Insect Identifier - Part 2 - Insects with Prominent Wings

One Pair of Wings
True Flies
     Congratulations.  If your specimen has only one set of wings, then it has to be a Diptera.  This order includes the true flies, crane flies, midges, and mosquitoes.  These insects have one pair of membranous wings.  Their hind wings are modified to form halteres.  They have sucking mouthparts, usually forming a proboscis, that are sometimes adapted for piercing.  Ouch!  
     For more information, see Order Diptera 
House Fly Mosquito

Two Pair of Wings - Continue below

Insects with two pair of prominent wings
Wings are covered with minute scales.  Mouth parts a coiled tube: 
Butterfly Sucking Tube Moth
Butterflies and Moths
     Only the Lepidoptera have wings, body and appendages covered with scales.  When rubbed, the scales come off somewhat like a fine dust. The maxillae is long and coiled to form a sucking proboscis.  This is the most popular of all insect orders.  For more information, see Order Lepidoptera 
Wings are not covered with minute scales.  Mouth parts not a coiled tube - continue below

Two pair of prominent Wings.  No scales on wings.

Wings long and fringed with hair.  Length 5mm or less

Thrips
     These are generally very small, many species are only 2-3 mm.  Most species are plant-juice suckers and live on flowers and vegetation.  Some are predators and eat other insects, such as whiteflies.  Although most species pass unnoticed, and some are even beneficial, some are serious pests and can destroy crops, especially, flowers, coffee, and tobacco.  For more information, see: Order Thysanoptera
Wings not narrow and fringed.  Length usually over 5mm. - continue below

Wings do not have scales, nor are they narrow or fringed
Abdomen has 2 or 3 long filaments.  The rear wings are small.

Mayflies
       These are very small insects. The body is usually less than a half inch long, but the long filaments that stretch from the abdomen can be as long or longer than the body.  Adult mayflies live for only one day - long enough to mate and hatch eggs.  Most of its life is spent as a naiad.  The naiad look similar to a dragonfly but is much smaller and the dragonfly's rear wings are quite large.
For more information, see Order Ephemeroptera

Naiad Adult
Abdomen with short filaments or no filaments.  The rear wings are larger - continue below

Abdomen with short filaments or no filaments.  The rear wings are larger

Front wings clearly longer than hind legs.  Front wings have larger area than hind legs - continue below

Front wings not longer or only very slightly longer than hind legs.  Same or less area as the hind legs.
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Front wings clearly longer and have greater area than hind legs.
Wings are hairy and opaque.  Antenna as long as body or longer
Caddisflies
     These little guys are a half inch to an inch long. They look similar to moths, but their body and wings are covered with hairs, rather than scales.  They also have short lapping mouthparts, instead of a curved proboscis. For more information, see Order Trichoptera

Wings are transparent or translucent.  Antennae are shorter than body. - continue below

Wings are transparent or translucent.  Antennae are shorter than body.
Tarsi 5-segmented; usually wasp-like or bee-like.
Ant Bee Wasp Sawflies
Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies
     If anything is going to look wasp-like or bee-like, it will have to be a wasp or bee.  .   Order Hymenoptera 
Tarsi 2 or 3 segmented.  Not wasp-like or bee-like. - continue below

Tarsi 2 or 3 segmented.  Not wasp-like or bee-like

Mouth parts for sucking; beak rises at rear of head.

Cicada Leafhopper Aphid Whitefly
Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Whiteflies
      Plant feeders; mouthparts adapted for sucking; beak arises from back of head; wings, when present, usually number four; front wings with uniform structure, either membranous or slightly thickened; wings at rest usually held roof-like over body; male scale insects with only 1 pair of wings; ocelli present or absent; compound eyes usually well developed. 
Order Homoptera 
Mouth parts for chewing.  Beak absent.
Barklice or Psocids
     Small or minute insects with long filiform antennae, delicate membranous wings (though many are wingless), head with Y-shaped epicranial suture, enlarged post-clypeus (sclerite on the face); maxilla with a rod-like lacinia (inner lobe) partly sunk into head capsule; labial palps much reduced; cerci absent. Order Psocoptera

Front wings not longer or only very slightly longer than hind legs.
Same or less area as the hind legs
CONTINUED FROM ABOVE
Head Prolonged ventrally to form beak like structure
Scorpionflies  
     Check the nose on this dude!  These are carnivorous insects with elongated filiform antennae, head usually a downward directed rostrum, with biting mouthparts; legs long, slender; wings similar, membranous, carried longitudinally and horizontally in repose; abdomen elongated with short cerci; male genitalia prominent (recalling a scorpion's stinger); larva eruciform (caterpillar-like) with biting mouthparts, sometimes with abdominal feet as well as 3 pairs of thoracic legs; pupae exarate (appendages free). Order Mecoptera
Head not prolonged ventrally.  Continue below.

Head not prolonged ventrally
Antenna very short and bristle-like.  Large eyes.
Dragonflies
Colorful dragonflies are an eye-catching sight as they dart and swoop in search of prey.  They are among the swiftest and most acrobatic of all insects.  They are usually found near streams, ponds and lakes.  There are over 5,000 species in the order, that also includes skimmers, biddys and damselflies.  All have two large pair of wings and a long thin body.  For more information, see: Order Odonata 

Antenna not short and bristle-like.  Small to medium eyes - Continue below.

Antenna not short and bristle-like.  Small to medium eyes
Hind wings broader than front wings.  Cerci present
Stoneflies
     These are soft-bodied insects.  Some have large-bristle-like antennae.    Stonefly nymphs live in streams, where they feed mostly on plants, although some do hunt other insects.  they can take in oxygen through their body surface, but they also have gills, usually behind the first two pair of legs, which help them breath in water.  Adult stoneflies are poor fliers and spend much of the day resting on stones with their wings folded flat on their bodies.
     For more information, see  Order Plecoptera

 
Hind wings little if any broader than front wings.  Cerci present.  Continue below.

Hind wings little if any broader than front wings
Moth-like.  Wings hairy and opaque.  Antennae as long as body or longer
Caddisflies
     These little guys are a half inch to an inch long. They look similar to moths, but their body and wings are covered with hairs, rather than scales.  They also have short lapping mouthparts, instead of a curved proboscis. For more information, see Order Trichoptera
Not moth-like.  Wings not hairy, usually clear. Antennae generally shorter than body.  
Continue below.

Not moth-like.  Wings not hairy, usually clear. 
Antennae generally shorter than body
Wings with very few cross veins; tarsi 4-segmented
Termites
Social insects polymorphic in form (i.e., live in large communities consisting of reproductive forms, wingless sterile soldiers, and young stages, or workers); biting mouthparts; wings alike, elongated, membranous, capable of being shed by basal fractures; anterior wing veins strongly sclerotized; fine network between other veins; cerci short; genitalia rudimentary in both sexes; show affinities with cockroaches. Order Isoptera
Wings with numerous cross veins.  Tarsi 5-segmented.  Continue below.

Wings with numerous cross veins.  Tarsi 5-segmented.
Lacewing
     The lacewings have two pair of membranous wings, usually held in a roof-like position over the body.  wings have many veins, which is what gives them their name.  They have long antenna and no tail filaments.  Found in grassland, gardens and other open areas.  Brown lacewings live in forest.  For more information, see  Order Neuroptera