The mesothorax is the middle of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the second pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the mesonotum (dorsal), the mesosternum (ventral), and the mesopleuron (lateral) on each side. The mesothorax is the segment that bears the forewings in all winged insects, though sometimes these may be reduced or modified, as in beetles (Coleoptera) or Dermaptera, in which they are sclerotized to form the elytra ("wing covers"), and the Strepsiptera, in which they are reduced to form halteres. All adult insects possess legs on the mesothorax. In some groups of insects, the mesonotum is hypertrophied, such as in Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera), in which the anterior portion of the mesonotum (called the mesoscutum, or simply "scutum") forms most of the dorsal surface of the thorax. In these orders, there is also typically a small sclerite attached to the mesonotum that covers the wing base, called the tegula. In one group of insects, the Hemiptera, the dorsal surface of the thorax is typically formed primarily of the prothorax, but also in part by the enlarged posterior portion of the mesonotum, called the scutellum; in the Coleoptera, the scutellum may or may not be visible, usually as a small triangular plate between the elytral bases, thus similar in position to the Hemipteran scutellum. In Diptera and Hymenoptera the mesothoracic scutellum is also distinct, but much smaller than the mesoscutum. Diagram of a tsetse fly, showing the head, thorax and abdomen The thorax is a division of an animals body that lies between the head and the abdomen. ... Classes & Orders See taxonomy Insects are invertebrate animals of the Class Insecta, the largest and (on land) most widely-distributed taxon within the phylum Arthropoda. ... Sclerites are hardened body parts. ... The word dorsal can refer to many different things. ... In zootomy, several terms are used to describe the location of organs and other structures in the body of bilateral animals. ... The term lateral can refer to: an anatomical definition of direction. ... Suborders Adephaga Archostemata Myxophaga Polyphaga See subgroups of the order Coleoptera Beetles are one of the most diverse groups of insects. ... For other uses, see Beetle (disambiguation). ... Families Suborder Archidermaptera    extinct Suborder Forficulina    Pygidicranidae    Diplatyidae    Anisolabididae    Labiduridae    Apachyidae    Spongiphoridae    Chelisochidae    Forficulidae Suborder Hemimerina    Hemimeridae Suborder Arixenina    Arixeniidae The earwigs are an order (Dermaptera) of insects characterized by large membraneous wings folded underneath short leathery forewings (thus the literal name of the order - skin wings). The abdomen extends... Elytra (sing: elytron) are modified, hardened forewings of certain insect orders, notably beetles (Coleoptera) and true bugs (Hemiptera). ... Families Mengenillidae Mengeidae Stylopidae Bohartillidae Corioxenidae Halictophagidae Callipharixenidae Elenchidae Myrmecolacidae Species in the nine families of this small (~600 species) order of insects are parasites in other insects; their hosts include bees, wasps, leafhoppers, silverfish, and cockroaches. ... Halteres, (singular halter or haltere) from the Greek word for dumbbells, are small knobbed structures homologous to wings and flapped to maintain stability when flying. ... Suborders Nematocera(Eudiptera) Brachycera Green Bottle Fly Flesh Fly Fannia a Lesser House Fly (unidentified species) Dolichopodidae (unidentified species) Diptera (di - two, ptera – wings), or true flies, is the order of insects in which the hind wings are reduced to halteres. ... Suborders Apocrita Symphyta Many families, see article Hymenoptera is one of the larger orders of Insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. ... Super Families Butterflies Hesperioidea Papilionoidea Moths Micropterigoidea Heterobathmioidea Eriocranioidea Acanthopteroctetoidea Lophocoronoidea Neopseustoidea Mnesarchaeoidea Hepialoidea Nepticuloidea Incurvarioidea Palaephatoidea Tischeriodea Simaethistoidea Tineoidea Gracillarioidea Yponomeutoidea Gelechioidea Zygaenoidea Sesioidea Cossoidea Tortricoidea Choreutoida Urodoidea Galacticoidea Schreckensteinioidea Epermenioidea Pterophoroidea Aluctoidea Immoidea Axioidea Hyblaeoidea Thyridoidea Whalleyanoidea Pyraloidea Mimallonoidea Lasiocampoidea Geometroidea Drepanoidea Bombycoidea Calliduloidae Hedyloidea Noctuoidea Families About... A scute (Latin scutum, shield) is a horny, chitinous, or bony external plate or scale, as on the shell of a turtle or the underside of a snake. ... TEGULA: the Latin term for the convex covering tile of a roof, as distinguished from the imbrex, the concave tile. ... Suborders Heteroptera Homoptera Hemiptera is an order of insects, comprising some 67,500 known species in two suborders, Heteroptera and Homoptera. ... For other uses, see Beetle (disambiguation). ... Suborders Heteroptera Homoptera Hemiptera is an order of insects, comprising some 67,500 known species in two suborders, Heteroptera and Homoptera. ... Suborders Nematocera(Eudiptera) Brachycera Green Bottle Fly Flesh Fly Fannia a Lesser House Fly (unidentified species) Dolichopodidae (unidentified species) Diptera (di - two, ptera – wings), or true flies, is the order of insects in which the hind wings are reduced to halteres. ... Suborders Apocrita Symphyta Many families, see article Hymenoptera is one of the larger orders of Insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. ...