Netwinged insects are named for large, delicate, transparent wings with branching patterns of veins. When resting, they make a tent shape with their wings, protecting their long, soft body underneath. A horizontal line divides each of their big, round eyes into upper and lower sections. Netwings tend to have long antennae, sometimes club-shaped on the end. Their petite, but powerful jaws are used to feed on small animals such as aphids or ants. The body plan of a larval netwing is radically different from its parents. Larvae have flattened heads with large jaws that may be long and spiny. Their jaws include tubes, allowing them to suck the contents of prey out after they have stabbed it. Some larval netwings are called "antlions" because they dig sand traps to capture and eat unsuspecting ants. Thanks to their predatory abilities, netwings are used in agriculture to control other insect pests that damage crops.

Insects are the only animals without backbones (invertebrates) that can fly. Wings of insects are flat and paper-thin, supported by a network of veins. They flap their wings at incredible rates, up to about two hundred times per second. Most insects have two sets of wings that work in tandem because they are coupled by a fold, a hook, or other structure that catches the back wing as the front wing beats. Wings are made of two layers of cuticle for strength. The front wing is often hardened to serve as a protective cover, leaving the back wing to provide most of the flying power. Many insects walk around instead of, or in addition to, flying. The good walkers tend to touch three legs to the ground at a time, alternating with other sets of three (tripedal gait). The stable triangles formed by the legs allows them to move quickly without falling over. Some insects "walk" on water or swim.