: In insects, having 4 usable wings provides increased dexterity and speed in
: the air (as with the Dragonfly,) but it also increases the metabolic rate
: of the insect, which has to beat that extra pair of wings. So, while many
: insects do not use multiple flying wings, those that need to (insects
: which feed on other flying insects, or require extra maneuverability for
: whatever reason) do have the extra functional pair.
Well for the wasps in Marathon, as a creature of their size it is almost certain that they'd need 2 pairs of wings to hover successfully. I'd guess they'd be about the mass of a cat or small dog, especially with all that crap they spit at you. :P
What is really bizzare, is the ticks on Lh'owon. They had four wing-like stubs, (kinda shaped like the vestigal wings on craneflies). Hard to guess, especially they aren't in anyway arthropodal in nature. How they can fly is beyond me. Maybe they are just full of hot air. heh.
