In the early days, we had few origami insects with six legs because it seemed very difficult to fold projections for legs, wings and so on.
The difficulty of folding projections was solved by the technique called the designing origami, where we design on paper before folding. When we design before folding, we can control the places and the length of projections. So, insect models with six legs and even with antennae started to increase.
Diagram:Origami Tanteidan Shinbun 20,21
A sheet of square
The models of insects created with the designing origami tend to be unoriginal. Creators came to want their models to be different from others. They tried to analyze every feature of insects, and to realize them in their models. They compared their confident models with others at their monthly meetings, and losers left with chagrin. One day, one of them went public an incredible secret weapon, the Kabutomushi (beetle with horns) with its wings spreading. Then the origami insect war got full-scale. Since then, It has been said that every model of insect must have wings.
Models below are the fruits of creators' hardship. Please appreciate them carefully.