rhizophagy

From rhizo- (“root”) + -phagy (“to feed on”).

The possibility of rhizophagous behavior has been associated with analysis of earthworm gizzard or gut contents for ingested root fragments. Proving active rhizophagy with this method is difficult.... (1999-P. Lavelle, Earthworm Management in Tropical Agroecosystems, CABI, P. 116)


dealate

de-alate (alternative)
dëalate (alternative)

(entomology) Having lost or shed its wings, usually in the normal course of its life cycle.


dealate

dealates (plural)
de-alate (alternative)
dëalate (alternative)

(entomology) A creature that has lost or shed its wings.


dëalate

en-adj

dëalate (comparative more dëalate, superlative most dëalate)

more dëalate (comparative)
most dëalate (superlative)

(entomology) Alternative spelling of dealate


dealated

de-alated (alternative)
dëalated (alternative)

(entomology) Having shed or lost its wings, usually in the normal course of its life cycle.


mesofurca

(entomology) The internal skeletal element of the mesosternum.


mesosternum

(entomology) The ventral piece of the middle segment of the thorax.


cascader

(entomology) Any of various species of dragonfly of the genus Zygonyx, family Libellulidae, which commonly inhabit watercourses with waterfalls.


funicle

From Latin fūniculus (“cord”), diminutive from fūnis (“cord”) + -culus.

(entomology) Intermediate segments of the antenna of chalcid wasps adjoining the pedicel basally and the clava distally.


malaxation

en-noun

malaxation (countable and uncountable, plural malaxations)

(entomology) A kneading or softening, especially the chewing and squeezing by which certain species of hunting wasps prepare captured prey as food for their larvae.


puparium

A New Latin coinage from pūpa (“pupa”, originally “little girl; doll”) + -ārium (“place”), equivalent to English pupa + -arium.

suf

(entomology) An enclosing case of a pupa that is formed from the exoskeleton of an insect's final stage before pupation.


claviger

From Latin claviger, from clava (“club”) + gerere (“to carry”).

Standing body hairs are relatively less numerous and longer in claviger.

1968, Merle Wesley Wing, Taxonomic Revision of the Nearctic Genus Acanthomyops, page 81:

The workers of flavus group species are sometimes confused with claviger group workers, but can be distinguished by relatively dense pubescence all over the body, which creates a dull overall appearances.

2007, Brian L. Fisher, Stefan P. Cover, Ants of North America: A Guide to the Genera, page 104:

All of the species of the claviger group are believed to be temporary social parasits of other Lasius species, but the actual hosts are not all known.

2012, Aaron M. Ellison, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Elizabeth J. Farnsworth, A Field Guide to the Ants of New England, page 179:

(entomology) A group within genus Lasius (formerly considered a subgenera Acanthomyops) of bright yellow to orange species of ant that have 3 maxillary palps and give off a distinctive citronella odor when disturbed. The group name comes from their club-shaped palps.

Over much of its range claviger lays eggs without a blood meal, whereas forms requiring blood for egg laying have been observed on the Black Sea coast.

1949, Agriculture Handbook - Issue 152, page 117:

Claviger is Palearctic in distribution, extending from the British Isles to the Pamir Mountains of Turkestan and the Ob River of western Siberia.

1957, Mosquito Reprints: Matheson Collection - Volume 1, page 335:

The usual breeding places of claviger are springs and wells.

1984, A. R. Zahar, Vector Bionomics in the Epidemiology and Control of Malaria, page 98:

(entomology) A species of mosquito, Anopheles claviger.


gonopod

...a pair of primitively two-segmented arms, the gonopods (claspers, forcipate claspers, anterior gonapophyses, pregonites, harpagones, parameres) arising posterolaterally on sternite 9...

1981, Manual of Nearctic Diptera, volume 1, →ISBN, page 45:

(entomology) A clasping structure, possibly also evolved from legs, at the tip of the abdomen of some male insects.


coleopterology

suffix

translingual <i class="Latn mention" lang="mul">Coleoptera</i>

(entomology) The scientific study of beetles.


cubitus

Borrowed from Latin cubitus. Doublet of cubit.

(entomology) One of the major veins of the insect wing, between the media and the postcubitus; the vein running along the dorsal edge of the discal cell.


calyptra

en-noun

calyptra (plural calyptras or calyptrae)

From Ancient Greek καλύπτρα (kalúptra, “covering or veiling”).

der

(entomology) In flies such as the housefly, Musca, in the taxonomic order Diptera, zoological section Schizophora, subsection Calyptrata, the calyptra is a membranous rearward extension of the forewing; it covers the haltere.


lamellicorn

From French lamellicorne, from Latin lamella (“a thin plate”) + cornu (“a horn”).

(entomology, of antennae) Having a group of flat lamellae on the end.

(entomology, of beetles) Having such antennae.


metasomatic

(entomology) Of or pertaining to the metasoma.


luna moth

(entomology) A large, green American moth, Actias luna, that has crescent-shaped marks on its wings.


nymphine

(entomology, rare, obsolete) Pertaining to a nymph or nymphs.


tritocerebral

(entomology) Of or pertaining to the tritocerebrum.


subcostal

(entomology) Pertaining to the subcosta and/or the area of the wing next to it.


scarabaeid

From Ancient Greek κάραβος (kárabos, “horned beetle”), via Latin scarabaeus.

uder

(zoology, entomology) Any beetle of the family Scarabaeidae (which includes stag- and dung-beetles).


scarabaeoid

(obsolete, entomology) Of or pertaining to beetles in the family Scarabaeidae.

(entomology) Of or pertaining to beetles in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea.


coarctate

en-adj

coarctate (comparative more coarctate, superlative most coarctate)

more coarctate (comparative)
most coarctate (superlative)

Borrowed from Latin coarctātus, perfect participle of coarctō (“to press together, compress, contract, confine”), from co- (“being or bringing together, co-”) + arctō (“to draw or press close together”).

af

(entomology) (of the pupa of certain flies) Enclosed in a rigid case formed by the larval cuticle or puparium.


cubital

(entomology) Of or pertaining to the cubitus and/or the areas of the wing next to it.


cubital

Second cubital cell irregularly quadrangular, trapezoid, placed in a direct line with the first and third cubitals

1865, The record of zoological literature:


episternum

en-noun

episternum (plural episternums or episterna)

(entomology) The anterior part of the pleuron of an insect.


prothorax

prothorax (plural prothoraxes or prothoraces)

prothoraxes (plural)
prothoraces (plural)

Holonym: thorax

Comeronyms: mesothorax, metathorax

(entomology) The anterior segment of the insect thorax; it carries the first pair of legs.


pupiparous

(entomology) Producing young that are ready to pupate.


sailyard

From Middle English saylyerde, sailyerd, seilȝerd, from Old English seġlġyrd, seġelġyrd (“sailyard”), from Proto-West Germanic *seglagaʀdī and *seglagaʀd (“sailyard, mast”, literally “sail-rod, sail-staff”), equivalent to sail + yard (“staff, rod, stick”). Cognate with German Segelgerte.

(entomology, obsolete) An antenna of an insect.


conterminal

From Latin conterminus, from con- (“with”) + terminus (“border, end”) + -al.

The latter consists of closely attached conterminal joints.

1866, William Edward Shuckard, British Bees: An Introduction to the Study of the Natural History and Economy of the Bees Indigenous to the British Isles, page 28:


jugulum

Borrowing from New Latin jugulum (“the collarbone; the hollow part of the neck above the collarbone; the throat”), diminutive of jugum (“a yoke, collar”).

bor

(entomology) The jugum of an insect's wing.


quaker

(entomology) Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the genus Pithecops.


tegmen

From New Latin, from Latin tegmen, syncopated form of tegimen.

(entomology) In insects such as winged cockroaches and locusts, the stiff, membranous fore wings; in many species they are not primarily used for flight, but serve as protective covering for the delicate hind wings, which are the main organs of flight. The more heavily armoured fore-wings of most beetles are called elytra, not tegmina.


mirid

Mirids continued to be underappreciated as predators even after several species had been used successfully in classical biological control in the 1920s and 1930s.

2000, A. G. Wheeler, Jr., “Chapter 28: Predacious Plant Bugs (Miridae)”, in Carl W. Schaefer, Antonio Ricardo Panizzi, editors, Heteroptera of Economic Importance, page 657:

Interestingly, the reproductive consequences of hornworm and mirid attack are very different for the plant. While the plant metabolically responds very similarly to hornworm and mirid attack and gains resistance to hornworms, attack by mirids (in contrast to attack by hornworms) does not reduce the reproductive success of the plant, although the damage from these piercing-sucking insects can be substantial.

2006, Marcel Dicke, Willem Takken, Chemical Ecology: From Gene to Ecosystem, page 29:

Green mirids may be present at any crop stage from seedlings to podding. Mirid populations are typically low during the vegetative phase, but can increase rapidly after budding as a result of in-crop breeding.

2007, H. Brier, “7: Pulses—Summer (including Peanuts)”, in P. T. Bailey, editor, Pests of Field Crops and Pastures: Identification and Control, page 186:

(entomology) Any insect of the family Miridae, a plant bug.


mesothorax

en-noun

mesothorax (plural mesothoraxes or mesothoraces)

mesothoraxes (plural)
mesothoraces (plural)

Holonym: thorax

Comeronyms: prothorax, metathorax

(entomology) The middle of the three segments of the thorax of an insect, carrying the second pair of legs, and the forewings when present.

středohruď

the middle of the three segments of the thorax of an insect


anemochory

From anemo- (“wind”) + -chory (“seed dispersal”).

confix

(entomology) The dispersal of young (mites, spiders, etc.) by wind.


anteclypeus

(entomology) The lower part of a divided clypeus, between the postclypeus and the labrum


terebrant

/ˈtɛɹəbɹənt/

/ˈtɛɹəbɹənt/

The adjective is a learned borrowing from Latin terebrantem, the accusative masculine or feminine singular of terebrāns, the present active participle of terebrō (“to bore through, perforate, pierce”), from terebra (“instrument for boring, borer, gimlet”) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs). Terebra is derived from ter(ō) (“to rub; to wear away”) (from Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- (“to drill, pierce; to rub; to turn”)) + -bra (suffix denoting an instrument, forming nouns).
The noun is either derived from the adjective, or is a back-formation of Terebrantia (“suborder of thrips”).

back-formation

The other terebrant hymenoptera feed in the same state either on larvæ, caterpillars particularly, of which they gnaw the interior, without attacking the essential principle of life at first, or on nymphs or eggs of insects, bodies in which they have been deposited under this last form by the mother.

