wing case / elytron
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wing case / elytron
The hardened, protective forewing in certain insects, especially beetles. These cases lie over the delicate hind wings at rest, which are used for flying.
Der Marienkäfer hat rote Flügeldecken mit schwarzen Punkten.
The ladybug has red wing cases with black spots.
The word is a clear compound of 'Flügel' (wing) and 'Decke' (cover). So it literally describes a cover that protects an insect's wings.
Einige Käfer haben sehr farbenprächtige Flügeldecken.
Some beetles have very colorful wing cases.
This term is used almost exclusively in biology to describe a specific part of insects. You often find it in texts about beetles, since they are the best-known example of insects with wing cases.
Im Biologieunterricht haben wir die Flügeldecke eines Maikäfers untersucht.
In biology class, we examined the wing case of a cockchafer.
In connection with wing cases, verbs that describe movement are often used. Typical phrases are 'die Flügeldecken anheben' (to raise the wing cases) or 'die Flügeldecken spreizen' (to spread the wing cases), which is what a beetle does before it flies.
Der Käfer spreizte seine Flügeldecken und flog davon.
The beetle spread its wing cases and flew away.