Insect Misconceptions and Misinformation   Misconceptions/Misinformation #2: All small insects having fully developed and functional wings are "babies" or immatures.   Examples containing misinformation: In Disney's recent movie, "a Bug's Life," one of the main characters, a juvenile ant named Dot, has wings. The wings were drawn smaller than the adult's wings. From: A Bug's Life: Classic Storybook Disney Enterprises, Inc./Pixar Animation Studios. 1998. ISBN: 1-57082-979-9   Explanation One of the distinguishing features of many adult insects is the presence of wings. Wings develop during the last molt in insect orders which show gradual, or simple, metamorphosis, (e.g., mayflies, grasshoppers, and earwigs) and during the pupal stage in insects which undergo complete metamorphosis (e.g., ants, bees, and butterflies). In those insects having gradual metamorphosis, the wings develop outside the body and are called wing pads. These "wing pads" are shorter than adult wings and are not membranous and showing distinct venation. Only when the insect becomes an adult do the wing pads become truly functional wings. Back to Misconceptions