1832, Edward Griffith, Edward Pidgeon, “Supplement on the Hymenoptera”, in Baron Cuvier [i.e., Georges Cuvier], translated by [Edward Griffith], The Animal Kingdom Arranged in Conformity with Its Organization […], volume 15 (The Class Insecta, volume 2), London: […] [Gilbert & Rivington] for Whittaker, Treacher, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 395:

(entomology) Of an insect: that bores (“makes holes”); specifically, belonging to the Terebrantia suborder of thrips which bore using their ovipositors.

poraava

of an insect: that bores; specifically, belonging to the Terebrantia suborder of thrips which bore using their ovipositors


terebrant

/ˈtɛɹəbɹənt/

/ˈtɛɹəbɹənt/

(entomology) An insect that bores (“makes holes”); a borer; specifically, one belonging to the Terebrantia suborder of thrips which bore using their ovipositors.

pistinripsiäinen

insect belonging to the Terebrantia suborder of thrips which bore using their ovipositors


anautogeny

(entomology) The condition, found in many insects, where a gravid female has to feed before oviposition (egg laying), in order for the eggs to mature. This is particularly important in insects that are considered vectors (e.g. mosquitos), as without the necessary feeding, no eggs will be produced.

anautogenia

condition where a gravid insect has to feed before oviposition


holocyclic

en-adj

holocyclic (comparative more holocyclic, superlative most holocyclic)

more holocyclic (comparative)
most holocyclic (superlative)

(entomology) pertaining to an insect that undergoes sexual reproduction during at least part of its life cycle.


micropterous

micropterous (comparative more micropterous, superlative most micropterous)

more micropterous (comparative)
most micropterous (superlative)
micropteran (alternative)

(entomology) Having small, sometimes merely vestigial, wings.


tetrapterous

(entomology) Having four (two pairs of) wings.


whitetip

Any of various animals having a white tip or tips on the body.

(entomology) Any of various species of damselfly of the genus Episynlestes, endemic to Australia.


harpagone

(entomology, usually in the plural) The clasping organ of male genitalia, one of the gonopods


consute

(entomology) Marked as if with stitches, like the wing-covers of some beetles.


cerambycid

The branch was obviously infested and showed a few emergence holes indicative of both buprestids and cerambycids, and when I broke into it I found two unemerged adult Agrilus (different species), which caused me to cut and bundle the branch to being back for rearing.

2022 May 14, Ted C. MacRae, Cupressaceae:

(coleopterology, entomology) Any member of the family Cerambycidae of longhorn beetles.


coleopterologist

A person who studies or practices coleopterology (the study of beetles).


angustate

angustate (comparative more angustate, superlative most angustate)

more angustate (comparative)
most angustate (superlative)

From Latin angustatus (“narrowed”), past participle of angustare (“to make narrow”).


pulvillus

From Latin pulvillus (“a little cushion”).

(entomology) One of the tiny cushions or pads on the feet of certain insects.


discrimen

en-noun

discrimen (plural discrimina or discrimens)

Except for the coxal socket, the most constant landmarks of the subcoxal region are the midventral discrimen, resulting from the meeting of opposite subcoxae whose contiguous margins have been infolded posteriorly to form the sternal apophyses, and the pleural suture extending from the dorsal articulation of the coxa to the pleural wing process.

1944, Charles Duncan Michener, Comparative external morphology, phylogeny, and a classification of the bees (Hymenoptera), page 173:

Mid-ventrally the sternopleurites unite in a suture, the discrimen, whose inflection forms the very high transparent lamella of the discrimen.

1960, Fred A. Urquhart, The monarch butterfly, page 227:

In a number of forms the discrimen appears to bifurcate at its anterior end, as well seen in Odontosphex.

1998, Michael Andrew Prentice, The Comparative Morphology and Phylogeny of Apoid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), page 420:

The eusternum may be reduced to form a tiny furcasternum (= to the portion sometimes called the sternellum) or an internal cryptosternum indicated externally by a single median, longitudinal line called the discrimen.

2005, David Grimaldi, Michael S. Engel, Evolution of the Insects, →ISBN, page 121:

(entomology) A visible dividing line where two structures come together.


jugum

/ˈd͡ʒuː.ɡəm/

Borrowing from Latin jugum (“a yoke, collar; a pair of anything; the summit, ridge”). Doublet of yoke and yuga.

bor

(entomology) A lobe on the forewing of some moths which interlocks with the hindwing in flight.


maplet

(entomology) Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Chersonesia, having map-like marking on the wings.


food plant

food plants (plural)
food-plant (alternative)
foodplant (alternative)

I would have eggs or larvae rushed to me here by plane from all over North America, with their foodplants [...].

1969, Vladimir Nabokov, Ada or Ardor, Penguin, published 2011, page 44:

(chiefly entomology) A plant which is a source of food for a given species.


cabbage white

The name refers to the fact that many butterflies of this genus favor cabbages (among other plants) as host plants for their eggs.

Pieris brassicae
Pieris brassicae#Translingual

(entomology) Any of various largely white butterflies with dark markings in the family Pieridae, especially the species Pieris brassicae, Pieris canidia, and Pieris rapae.


neotenin

Moreover, as we shall see, evidence has accumulated to show that this hormone brings about suppression of adult characters by favouring the differentiation of larval characters. It has therefore been called fore preference the 'juvenile hormone'. If a Greek term is preferred it might be called 'neotenin'.

1954, F. W. Wrigglesworth, The Physiology of Insect Metamorphosis:

Neotenin, also known as the juvenile hormone, is secreted by the corpora allata.

1974, Dennis William Wood, Principles of Animal Physiology, page 318:

“Bound” neotenin should be readily “given up” to “acceptor” molecules, but the authors found evidence that it was to a considerable degree protected from attack by neotenin-specific esterases in the haemolymph; it was surmised that such proteins might play an important part in regulating the action of the hormone.

2013, R. A. Crowson, The Biology of the Coleoptera, page 201:

(entomology) A juvenile hormone, present in insects, which ensures growth of the larva while preventing metamorphosis.


submental

(entomology, relational) Under the mentum; pertaining to the submentum.


insectology

From French insectologie; equivalent to insect + -ology. Compare Latin īnsectum and īnsecta.


siphonapterology

/ˌsaɪfənæptəˈɹɑləd͡ʒi/

/ˌsaɪfənæptəˈɹɒləd͡ʒi/

His collections, writings and enthusiasm gave a decided impetus to twentieth-century siphonapterology and the world flea fauna is currently being covered in a superb monographic series of volumes based on his material.

1984, J. S. Fairley, An Irish Beast Book: A Natural History of Ireland's Furred Wildlife:

The scientific study of fleas and other insects of the order Siphonaptera.


piceous

en-adj

piceous (comparative more piceous, superlative most piceous)

more piceous (comparative)
most piceous (superlative)

From Latin piceus (“like pitch; pitch-black”) + -ous (suffix forming adjectives denoting possession or presence of a quality). Piceus is derived from pix (“pitch, tar”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peyH- (“fat; milk”)) + -eus (suffix forming adjectives indicating the sources of attributes). The English word is cognate with Italian piceo (“like pitch; of a dark brown colour”), Spanish piceo (“like pitch; of a dark brown colour”).

cog

piceous:

Piciroſtris. Oblong, black: ſilvery-ſilky: ſnout half way and legs piceous.

1806, Charles Linné [i.e., Carl Linnaeus], William Turton, A General System of Nature, through the Three Grand Kingdoms of Animals, Vegetables, and Minerals, […] In Seven Volumes, volume II (Animal Kingdom), part I (Insects), London: Printed [by Dewick & Clarke] for Lackington, Allen, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 215:

The colour of the upper part is a mixture of yellowish-white and piceous disposed in dots, exactly resembling mosaic work, [...]

1828 June 17, Thomas Bell, “VII. Description of a New Species of Agama, Brought from the Columbia River by Mr. [David] Douglass.”, in The Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, volume XVI, London: Printed by Richard Taylor, […]; and by Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, […]; and William Wood, […], published 1833, →OCLC, pages 105–106:

Abdomen with shining cinereous tomentum, and with five lines of piceous spots; [...] Tibiæ piceous towards the tips; tarsi piceous.

1868 February 6, Andrew Murray, “On an Undescribed Light-giving Coleopterous Larva (Provisionally Named Astraptor illuminator)”, in The Journal of the Linnean Society. Zoology, volume X, London: Sold at the [Linnean] Society [of London]’s apartments, […]; and by Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer, and Williams and Norgate, published 1870, →OCLC, paragraph 16, page 90:

Front and middle legs yellow, coxae black behind, femora piceous posteriorly; [...]

1940 September, R. A. Cushman, A Review of the Parasitic Wasps of the Ichneumonid Genus Exenterus Hartig (United States Department of Agriculture Miscellaneous Publication; no. 354), Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, →OCLC, page 12:

Agabus elongatus [...] Legs rufous; metafemur piceous.

1995, Anders N. Nilsson, Mogens Holmen, “Subfamily Colymbetinae”, in N. P. Kristensen, editor, The Aquatic Adephagia (Coleoptera) of Fennoscandia and Denmark. II. Dytiscidae (Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica), volume 32, Leiden, New York, N.Y.: E[vert] J[an] Leiden, →ISBN, →ISSN, paragraph 95, page 110:

From the year of its establishment, darkness seemed to have found a home in Beet College. Dark pink for the brick buildings, dark green for the doorjambs and the benches, dark iron for the hinges, dark stone for Nathaniel's Tomb; darkness in the piceous roots of trees that broke through the earth like bones through skin.

2008, Roger Rosenblatt, chapter 1, in Beet: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Ecco Press, →ISBN:

Gyrophaenia uteana Casey [...] [H]ead piceous, pronotum dark rufo-testaceous to piceous; elytra reddish-brown with sutural region and posterior angles piceous, abdomen yellowish- or reddish-brown, apical portion often darker, piceous; [...]

2018, Jan Klimaszewski et al., “Tribe Homalotini Heer, 1839”, in Aleocharine Rove Beetles of Eastern Canada (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae): A Glimpse of Megadiversity, Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature, →DOI, →ISBN, paragraph 162, page 378:

(chiefly entomology) Resembling pitch in colour; a very dark brown.


epicranial

From epi- + cranial, or epicranium + -al.

