forewing of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) with just a few long main-veins and smaller cross-veins. The viens provide support for the thin, transparent wing membrane (transmitted light, x60).

Forewing of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) much enlarged to show the minute hairs present on the thin, transparent wing membrane between the veins (transmitted light, x200).

Hindwing of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) with a few branched veins similar to those of the forewing shown above (transmitted light, x60).

Front margin of the hindwing of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) much enlarged to show the row of small hooks which attach to the trailing edge of the forewing and lock the two wings together during flight (transmitted light, x200).

Wing of a hawker dragonfly (Aeshna cyanea) with a network of fine veins forming numerous small cells. Some of the veins bear minute spines, as can be seen in bottom right of the picture (transmitted light, x60).