The hind wings of all known families and most subfamilies of Coleoptera are illustrated, annotated and discussed utilising the terminology of Kukalová-Peck and Lawrence (), with a few changes in nomenclature suggested by the senior author. The beetle families are discussed in 21 groups, based on recent classifications of Coleoptera. For each of these groups, the most recent works on phylogeny and classification are reviewed, and the wing characters are discussed to determine if some of the wing features might support or refute relationships based on recent molecular and morphological analyses. Part 1 includes a general discussion of wing structure divided into the following sections: hind wing fields, veinal systems (including the history of wing nomenclature), wing folding, wing edge and embayments, hinges and bending zones, cross-veins and braces, cells and other landmarks. It is followed by discussion of the first 14 groups (Archostemata to Elateroidea), 15 figures supporting general discussions, and 426 labelled wing images of the discussed groups, representing 380 genera.