(entomology) Of or relating to the epicranium of an insect's head.


libellulid

(entomology) A dragonfly of the Libellulidae family.


parnassian

(entomology) A papilionid butterfly of the holarctic alpine genus Parnassius or the subfamily Parnassiinae; an apollo butterfly.


parnassian

(entomology) Of, relating to, or designating papilionid butterflies of the genus Parnassius or the subfamily Parnassiinae, consisting of the apollo butterflies.


rostelliform

en-adj

rostelliform (comparative more rostelliform, superlative most rostelliform)

more rostelliform (comparative)
most rostelliform (superlative)

(entomology) Having the form of a rostellum, or small beak.


tingid

(entomology) Of or pertaining to the family Tingidae, the lace bugs.


tingid

(entomology) Any of the family Tingidae, the lace bugs.


infumated

infumated (comparative more infumated, superlative most infumated)

more infumated (comparative)
most infumated (superlative)

(entomology) Having a cloudy appearance.


trapezate

trapezate (comparative more trapezate, superlative most trapezate)

more trapezate (comparative)
most trapezate (superlative)

(archaic, entomology) Having the shape of a trapezium; trapeziform.


necrophagan

(entomology, obsolete) Any of the former tribe Necrophaga of beetles that feed on carrion.


dermopteran

Earwigs are dermopterans.

w:Webster's Dictionary#Webster's New International Dictionary 1909

(entomology, obsolete) Any insect which has the anterior pair of wings coriaceous, and does not use them in flight.

(entomology) Misspelling of dermapteran.


terminalia

The terminalia consist of the terminal complex of modified genital and anal segments, plus any adjacent segments that show modifications for copulation and oviposition.

1981, Manual of Nearctic Diptera, volume 1, →ISBN, page 37:

Part of the documentation includes the first detailed illustrations and descriptions of structures of the male terminalia.

2005, “Revision of New World Species of Shore Fly Genus Discomyza Meigen (Diptera: Ephydridae)”, in Annals of the Entomological Society of America^(http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/0013-8746(2005)098%5B0431:RONWSO%5D2.0.CO;2), volume 98, number 4, page 431:

(entomology) The hindmost segments of the abdomen of an insect, modified for reproduction.


antennate

en-verb

antennate (third-person singular simple present antennates, present participle antennating, simple past and past participle antennated)

antennates (present singular third-person)
antennating (participle present)
antennated (participle past)
antennated (past)

From antenna + -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Workers attempt to avoid the queen, but if antennated try to escape or exhibit a submissive crouching posture, while the queen starts to bite and pull their legs and antennae.

2005, Peter J.B. Slater, Jay S. Rosenblatt, Charles T. Snowdon, Advances in the Study of Behavior, →ISBN, page 10:

(entomology, of an insect) To bring one's antennae into contact with another insect.


clypeate

en-adj

clypeate (comparative more clypeate, superlative most clypeate)

more clypeate (comparative)
most clypeate (superlative)

From Latin clupeatus, past participle of clupeare (“to arm with a shield”), from clupeus, clipeus (“shield”).

(entomology) Furnished with a protective plate, shield or shell.


lilacine

lilacine (comparative more lilacine, superlative most lilacine)

more lilacine (comparative)
most lilacine (superlative)


redtail

(entomology) A species of damselfly, Ceriagrion aeruginosum, of Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia, having a bright red abdomen.


fuscation

From Latin fuscare, fuscatum (“to make dark”), from fuscus (“dark”).

It is true other species have some fuscation but with them it is slight, not noticeable casually, and has usually been omitted in descriptions.

1911, A. A. Girault, “Hymenoptera”, in Transactions of the American Entomological Society, volume 37, page 51:

The same as victoria but the scape is also dark red, including also the long pedicel and the first two funicle joints (and a part of the third); the abdoment is reddish only along the median line of the venter; the fore wings bear the same general pattern ( as regards fuscation ) but they are more irregularly fumated, the two fumated areas less distinctly separated, especially caudad.

1915, Ronald Hamlyn-Harris, Memoirs of the Queensland Museum - Volume 4, page 333:

Air-tube index 6.5 to 7.0, without any fuscation near the center;

1954, Richard H. Foote., The Larvae and Pupae of the Mosquitoes Belonging to the Culex Subgenera Melanoconion and Moschlostyrax, page 60::

(entomology) A darkening; obscurity; obfuscation.


pyralid

/pʌɪˈɹeɪlɪd/

(entomology) A moth of the family Pyralidae.


pyralid

pyralid (comparative more pyralid, superlative most pyralid)

more pyralid (comparative)
most pyralid (superlative)

/pʌɪˈɹeɪlɪd/

They are often tiny, frequently brown and always challenging to identify but an average of one new species of pyralid moth each year is turning up in Britain, according to experts.

2018 June 14, Patrick Barkham, The Guardian:

(entomology) Pertaining to the Pyralidae family of moths.


palpiform

palpiform (comparative more palpiform, superlative most palpiform)

more palpiform (comparative)
most palpiform (superlative)

From palpus + -iform. Compare French palpiforme.

palpiform appendages

palpiform joint

palpiform proboscis

(archaic, entomology) Having the form of a palpus.


palpigerous

in their eyes usually on a moveable footstalk ; their palpigerous mandibles ; and their four antennæ

1818, William Kirby, William Spence, An Introduction To Entomology: Or, Elements Of The Natural History Of Insects:


endothorax

The endothorax in the mesothelium does not have a small thorn, with an irregular pectinate tooth in the second to seventh segments of the posterior edge of the abdomen

2018, Ying-Kun Huang, Wen-Feng Li, Rong-Yue Zhang, Color Illustration of Diagnosis and Control for Modern Sugarcane Diseases, Pests, and Weeds:

(entomology) An internal processes of the thorax.


tegular

tegular (comparative more tegular, superlative most tegular)

more tegular (comparative)
most tegular (superlative)

From Latin tēgulāris, from tēgula (“a tile”). See tile.


metasternum

(entomology) The ventral sclerite (or exoskeletal plate) of the metathorax of insects.


biocellate

From Latin bis (“twice”) + ocellatus. See ocellated.

a biocellate wing/insect

(entomology) Having two ocelli, or eye-like spots.


postabdomen

en-noun

postabdomen (plural postabdomens or postabdomina)

postabdomens (plural)
postabdomina (plural)

The postabdomens of both sexes of Cinderella lampra Steyskal and of the unique female of C. aczeli, n. sp. (Mendoza, Argentina) are described.

1969, George C. Steyskal, “The Postabdomen of Cinderella, with a New Species from Argentina (Diptera: Heleomyzidae)”, in Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, volume 42, number 1, →JSTOR, pages 80–83:

No special preparation in glycerine of male and female postabdomina were made because the features of diagnostic importance are well visible in dry condition, but as a result not all characters of the postabdomina can be described.

2011, Hans-Peter Tschorsnig, “A new species of Istocheta Rondani (Diptera: Tachinidae) from the Mercantour National Park, France”, in Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde A (Neue Serie), volume 4, pages 335–340:

The anthomyiid oviscapt (postabdomen) is as regards the ground plan undoubtedly slender, well set off from and hardly shorter than the preabdomen, and has slender cerci with projecting, cylindrical apices.

2013, Verner Michelsen, “Proposal of Karliella gen. n. for the Afrotropical ‘Pegomya’ sexpunctata Karl, 1935 (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), a possible kleptoparasite of dung-breeding beetles”, in African Invertebrates, volume 54, number 2, →DOI, pages 335–347:

(entomology) The terminal segments of the abdomen of an insect, modified for reproduction.


paraglossa

paraglossa (plural paraglossas or paraglossae)

paraglossas (plural)
paraglossae (plural)

From para- + glossa (“insect's tongue”).

(entomology) One of a pair of small appendages of the lingua of certain insects.


procerebrum

The median mass of the procerebrum is formed by the fusion of the procerebral lobes .

(entomology) The forepart of an insect brain that is involved in processing sensory information, particularly related to vision and olfaction.


libelluloid

(entomology) Like or pertaining to the dragonflies.


panoistic

From pan- + Ancient Greek ᾠόν (ōión, “egg”) + -istic.

(entomology) Producing ova only; said of the ovaries of certain insects which do not produce vitelligenous cells.


discal

(entomology) Relating to the central area of an insect's elytron or wing.


irroration

Underside: ground-colour similar, both fore and hind wings with extensive irroration of black scale which varies considerably in amount: in some specimens it is very dense and gives a glackish tint to the ground-colour, especially on the hind wing.

1907, L. Colonel, C.T. Bingham, The Fauna Of British India, page 239:

Black, markings formed by pale blue glossy irroration; markings white on costal edge.

1952, Alexey Diakonoff, Microlepidoptera of New Guinea, page 100:

[…] costa with whitish strigulæ separated by dark fuscous or blackish irroration […]

1969, J. F. Clarke, Exotic microlepidoptera, page 32:

(chiefly entomology) Markings reminiscent of spots or dew drops.


stridulatory

The stridulatory mechanisms and sound patterns in these groups probably reflect the origins of acoustic communication in Orthoptera, particularly since many of the primitive genera lack ears and appear to use sound only for defence, as a plesiomorphic (primitive) condition (Field, 1993a).

2001, L. H. Field, The Biology of Wetas, King Crickets and Their Allies, page 271:

(usually entomology) Able to stridulate, used in stridulating, or adapted for stridulation.


thysanopterous

(entomology) Of or pertaining to the Thysanoptera, the thrips.


pierid

(entomology) Any member of the butterfly family Pieridae.


podical

podical plates

(archaic, entomology) anal (applied to certain body parts)


monogynous

(entomology) Exhibiting or relating to monogyny, having only one queen.


palpiger

(entomology) The portion of the labium that bears the palpi in insects.


cossid

(zoology, entomology) Any moth of the family Cossidae of carpenter miller moths.


sesquialterous

From Latin sesquialter + English -ous, from sesqui- (“a half and a”) + alter (“another, a second”).

(entomology, archaic) Synonym of sesquialteral, having a band or dot occupying a third of a wing.


ametabolic

ametabolic insects

(entomology) Not undergoing metamorphosis


tent caterpillar

tent caterpillar (plural tent caterpillars)

(entomology) A larva belonging to any of a number of species of moths of the genus Malacosoma, known for destructive infestation of trees in which the leaves are consumed and prominent, silken tent-like structures are constructed in the branches.


mosquito hawk

mosquito hawks (plural)
mosquitohawk (alternative)

(entomology) Any of various species of dragonfly of the genus Micromidia, endemic to eastern Australia.


scaraboid

en-adj

scaraboid (comparative more scaraboid, superlative most scaraboid)

more scaraboid (comparative)
most scaraboid (superlative)

(coleopterology, entomology) Of or pertaining to the family Scarabaeidae, an extensive group which includes the Egyptian scarab, the tumbledung, and many similar lamellicorn beetles.


scaraboid

(coleopterology, entomology) Any scaraboid beetle.


sedecimarticulate

Mycetophila. Meig. Antennæ porrect, cylindrical, sedecimarticulate.

