Elytron

An elytron is a hardened forewing in beetles that protects the folded hindwing and body. The paired elytra usually meet along the back and are not used for flight.

Coleoptera: The insect order comprising beetles and weevils, distinguished by hardened forewings. Elytra are the defining forewing structure of this insect order.
Insect wing: A paired appendage of the insect thorax used for flight or display. An elytron is a forewing modified into a protective cover.
Biomimetics: The design of materials and systems inspired by biological structures and processes. Elytra's lightweight protection and water-handling properties invite engineering analogies.
Hemelytron: A forewing with a hardened basal portion and a membranous tip, found in true bugs. Unlike a beetle elytron, a hemelytron remains partly membranous and participates in flight.
Beetle flight: Flight produced by the beating hindwings of beetles. The elytra separate or lift so the hindwings can beat during flight.
Forewing: The anterior pair of wings in a four-winged insect. Elytra are forewings transformed by hardening and specialization.
Biological armor: Protective structures produced by organisms, including shells, scales, and hardened cuticle. Elytra are a prominent example of armor formed from an insect's own body covering.
Tegmen: A leathery or parchment-like forewing that protects the hindwing in some insects. Tegmina are flexible covers, whereas elytra are strongly hardened.
Wing folding: The arrangement of insect wings when folded against or over the body. Elytra shelter hindwings that fold compactly beneath them.
Mesothorax: The middle segment of an insect's thorax, bearing the forewings and second pair of legs. The forewings that become elytra attach to this thoracic segment.

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