1856, William Clark, transl., Handbook of Zoology, volume 1, London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, and Roberts, translation of original by Jan van der Hoeven, page 342:


duodecimarticulate

Cordila. Meig., Latr. Antennæ duodecimarticulate, compressed, clavate.


quadriarticulate

Palps incurved, quadriarticulate.


undecimarticulate

Antennæ undecimarticulate, perfoliate.

1856, William Clark, transl., Handbook of Zoology, volume 1, London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, and Roberts, translation of original by Jan van der Hoeven, page 341:


sesquialteral

From Latin sesquialter + English -al, from sesqui (“a half and a”) + alter (“another, a second”).

(entomology, archaic) Occupying a third of a wing or including a smaller band or spot in a larger one.


metastriate

(entomology) Describing ticks (of the order Ixodida) in which the anal groove of the adult is behind the anus.


holometabolous

(entomology) Pertaining to, or undergoing, holometabolism; going through complete metamorphosis.


ventrianal

(entomology) Between the abdomen and the anus.


acanthosomatid

(entomology) Any member of the Acanthosomatidae.


aclerdid

(entomology) Any member of the family Aclerdidae.


acridid

(entomology) Any member of the family Acrididae of locusts and related grasshoppers.


acrocerid

The Acrocerids are very curious and characteristic flies on account of their small head, large, bulbous thorax, inflated abdomen and large thoracic squamulae.

1907, William Lundbeck, Diptera Danica: Genera and Species of Flies Hitherto Found in Denmark, G.E.C. Gad, →OCLC:

The winged form of acrocerids is characterized by a great reduction in the size of the head, by very great increase of the thorax with weak legs, and by small, often costalized wings; the flies feed, if at all, on the nectar of flowers.

1974, Boris B. Rohdendorf, The Historical Development of Diptera, University of Alberta Press, →OCLC, page 86:

(entomology) Any fly of the family Acroceridae.


aeshnid

(entomology) Any member of the Aeshnidae.


agromyzid

(entomology) Any member of the family Agromyzidae.


agyrtid

(entomology) Any member of the family Agyrtidae.


aidid

Aidids have presumably homologous warts, although these do not bear long secondary setae.

1996, Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, volumes 580-589, page 96:

(entomology) Any member of the family Aididae.


alydid

(entomology) Any member of the family Alydidae, the broad-headed bugs.


zopherid

(entomology) Any member of the Zopheridae.


anostostomatid

(entomology) Any member of the Anostostomatidae, the wetas.


anthelid

(entomology) Any of the moths in the family Anthelidae.


anthicid

From translingual Anthicidae, from Anthicus.

(entomology) Any of the beetles in the family Anthicidae.


anthocorid

(entomology) Any member of the insect family Anthocoridae, the minute pirate bugs, pirate bugs, or flower bugs.


aradid

(entomology) Any member of the family Aradidae, the flat bugs.


archipsocid

(entomology) Any booklouse in the family Archipsocidae.


ascalaphid

(entomology) Any member of the family Ascalaphidae of owlflies.


blaberid

(entomology) Any of the family Blaberidae of cockroaches.


caenid

(entomology) Any mayfly in the family Caenidae.


calliphorid

(entomology) Any fly in the family Calliphoridae.


cimicid

(entomology) Any member of the family Cimicidae, such as bedbugs.


corixid

(entomology) Any member of the family Corixidae, the water boatmen.


corydalid

(entomology) Any member of the Corydalidae, the dobsonflies and fishflies.


cydnid

(entomology) Any member of the family Cydnidae of burrowing bugs.


cylindrachetid

(entomology) Any member of the family Cylindrachetidae, the sandgropers .


delphacid

(entomology) Any member of the family Delphacidae of planthoppers.


diaspidid

The main enemies of diaspidids, however, are hymenopterous parasites which, although capable of locating potential host within the fungal thallus, can reach the insect within the chambers only rarely.

1989, H. C. Evans, “9: Mycopathogens of Insects of Epideal and Aerial Habitats”, in N. Wilding, N. M. Collins, P. M. Hammond, J. F. Webber, editors, Insect-Fungus Interactions, page 226:

The first-stage larvae of C. coperniciae are similar to diaspidid crawlers. Second-instar larvae are heavily sclerotized, with distinct truncate abdomens, and, unlike second-instar diaspidids, have functional legs.

2001, F. W. Howard, Insects on Palms, page 223:

At least 26 species of diaspidids attack mangoes worldwide (Chua and Wood, 1990).

2009, J. E. Peña, M. Aluja, M. Wysoki, “10: Pests”, in Richard E. Litz, editor, The Mango: Botany, Production and Uses, page 342:

(entomology) Any of the armoured scale insects of the family Diaspididae.


enicocephalid

(entomology) Any member of the family Enicocephalidae, the unique-headed bugs or gnat bugs.


erotylid

pleasing fungus beetle
pleasing fungus beetle

(entomology) Any member of the Erotylidae family of insects; a pleasing fungus beetle.


gelastocorid

(entomology) Any member of the family Gelastocoridae, the toad bugs


gerrid

However some gerrids, nepids and veliids are attacked by allantonematid nematodes and Burton (1963) found Wuchereria bancrofti (Cobb) in a bedbug, although this insect was not considered an intermediate host.

1975, George O. Poinar, Entomogenous Nematodes: A Manual and Host List of Insect-nematode Associations:

(entomology) Any member of the family Gerridae, the water striders.


gryllacridid

(entomology) Any member of the Gryllacrididae.


gryllid

(entomology) Any member of the Gryllidae, the crickets.


gryllotalpid

(entomology) Any member of the family Gryllotalpidae, the mole crickets.


haematopinid

(entomology) Any louse in the family Haematopinidae.


hebrid

(entomology) Any member of the family Hebridae, the velvet water bugs.


heptageniid

(entomology) Any mayfly in the family Heptageniidae.


hydrometrid

(entomology) Any member of the family Hydrometridae, the water measurers or marsh treaders


acanaloniid

(entomology) Any member of the family Acanaloniidae.


laemophloeid

(entomology) Any member of the Laemophloeidae.


leptohyphid

(entomology) Any mayfly in the family Leptohyphidae.


leptophlebiid

(entomology) Any mayfly in the family Leptophlebiidae.


limnephilid

(entomology) Any of the caddisflies in the family Limnephilidae.


macromiid

(entomology) Any dragonfly of the family Macromiidae.


menoponid

(entomology) Any louse in the family Menoponidae.


mydaid

(entomology) Any member of the Mydidae; a Mydas fly.


nabid

(entomology) Any member of the family Nabidae, the damsel bugs


naucorid

(entomology) Any member of the family Naucoridae, the creeping water bugs


notonectid

(entomology) Any member of the family Notonectidae, the backswimmers.


pediciid

(entomology) Any fly in the family Pediciidae.


petalurid

(entomology) Any dragonfly in the family Petaluridae.


philopterid

(entomology) Any of the family Philopteridae of lice.


piesmatid

(entomology) Any member of the family Piesmatidae, the ash-gray leaf bugs.


prophalangopsid

(entomology) Any member of the Prophalangopsidae, the grigs.


psocid

Psocids (New 1987) are free-living insects that feed on microflora and organic debris on surfaces of vegetation or on other surfaces.[…]Psocids are frequently gregarious as nymphs or adults and may even group together under a communal web.

1993, Charles Leonard Hogue, Latin American Insects and Entomology, page 186:

The houe psocid, Liposcelis bostrychophilus, is a tropical species, but it occurs primarily in households in temperate regions.

2005, William H. Robinson, Urban Insects and Arachnids: A Handbook of Urban Entomology, page 367:

Nymphs and adults of psocids are regularly found in caves. Psyllipsocidae (in Europe the most common psocid in caves is Psyllipsocus ramburii) and Prionoglarididae are perhaps particularly characteristic of caves.[…]In the case of psocids, it has been suggested that the Psyllipsocidae (an ancient group) may have survived by avoiding competition with more recent forms by inhabitibg caves or similar habitats.

2008, John L. Capinera, editor, Encyclopedia of Entomology, volume 4, page 396:

(entomology) Any insect of the family Psocidae.


pterophorid

Borrowed from translingual Pterophoridae, from the type genus of Pterophorus, from the root words of Ancient Greek πτερόν (pterón, “feather, wing”) + Ancient Greek -φόρος (-phóros, “-bearing”).

affix

No kinematic adaptations particular to the extraordinary wing structure of pterophorids are evident, and adjacent wing lobes appear to form a continuous surface (Norberg, 1972b).

2018, Robert Dudley, The Biomechanics of Insect Flight: Form, Function, Evolution:

Of these, only one pterophorid appeared to probe inside flowers from both species, starting on P. dilatata then moving to P. stricta; however, no pollinia removal or transfer could be seen.

2022 May 9, Genevieve E. van der Voort, Scott R. Gilmore, Jamieson C. Gorrell, Jasmine K. Janes, “Continuous video capture, and pollinia tracking, in Platanthera (Orchidaceae) reveal new insect visitors and potential pollinators”, in PeerJ:

(entomology) Any moth of the family Pterophoridae.


pterophorid

en-adj

pterophorid (comparative more pterophorid, superlative most pterophorid)

more pterophorid (comparative)
most pterophorid (superlative)

The realized sample sizes were far lower (64 and 95, respectively); most of the tagged flowers were not recovered in 2016 due to herbivory from an outbreak of Heliothis phloxiphaga, the most common herbivore (LoPresti et al., 2015), as well as consumption by brush rabbits (Sylvilagus bachmani), and a small pterophorid caterpillar (probably Amblyptilia pica).

2019 August 12, E. F. LoPresti, J. Goidell, J. M. Mola, M. L. Page, C. D. Specht, C. Stuligross, M. G. Weber, N. M. Williams, R. Karban, “A lever action hypothesis for pendulous hummingbird flowers: experimental evidence from a columbine”, in PLoS One:

Five videos showed insects moving between both P. dilatata and P. stricta: two with syrphid flies that hovered near, or landed on, flowers of both species, and three showed pterophorid moths landing on both species.

(entomology) Relating to the Pterophoridae family of moths.


pyrgomorphid

(entomology) Any grasshopper in the Pyrgomorphidae.


pyrrhocorid

(entomology) Any member of the family Pyrrhocoridae.


rhaphidophorid

(entomology) Any member of the family Rhaphidophoridae, the cave crickets or camel crickets.


romaleid

Like many New World romaleids, these insects, which are called bush locusts (Bishop 1940; Kevan 1949), are often social in the nymphal or hopper stage and become more solitary as adults.

2006, James T. Costa, The Other Insect Societies, page 88:

Females of the romaleid grasshopper Romalea guttata generate a defensive secretion in glands surrounding the metathoracic tracheal trunks and the secretion is stored in the tracheal lumina.

2009, Jorg D. Hardege, Chemical Ecology, page 142:

There are several species and subespecies of the neotropical romaleid grasshopper genus Chromacris (which means colored grasshoppers), which, when adults, all follow the green-yellow blue pattern as in this male of Chromacris psittaccus pacificus, but they can be told apart by subtle differences in the spotting and striped pattern.

2012, Juan Cardona, Grasshoppers of Colombia - A photo Guide:

(entomology) Any member of the Romaleidae (lubber grasshoppers).


saldid

(entomology) Any member of the family Saldidae, the shore bugs.


schizodactylid

(entomology) Any member of the Schizodactylidae, the dune crickets.


veliid

(entomology) Any member of the family Veliidae of riffle bugs.


sialid

(entomology) Any member of the family Sialidae of alderflies.


stenopelmatid

(entomology) Any member of the family Stenopelmatidae of Jerusalem crickets.


termitaphidid

(entomology) Any member of the family Termitaphididae, the termite bugs.


tetrigid

(entomology) Any member of the family Tetrigidae (groundhoppers).


tridactylid

(entomology) Any pygmy mole cricket in the family Tridactylidae.


tortrix

From translingual Tortrix (“genus name”), being the namesake of the family Tortricidae.

(entomology) A tortrix moth, any member of the family Tortricidae


echinophthiriid

(entomology) Any louse in the family Echinophthiriidae.


hoplopleurid

(entomology) Any louse in the family Hoplopleuridae.


linognathid

(entomology) Any louse in the family Linognathidae.


polyplacid

(entomology) Any louse in the family Polyplacidae.


epimeron

From Ancient Greek ἐπι- (epi-, “upon”) + μέρος (méros, “a part”).

prefix

(entomology) In insects, the lateral piece behind the episternum.


monolectic

en-adj

monolectic (comparative more monolectic, superlative most monolectic)

more monolectic (comparative)
most monolectic (superlative)

(entomology) Of or relating to an insect (especially a bee) which collects pollen from the flowers of a single plant species.


aurelia

From Italian aurelia (“chrysalis”), from Latin aureus (“golden”).

(entomology, archaic) The chrysalis of an insect, especially of a butterfly.


oligolecty

/ɒˌlɪɡə(ʊ)-/

Probably from oligolectic + -y (suffix forming abstract nouns denoting conditions, qualities, or states). Oligolectic is derived from English oligo- (prefix meaning ‘few’) (from Ancient Greek ὀλῐ́γος (olĭ́gos, “few, little”), from Proto-Indo-European *(o)leyg- (“indigent, poor; miserable”)) + Ancient Greek λεκτός (lektós, “chosen”) (from λέγω (légō, “to choose; to arrange; to gather”), from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to collect, gather”)) + English -ic (suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ from nouns), possibly modelled after eclectic.

der

We have, thus, a case where different types of bees are similarly adapted to oligolecty on a certain group of plants.

1944 April 10, Charles Duncan Michener, “Comparative External Morphology, Phylogeny, and a Classification of the Bees (Hymenoptera)”, in Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, volume 82, article 6, New York, N.Y.: American Museum of Natural History, →ISSN, →OCLC, part 2 (Comparative External Morphology of the Bees), page 218, column 2:

The most likely explanation for oligolecty in bees is not different from the explanation of specificity of any organism to its habitat; in fact, oligolecty is a form of host specificity.

1954 June 21, Charles Duncan Michener, “Bees of Panamá”, in Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, volume 104, article 1, New York, N.Y.: American Museum of Natural History, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 6, column 2:

In so far as now known, all of the species exhibit a high degree of oligolecty (or monolecty) being restricted in pollen collecting to a single genus of plants.

1955 October, E[arle] G[orton] Linsley, J[ohn] W[inslow] MacSwain, Ray F[red] Smith, “Observations on the Nesting Habits and Flower Relationships of Some Species of Melandrina (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae)”, in P. D. Hurd, Jr., editor, The Pan-Pacific Entomologist, volume XXXI, number 4, San Francisco, Calif.: Pacific Coast Entomological Society, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 175:

An individual of a polylectic species that takes pollen from only a few kinds of plants is showing flower constancy rather than oligolecty.

1974, Charles Duncan Michener, “Glossary”, in The Social Behavior of the Bees, Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, →ISBN, page 373, column 1:

Once oligolecty was documented, the following two summers were used for field study of widely separated populations of I. pandurata.

1978, Daniel F. Austin, “Morning Glory Bees and the Ipomoea pandurata Complex (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae)”, in Manya B. Stoetzel, editor, Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, volume 80, number 3, Washington, D.C.: Entomological Society of Washington, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 397:

That oligolecty exists is indisputable, but its application to particular bee species engenders confusion and debate. […] We propose a definition of oligolecty that is sufficiently inclusive without diluting the intended meaning for undisputed cases: we define oligolecty as consistent and predictable reliance of a species on a few plant genera for their pollen needs.

2006, James H. Cane, Sedonia Sipes, “Characterizing Floral Specialization by Bees: Analytical Methods and a Revised Lexicon for Oligolecty”, in Nickolas M. Waser, Jeff Ollerton, editors, Plant–Pollinator Interactions: From Specialization to Generalization, Chicago, Ill., London: University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, part II (The Ecology and Evolution of Specialized and Generalized Pollination), page 110:

In most studies sampling is limited to a few sites, and therefore oligolecty is dubiously assigned. Moreover, both abundant and minor pollen types are generally considered at a same level of importance.

2018, Favio Gerardo Vossler, “Are Stingless Bees a Broadly Polylectic Group? An Empirical Study of the Adjustments Required for an Improved Assessment of Pollen Diet in Bees”, in Patricia Vit, Silvia R. M. Pedro, David W. Roubik, editors, Pot-pollen in Stingless Bee Melittology, Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature, →DOI, →ISBN, part I (Pollen and the Evolution of Mutualism), section 2.2 (Pollen Specialization Categories in Bees), page 19, column 1:

The two most basal bee families, Dasypodaidae and Mellitidae, are predominantly composed of pollen specialists, indicating that oligolecty might be the ancestral state in bees[…]. In the western Palaearctic anthidiine bees, several transitions from oligolecty to polylecty were found, but none from polylecty to oligolecty[…].

2020, R. G. Vastrad, “Specialized Bees Fail to Develop on Non-host Pollen: Do Plants Chemically Protect Their Pollen?”, in A Study of Floral Specialization in Solitary Bees, Raleigh, N.C.: Lulu, →ISBN, page 31:

(entomology) The preference of an insect pollinator (chiefly a bee) for pollinating only a few plant species.

قِلَّة الجَمْع

preference of an insect pollinator for pollinating only a few plant species


oligolectic

/ˌɒlɪɡə(ʊ)ˈlɛktɪk/

/ɒˌlɪɡə(ʊ)-/

/ˌɑləɡoʊˈlɛktɪk/

From English oligo- (prefix meaning ‘few’) (from Ancient Greek ὀλῐ́γος (olĭ́gos, “few, little”), from Proto-Indo-European *(o)leyg- (“indigent, poor; miserable”)) + Ancient Greek λεκτός (lektós, “chosen”) (from λέγω (légō, “to choose; to arrange; to gather”), from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to collect, gather”)) + English -ic (suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ from nouns), possibly modelled after eclectic.

(entomology) Relating to, or characteristic of, oligolecty.

oligolectique

relating to, or characteristic of, oligolecty


scutellar

(entomology) Short for scutellar bristles.


nervule

From either nervure + -ule or nerve + -ule.

A close examination of the wing will always show a partially atrophied disco-cellular, connecting these nervules of the discoidal with either the subcostal or the median nervures, even when one of them has been described as quite free.

1845, Edward Doubleday, “Remarks on the Genus Argynnis”, in Transactions of the Linnean Society, volume 19, page 481:

The origin of the first and second median nervules corresponds to that of the two superior subcostal nervules; and the nervule closing the cell unites with the apical portion of the median nervule at a right angle.

1875, S. H. Scudder, “On the Structure and Transformations of Eumæus Atala”, in Memoirs of the Boston Society of Natural History, Volume 2, Part 4, Number 2, page 415:

2003, W. J. Holland, Cassia B. Farkas (editor), Field Guide to Butterflies, Revised and Updated Edition, page 12,
The branches of these compound veins are known as nervules. The median vein always has three nervules. The nervules of the subcostal veins branch up and outward, with from four to five subcostal nervules, toward the costal margin and the apex of the forewing.

(entomology) A minor vein in a wing of an insect.


ptilinum

Borrowed from New Latin ptilīnum, itself an adaptation of the French ptiline.

As for the structure of the ptilinum itself, Strickland (1953) reported that the ptilina of Conopidae 'are voluminous and represent the most rugged type of ptilinum which we have encountered'.

1972, Graham C. D. Griffiths, The Phylogenetic Classification of Diptera Cyclorrhapha, page 243:

1980, Stuart E. Reynolds, Integration of Behaviour and Physiology in Ecdysis, Michael J. Berridge, J. E. Treherne, Vincent Brian Wigglesworth, Advances in Insect Physiology, Volume 15, page 500,
Certainly, the ptilinum, a special eversible sac on the head which is evidently a "hatching" structure, is instrumental in causing the puparium to crack along its line of weakness, a longitudinal line around the anterior end, which meets a circular line extending around the anterior margin of what was the 4th visible segment of the larvae cuticle (Laing, 1935).

The suture is of the nature of an extremely narrow slit, along the margins of which the wall of the head is invaginated to form a membranous sac or ptilinum, and the walls of the latter are seen to consist of the same layers as the integument.[…]The purpose of the ptilinum is to thrust off the anterior end of the puparium at a time when the contained imago is ready to emerge and to force the fly through soil, etc. (Fraenkel, 1936).

1994, Augustus Daniel Imms, R. Richard Gareth Davies, Owain Westmacott Richards, Imms’ General Textbook of Entomology, volume 1, page 953:

Push through the ground is accompanied by and partially brought about by alternate eversion and retraction of the blood-filled sac at the anterior end of the head — the ptilinum.[…]When the fly appears above ground, no resistance is felt by the ptilinum, and signals cease to be received by the sensory nerve fibers.

2004, D.R. Khanna, Advanced Embryology, page 55:

(zoology, entomology) A bladder-like pouch on the head of schizophoran flies that by expanding enables the fly to emerge from its puparium.

ptiline

bladder-like pouch on the head of some flies


calypter

From New Latin calyptra, from Ancient Greek κᾰλύπτρα (kălúptra, “hood”), from κᾰλύπτω (kălúptō, “I cover”).

The acrosticals are irregularly paired, with numerous accessory setulae between the rows; the lower calypters protrude distinctly beyond the margin of the upper;[…].

1947, Maurice T. James, Miscellaneous Publication 61: The Flies that Cause Myiasis in Man, U.S. Department of Agriculture, page 122:

The wings are hyaline and slightly smoky yellowish, while the calypters and wing fringes are pale yellowish (Steyskal, 1980).

2002, Elen L. Aguiar-Menezes, Euripides B. Menezes, Paolo Cesar R. Cassino, Marco A. Soares, “12: Passion Fruit”, in Jorge E. Peña, Jennifer L. Sharp, M. Wysoki, editors, Tropical Fruit Pests and Pollinators, page 373:

Traditionally this taxon^([Schizophora]) is subdivided into Calyptratae and Acalyptratae, based respectively on the strong or reduced development of the lower calypter.

2004, James B. Coupland, Gary B. Barker, “3: Diptera as Predators and Parasitoids of Terrestrial Molluscs, with Emphasis on Phoridae, Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae and Fanniidae”, in G. M. Barker, editor, Natural Enemies of Terrestrial Molluscs, page 88:

(biology, entomology) Either of two rounded lobes at the posterior base of the wing in many true flies.

caliptro

either of two lobes covering the halteres


crossvein

A vein in an insect's wing that connects others transversely.


phallobase

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-phallobase.wav

(entomology) the base (proximal part) of the phallus


postclypeus

(entomology) The upper (proximal) portion of the clypeus in insects such as the cicada.


pygofer

From pygo- (“posterior”) + Latin -fer (“-bearing”).

confix

(entomology) The last segment of the abdomen of some insects


valvifer

(entomology) Any of the basal plates of an insect's ovipositor that arise from the eighth and ninth abdominal segments


homoneurous

Ancient Greek ὁμός (homós) + Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron) + -ous

affix

(entomology) Of insects, principally moths, having a similar venation in the fore and hind wings; not belonging to Heteroneura.


dorsal vessel

(entomology) A central pulsating blood vessel along the back of insects that circulates hemolymph (blood).


cebrionine

(entomology, rare) Of or relating to the Cebrioninae, a subfamily of click beetles in the family Elateridae.


phthirapteran

(entomology) Any member of the order Phthiraptera of lice.


gynaecoid

en-adj

gynaecoid (comparative more gynaecoid, superlative most gynaecoid)

more gynaecoid (comparative)
most gynaecoid (superlative)
gynecoid (alternative)
gynæcoid (alternative)

Coordinate term: oedymerous

Macropterous, brachypterous and apterous forms of females and males are known in their populations. Two forms – oedymerous and gynaecoid – occur in males: they are characterized by the allometry of some body parts.

2015 June 30, Halina Kucharczyk, Łukasz Wyrozumski, “Hoplothrips carpathicus Pelikán, 1961 (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) – a new thrips species in the Polish fauna”, in Polish Journal of Entomology, volume 84, →DOI, pages 73-74:

(entomology) Of certain Thysanoptera, having attenuating forelegs.


arolium

(entomology) A median lobe into which the pretarsus expands, in an insect's leg.

arolio

a median lobe into which the pretarsus expands, in an insect's leg


orthopteroid

/ɔːˈθɒptəɹɔɪd/

Beccaloni brought his centipede back to the Natural History Museum in London, where he works as a curator of orthopteroids, an order of insects which include crickets and praying mantises.

2016 July 1, Oliver Holmes, The Guardian:

(entomology) Any of the insects historically included in the order Orthoptera, including the cockroaches, earwigs, praying mantises, etc.


notopod

(entomology) An elaterid; a click beetle.


gamergate

/ˈɡæm.əɹˌɡeɪt/

From Ancient Greek γάμος (gámos, “union, marriage”) + ergate.

der

Recent studies indicate that queenless societies can have either one or several gamergates per colony, which reveals that reproductive inhibition can occur despite the absence of the queen caste.

1990, Christian Peeters, “Monogyny and Polygyny in Ponerine Ants Without Queens”, in Social Insects and the Environment: Proceedings of the 11th International Congress of IUSSI, 1990, Leiden, Netherlands: E. J. Brill, →ISBN, page 234:

(entomology) A worker insect that can become capable of reproducing when the queen has died.


ergate

From Ancient Greek ἐργάτης (ergátēs, “workman”).

uder

The worker (ergates) is characterized by the complete absence of wings and a very small (stenonotal) thorax, much simplified in the structure of its sclerites.

1910, William Morton Wheeler, Ants: Their Structure, Development and Behavior, Columbia University Press, page 97:


subcosta

(entomology) The first major vein behind the costa on an insect wing


postcubitus

(entomology) One of the major veins of the insect wing, between the cubitus and the anal veins (although it was originally considered one of the anal veins itself).


Pcu

(entomology) Abbreviation of postcubitus.


antemedial

(entomology) Situated before (i.e. closer to the head than) the middle of the thorax or wing.

antemediano

situated before the middle of the thorax or wing


tornal

(entomology) Of or pertaining to the tornus.


crossline

(entomology) A line running across an insect.


footganger

footgangers (plural)
foot-ganger (alternative)

Perhaps from Dutch or Afrikaans voetganger (“pedestrian”, literally “foot-goer”), or a partial calque of German Fußgänger (“pedestrian”), equivalent to foot + ganger (“goer, walker, stepper”).

partial calque

Midway between Bloomfontein and Kimberley, while riding with Major Beresford, of the South African Constabulary, at the foot of some low hills in the Karoo bush, I came across great numbers of the footgangers.

We passed several swarms of locusts in the footganger stage; but owing to the lateness of their appearance the damage they effected was slight, though we met many people coming from the west, whose crops had been utterly destroyed.

1904, Mark Sykes, John Hugh Smith, Edward Granville Browne, Dar-ul-Islam: A Record of a Journey Through Ten of the Asiatic Provinces of Turkey:

(entomology) A juvenile locust or grasshopper while in its wingless or flightless phase.


hemigynous

From Ancient Greek ἡμι- (hēmi-) + γυνή (gunḗ) + -ous.

Since the above was written, I find that the hemigynous insects require a more careful examination than I had found leisure to bestow on them, […]

1851, Edward Newman, “On the Word Hermaphrodite”, in The Zoologist:

Hemigynous Specimen of Acronycta leporina.

1872 March 18, “Extracts from the Proceedings of the Entomological Society, March 18, 1872”, in The Entomologist, page 267:

The female characters may be assumed on the head (gynaecocephalous), afterwards on the thorax (hemigynous), and finally on the elytra.

1901, Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society [of Great Britain], page 413:

(entomology, obsolete) Having characteristics of both male and female of the species but the sexual organs for one gender only.


trap-jaw ant

trap-jaw ants (plural)
trapjaw ant (alternative)
trap jaw ant (alternative)

From trap + jaw + ant, because the mandibles (jaws) snap shut forcefully like a trap.

(entomology, informal) Any of a group of carnivorous ants, of the genus Odontomachus, that have mandibles that can snap shut on prey


paurometabolous

/ˌpɔːɹəʊmɪˈtæbələs/

/ˈˌpɔɹoʊmɪˈtæbələs/

From Ancient Greek παῦρος (paûros, “small, little”) + metabolous (“undergoing metamorphosis”), modeled after ametabolous, hemimetabolous. See New Latin Paurometabola.

der

(entomology) Characterizing a group of insects whose metamorphosis from immaturity to maturity is gradual and without sudden radical physical change; characterized by hemimetabolism.


ornithophilic

en-adj

ornithophilic (comparative more ornithophilic, superlative most ornithophilic)

more ornithophilic (comparative)
most ornithophilic (superlative)

When the birds leave their breeding sites in the autumn the mosquito turns to humans. The London Underground molestus are not ornithophilic. We have nothing to fear from them.

2007, Hugh Pennington, ‘The Problem with Biodiversity’, London Review of Books, volume 29, number 9:

Unlike the alphaviruses that produce arthritis, human cases occur in an epizootic from an enzootic cycle involving passerine birds and ornithophilic mosquitoes.

2009, Encyclopedia of Microbioology, page 316:


antennation

en-noun

antennation (countable and uncountable, plural antennations)

Soldiers’ stridulations elicited a smaller amount of antennations, but not statistically different from those elicited by Paussus favieri single pulses or worker stridulations.

2015 July 9, “The Pied Piper: A Parasitic Beetle’s Melodies Modulate Ant Behaviours”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI:

(entomology, of an insect) An act of antennating, or touching the antennae to another insect.

antenação

an act of touching the antennae to another insect


postpetiole

Moreover, the beetle uses a row of scrapers (placed on the proximal abdominal segment) (Fig 1, 1B3 and 1B4 ) rather than the single scraper (placed on the postpetiole, i.e. the third abdominal tergite) used by the ant (Fig 1, 1A3 and 1A4 ).

(anatomy, entomology) The second segment of the pedicel of some ants.


middle leg

/ˈmɪdəl ˈlɛɡ/

(entomology) one of a leg in an arthropod that has three pairs thereof (e.g. butterflies, bees)


limnophilid

Limnophilid larvae are fitted for life in almost every aquatic situation.

(entomology) any of the caddisflies in the family Limnephilidae, formerly known as the Limnophilidae


limnophilid

(entomology) of, or related to limnophilids


leafwing

(entomology) Any butterfly of the subfamily Charaxinae.

(Australia, entomology) The butterfly Doleschallia bisaltide.


ergatotype

From Ancient Greek ἐργάτης (ergátēs, “worker”) + -type.

uder

(entomology, taxonomy, rare) An additional type specimen chosen as a paratype to exemplify the worker caste in a hymenopteran taxon.


hymenopterology

The scientific study of the Hymenoptera.


dipterology

The scientific study of flies, the Diptera.


mermithergate

From New Latin mermithergata, from Ancient Greek μέρμις (mérmis, “cord, string”) + ἐργάτης (ergátēs, “worker”).

der

The normal worker castes of Pheidole gouldi are depicted in comparison with a mermithergate: side view of the body of a mermithergate, with the Mermis nematode visible through the intersegmental membranes of its gaster […]

2003, Edward O. Wilson, Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Ant Genus:

(entomology) A worker ant that is deformed by parasitic nematodes.


formicivorous

Formicivorous mammals (those which feed mainly on ants) come in all shapes and sizes […]

2010, Paula Hammond, Atlas of the World's Strangest Animals, page 152:


phagostimulant

(entomology) Any substance that stimulates feeding in insects and other arthropods.


oviscape

From Latin ovum (“egg”) plus scāpus (“stem or shaft”), from Ancient Greek (Doric) σκᾶπος (skâpos).

(entomology) The basal part of the ovipositor of some species of insects, typically the non-retractile sheath that remains exposed when the ovipositor is withdrawn and not in action.

(entomology) The oviscapte or ovipositor.


oviscapte

Learned borrowing from Latin ovum (“egg”) + captare (“to conduct”)

(entomology) The oviscape or ovipositor.


xenophagy

(entomology) A categorical change in diet, such as a herbivore becoming carnivorous.


carabus

From Latin carabus. The entomological sense is borrowed from translingual Carabus, from the same Latin source.

(entomology) A ground beetle of the genus Carabus.


gonostylus

Previous taxonomic revisions (including global revisions and broader regional faunal revisions with global referencing) of Alpinobombus by some of the most experienced bumblebee specialists have relied on both morphology (especially the more variable characters of the male penis valve, volsella and gonostylus, and of the female oculo-malar area and hind tibia) and on the colour patterns of the hair and have all differed in their conclusions on the number of species present (Table 1).

2015 December 11, “Genes Suggest Ancestral Colour Polymorphisms Are Shared across Morphologically Cryptic Species in Arctic Bumblebees”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI:

(entomology) The stylus of the gonocoxopodite.


gonocoxopodite

From gono- (“reproduction”) + coxo- (“coxa”) + podite.

af

(entomology) A mosquito appendage consisting of a coxite, style and volsella


gonocoxite

(entomology) The coxite of the gonocoxopodite


haplometrosis

(entomology) The establishment of an ant colony by a single queen.


pleometrosis

(entomology) The establishment of an ant colony by multiple queens.


polydomy

From poly- + Ancient Greek δόμος (dómos, “house”) + -y.

Thus polydomy ensues when an entire colony breaks up into several nesting aggregations.

1987, Jörg Eder, Chemistry and biology of social insects, page 35:

The outpost phenomenon probably accounts for many cases of polydomy, defined as the dispersal of the colony into multiple nest sites.

1990, Bert Hölldobler, The Ants, page 390:

Although this uncertainty exists, the lack of absolute male bias confirms that seasonal polydomy is not a major influence on the population sex ratio.

1995, Andrew F. G. Bourke, Social Evolution in Ants, page 187:

(entomology) The situation where an ant colony is established across multiple nest sites.


spermatophagy

Spermatophagy, a rare habit of feeding on seeds or the outer layers of a fruit, is typified by species in the scolytid genus Poecilips (Coccotrypes).

1975, Pest management papers, numbers 2-7, Simon Fraser University, page 37:

The degree of carnivory/spermatophagy and preferences for food depend on the food choices available to a carabid.

2010, Ingrid H. Williams, Biocontrol-Based Integrated Management of Oilseed Rape Pests:

Spermatophagy (or spermophagy) as used by bark beetle researchers denotes species breeding in seeds and the surrounding fruit tissues.

2014, Fernando E. Vega, editor, Bark Beetles: Biology and Ecology of Native and Invasive Species:

(entomology) Of certain beetles, the consumption of fruits or seeds.


sphragis

The plastic mass begins to harden quite rapidly, probably within a few minutes but, as largely hollow sphragides have been dissected from pairs killed in copula, possibly more than one ejaculation may be required to complete the body of the sphragis.

1999, Roger Laurence Kitching, Biology of Australian Butterflies, page 129:

Mated females of many acraeine species bear an unusual structure around their genital opening. Such structures are called sphragides (singular: sphragis), or more rarely spermatophragma (Ehrlich & Ehrlich, 1978; Orr, 1995).

2008, Andrew F. E. Neild, The butterflies of Venezuela:

Bert first began studying sphragides in the Australian Big Greasy. The male, patterned in red, white, and black, is larger than the female and violent in his mating.

2009, Sharman Apt Russell, An Obsession With Butterflies: Our Long Love Affair With A Singular Insect:

(zoology, especially entomology) A mating plug in the genital opening of a female, formed from a waxy secretion deposited by a male during mating.


pleurostoma

From pleuro- (“lateral”) + Ancient Greek στόμα (stóma, “mouth”).

(entomology, anatomy) Part of the subgenal area above the mandible of an insect


postpetiolar

(anatomy, entomology) Of or pertaining to the postpetiole


trialate

en-adj

trialate (comparative more trialate, superlative most trialate)

more trialate (comparative)
most trialate (superlative)

(entomology, botany) Having three wings or wing-like structures.


metaventrite

The anterior pronotal angles are produced forward, the metaventrite is very short and the hind wings are absent.

2013, Adam Slipinski, Australian Beetles Volume 1: Morphology, Classification and Keys:

Mesocoxal cavities usually subcircular, narrowly to moderately widely separated, usually open laterally but occasionally closed by confluent meso- and metaventrites.

2014, Richard A.B. Leschen, Morphology and Systematics: Phytophaga, page 203:

(entomology) A ventral plate of the thorax lying behind and between the mesocoxal cavities.


ventrite

The plesiomorphic condition of abdominal ventrites II and III in Rhagovelia is interpreted to be one in which these ventrites are flat or broadly arched and of form similar to ventrites IV-VI.

1997, Dan Avery Polhemus, Systematics of the Genus Rhagovelia:

A rather widespread modification affecting the ventrites of beetles is what is known as “connation”, involving a reduction or complete loss of mobility at the junction between particular ventrites, usually starting with the basal ones.

2013, R. A. Crowson, The Biology of the Coleoptera, page 61:

Ventrites that are fused together, as evidenced by shallow or obsolete sutures, are said to be fused or connate, while “free” ventrites are those that are separated by distinct membranes.

2014, Arthur V. Evans, Beetles of Eastern North America:


postpedicel

From post- + pedicel.
Proposed by entomologist Brian R. Stuckenberg in 1999 due to disputes about the homology of the structure formerly known as the first flagellomere or third segment of the antenna.

...at least the multisegmented arista is beyond the pedicel in addition to the large antennomere, and postpedicel is thus ambiguous and lacking in precision.

2012 December 5, Wayne N. Mathis, Tadeusz Zatwarnicki, “A revision of the New World species of Gymnoclasiopa Hendel (Diptera: Ephydridae)”, in ZooKeys, volume 248, →DOI, pages 1–69:

Antenna black, scape brown, pedicel and extreme base of postpedicel brownish-yellow, length of antennal segments = 13: 10: 40: 17, setae on basal two segments nearly 0.12 mm long.

2015 July 27, Miroslav Barták, Štěpán Kubík, “Palaearctic species of Rhamphomyia (Pararhamphomyia) anfractuosa group (Diptera, Empididae)”, in ZooKeys, →DOI:

(entomology) The third segment of the antenna of a fly, distal to the pedicel.


satyrization

en-noun

satyrization (usually uncountable, plural satyrizations)

term-label

(American spelling, Oxford British English)

satyrizations (plural)
satyrisation (alternative)

/ˌseɪtəɹaɪˈzeɪʃən/

From satyr (“sylvan deity represented as part man and part goat, characterized by riotous merriment and lasciviousness; lecherous man”) + -ization (suffix forming nouns denoting the act, process, or result of doing or making something), possibly coined by American scientist Jose M. C. Ribeiro and American entomologist Andrew Spielman (1930–2006) in a 1986 article: see the quotation.

suffix

A "satyr" is any male that successfully mates and reduces the reproductive success of a female of a different species or population. We sought to model the interaction of such potentially intermating species that are initially isolated in space but come to occupy overlapping niches. [...] Species extinction may result from reproductive competition (satyrization) alone.

1986 October, J. M. C. Ribeiro, A[ndrew] Spielman, “The Satyr Effect: A Model Predicting Parapatry and Species Extinction”, in The American Naturalist, volume 128, number 4, Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press, →ISSN, →JSTOR, →OCLC, abstract, pages 513–528:

Collectively, these data are supportive of the Ae[des] albopictus satyrization hypothesis; but, much work must be done for a definitive answer to the very important question of whether sex peptide asymmetries are highly influential in satyrizations.

1994, Paul A. Hedin, Julius J. Menn, Robert M. Hollingworth, editors, Natural and Engineered Pest Management Agents: Developed from the Conference on Natural and Derived Pest Management Agents Sponsored by the Division of Agrochemicals, Snowbird, Utah, August 9–14, 1992 (ACS Symposium Series; 551), Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society, →ISBN, page 203:

Although there is some evidence to support the occurrence of this mechanism, also known as satyrization, in natural populations of ticks and tsetse flies (Ribeiro 1988), its importance as a population reduction mechanism among mosquitoes remains unsubstantiated.

2007, Thomas G. Floore, editor, Biorational Control of Mosquitoes (Supplement to the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association; volume 23, issue 2), Mount Laurel, N.J.: American Mosquito Control Association, →OCLC, page 278:

Sterility caused by cross-mating between Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti (a process known as satyrisation) may have initially contributed to the observed competitive reduction of Aedes aegypti by invasive Aedes albopictus in many areas of Florida.

2013, Helen Wallace, “Impacts of Population Changes on Other Mosquito Species”, in Genetically Modified Mosquitoes: Ongoing Concerns (TWN Biotechnology & Biosafety Series; 15), Penang, Malaysia: Third World Network, →ISBN, archived from the original on 2021-02-09, page 21:

Additional experiments demonstrating transfer of labelled semen from A[edes] albopictus males to A. aegypti females and low production of viable eggs of females housed with conspecific males, following exposure to A. albopictus males, confirm higher incidences of satyrization than expected, based on heterospecific insemination rates. We conclude that frequencies of satyrization based on detection of interspecific sperm in spermathecae may underestimate the impact of this form of reproductive interference.

2015 September, María C. Carrasquilla, L. Philip Lounibos, “Satyrization without Evidence of Successful Insemination from Interspecific Mating between Invasive Mosquitoes”, in Biology Letters, volume 11, number 9, London: Royal Society Publishing, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, →PMID, abstract:

Quantifying satyrisation by assessing interspecific sperm in spermathecae underestimates the capacity of male A[edes] albopictus to reduce the fitness of virgin female A. aegypti.

2016 September, Steven A. Juliano, L. Philip Lounibos, “Invasions by Mosquitoes: The Roles of Behaviour across the Life Cycle”, in Judith S[hulman] Weis, Daniel Sol, editors, Biological Invasions and Animal Behaviour, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 258–259:

US researchers have added another piece to the puzzle that is satyrisation, one of the most complex aspects of the mosquito world. It only occurs in mosquitoes, in fact, but is of increasing interest as mosquito-borne diseases emerge as problems worldwide. In Greek mythology a satyr is a lusty fertile woodland deity, but satyrisation is the opposite. It occurs when the male of one species mates with the female of another, but instead of producing a hybrid, the result is no offspring at all. In fact, the unfortunate female is rendered sterile. Satyrisation is also the mechanism by which introduced mosquito species displace native mosquito species, particularly island endemics.

2019 January 27, Tanya Loos, “Unravelling the Secrets of Satyrisation”, in Cosmos: The Science of Everything, Adelaide, S.A.: Royal Institution of Australia, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2020-05-28:

In several areas where Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) have come in contact following successful invasions, Ae. aegypti have been rapidly displaced by Ae. albopictus. Recent work has confirmed that mating interference, in the form of satyrization, is likely a driving factor in these competitive displacements. However, in sites of sympatry, Ae. aegypti females evolve resistance to satyrization, and in the laboratory, satyrization-susceptible Ae. aegypti can evolve resistance within a few generations of cage exposure to Ae. albopictus.

2019 March, Irka Bargielowski, Nildimar A. Honório, Erik M. Blosser, L. Philip Lounibos, “Rapid Loss of Resistance to Satyrization in Invasive Mosquitoes and the Effects of Age on Interspecific Mating Frequency”, in Journal of Medical Entomology, volume 56, number 2, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press for the Entomological Society of America, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, abstract, page 329:

(zoology, chiefly entomology) The situation where interspecific (interspecies) mating fails to produce hybrids and thus reduces the fitness of the species involved.

satirizacija

situation where interspecies mating fails to produce hybrids and thus reduces the fitness of the species involved


preabdomen

en-noun

preabdomen (plural preabdomens or preabdomina)

preabdomens (plural)
preabdomina (plural)

The anthomyiid oviscapt (postabdomen) is as regards the ground plan undoubtedly slender, well set off from and hardly shorter than the preabdomen, and has slender cerci with projecting, cylindrical apices.

2013, Verner Michelsen, “Proposal of Karliella gen. n. for the Afrotropical ‘Pegomya’ sexpunctata Karl, 1935 (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), a possible kleptoparasite of dung-breeding beetles”, in African Invertebrates, volume 54, number 2, →DOI, pages 335–347:

(entomology) The anterior segments of the abdomen, distinguished from the posterior segments holding the reproductive apparatus.


epiphallus

Hadrotettix and Heliastus lack pale streaks but possess trilobed epiphalli, which led me to look for other characteristics shared with the Hippiscus group.

1981, Daniel Otte, The North American Grasshoppers: Acrididae: Oedipodinae, page 92:

In some orthopterans, a plate adjacent to the genital complex.

Male genitalia strongly asymmetrical, partially concealed by sternum 9, comprised by basisclerite, paired epiphalli (left with titillator), and hypophallus; hook process (=L3 sclerite after MCKITTRICK 1964) missing (KLASS 1997).

2006, A.P. Rasnitsyn, History of Insects, page 274:

In some dictyopterans, a pair of valves adjacent to the phallus.


hyperphoresy

2011, L. T. Sabagh, R. J. P. Dias, C. W. Branco, C. F. D. Rocha, New records of phoresy and hyperphoresy among treefrogs, ostracods, and ciliates in bromeliad of Atlantic forest, in Biodivers. Conserv. 20, 1837–1841

Hyperphoresy, when one organism is being transported by another that is also in the process of being transported, is extremely rare in the fossil record but does occur (Fig. 203).

2014, David Penney, James E Jepson, Fossil Insects: An introduction to palaeoentomology, →ISBN, page 168:

(biology, entomology) The situation of one organism carrying another organism, which is itself carrying a third organism, due to phoresy.


trophophoretic

From trophophoresy + -etic or tropho- + phoretic.

This latter form of trophobiosis has been termed trophophoresy (LaPolla et al. 2002). Only two ant genera are known to contain trophophoretic species: Acropyga (Formicinae), in which all 37 species are thought to be trophophoretic, and [...]

2006, Insect Systematics & Evolution, page 198:

In the Solomons, A. lauta is reported as being trophophoretic (Johnson et al., 2001), and has been associated with the mealybugs Eumyrmoccus kolobangarae and E. kusiacus (LaPolla, 2004).

2012, Eli M. Sarnat, Evan P. Economo, The Ants of Fiji, →ISBN, page 43:

(biology, entomology) Exhibiting trophophoresy.


trophophoresy

From tropho- + phoresy. Coined by John S. LaPolla in 2002.

The mealybug-tending ant A. epedana is an obligate coccidiphile with trophophoretic queens. Trophophoresy is defined as the behavior of a foundress queen transporting a trophobiont on her mating flight for the establishment of a new mealybug "herd" in her new colony.

2002 December 25, “Natural History of the Mealybug-Tending Ant, Acropyga epedana, with Descriptions of the Male and Queen Castes”, in Transactions of the American Entomological Society, volume 128, number 4, page 367:

Acropyga spp. ants show obligate trophophoresy with mealybugs, in which newly mated queens carry a mealybug with them when founding new colonies.

2007, M. J. Wade, “The co-evolutionary genetics of ecological communities”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), Nature Reviews Genetics:

All insect fungus gardeners propagate their primary fungi as clonal monocultures within their nests and mostly across generations too (trophophoresy from parent to offspring in the ants and the beetles).

2007, P. H. W. Biedermann, Social behaviour in sib mating fungus farmers:

(biology, entomology) A form of trophobiosis in which one creature carries another creature to another location to farm it (harvest food from it, often after feeding it) there.


hyperphoretic

From hyperphoresy + -etic or hyper- + phoretic.

(biology, entomology) Exhibiting hyperphoresy.


ceresine

There were also additional mesquite trees up top, off which I again beat a single Agrilus sp. along with a few other things, notably a series of ceresine treehoppers.

2022 May 14, Ted C. MacRae, Cupressaceae:

(entomology) Related to treehoppers of the tribe Ceresini.


dascillid

clipping

translingual <i class="Latn mention" lang="mul">Dascillidae</i>

Little has been recorded on the biology of dascillids. Larvae of Dascillus are found in moist soil or under rocks.

2002, Ross H. Arnett, American Beetles, Volume II:

(coleopterology, entomology) Any beetle of the family Dascillidae.


masarine

In contrast to the majority of bees, which transport pollen externally, masarines take pollen mixed with nectar from flowers with deep corollas (Gess 1996).

2007, James H. Hunt, The Evolution of Social Wasps, page 28:

(entomology) Any wasp in the subfamily Masarinae.


nymphosis

There are probably similarities between morphology and development with the Sagrinae, but the nymphosis here occurs within the soil.

2012, P. Jolivet, Biology of Chrysomelidae, page 6:

(entomology) The passage from the larval state to the nymph state of an insect.


paracymbium

The tarsus consists of two parts, the cymbium and paracymbium. The cymbium is the spoon-shaped base of the tarsus. The paracymbium is only a prominent apophysis arising from the base of the cymbium and is articulated with the cymbium by a movable joint.

2009, P. A. Sebastian, Spiders of India:

(entomology) In certain male spiders, an appendage extending from the cymbium.


hymenopterist

suf

translingual <i class="Latn mention" lang="mul">Hymenoptera</i>

My collecting partner for this trip was long-time friend and hymenopterist Mike Arduser.

(entomology) An entomologist who studies hymenopterans.


distiphallus

(entomology) The enlarged, apical part of the aedeagus in some insects


epandrium

(entomology) The dorsal saddle-shaped part of male terminalia in Diptera


katepisternum

(entomology) The ventral part of the episternum of an insect.


oestroid

en-adj

oestroid (comparative more oestroid, superlative most oestroid)

more oestroid (comparative)
most oestroid (superlative)

(entomology) Of or pertaining to the superfamily Oestroidea


physogastry

From physo- + Ancient Greek γαστήρ (gastḗr, “belly”) + -y.

One of the most bizarre modifications of the beetle abdomen is known as physogastry. Physogastry is a condition in which the abdomen is enlarged. usually through increased growth of the connective membranes, expansion of the internal fat bodies, and subsequent secondary sclerotization of the abdominal sclerites.

2000, Arthur V. Evans, An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles, page 64:

The development of queen physogastry is considered to mark the end of the founding stage. It is often difficult to determine the time required for a queen to become physogastric in termite colonies.

2014, Y. Abe, Termites: Evolution, Sociality, Symbioses, Ecology, page 337:

The most striking characteristic of many termitophiles is physogastry, or the excessive enlargement of the abdomen, which closely resembles that of the hosts and especially that of the old queens.

2015, William Morton Wheeler, The Social Insects: Their Origin and Evolution, page 266:

(entomology) An enlargement of the abdomen in certain insects, especially in termite queens.


scolopale

en-noun

scolopale (plural scolopalae or scolopales)

The organ is composed of a somewhat restricted number of scolopalae, which are connected with sense cells that are also few in number.

1948, Kjell Ehnbom, Studies on the Central and Sympathetic Nervous System and Some Sense Organs in the Head of Neuropteroid Insects:

These scolopidia respond only to extreme depression of the tarsus and thus length differences of the scolopales can account for their angular sensitivity.

1976, Peter John Mill, Structure and Function of Proprioceptors in the Invertebrates, page 348:

This ciliary portion of the dendrite runs through a fluid-filled extracellular space, surrounded by the scolopale cell, and then the dendrite expands into the ciliary dilatation before entering the cap.

1989, Franz Huber, Thomas Edwin Moore, Werner Loher, Cricket Behavior and Neurobiology, →ISBN, page 400:

The side of the scolopale facing the cilium is smooth, whereas the side facing the cytoplasm of the scolopale cell is irregular. Proximal to the cilium, the scolopale divides into short columns which fit into invaginations of the dendrite.

2012, A. B. Borkovec, Edward P. Masler, Insect Neurochemistry and Neurophysiology, →ISBN, page 434:

(entomology) A tube-like structure on the chordotonal organ of an insect.


sebific

(entomology) relating to the fatty fluid secreted by insects from the colleterium in order to cement eggs together


brachelytrous

From Ancient Greek βρᾰχῠ́ς (brăkhŭ́s) + ἔλυτρον (élutron) + -ous.

(entomology, of a beetle) That has short elytrons


brachelytry

(entomology) The condition of being brachelytrous


corotocine

(entomology) Any rove beetle of the subtribe Corotocina


egg burster

(entomology) The toothlike projection that an insect embryo uses to break the egg membrane when hatching


galerucine

(entomology) Any leaf beetle of the subfamily Galerucinae


symphile

(entomology) Any myrmecophilous insect that interacts with the host insects


synoekete

From syn- (compare symbiosis) + Ancient Greek οἰκητής (oikētḗs, “inhabitant”), from οἰκέω (oikéō).

af

(entomology) Any myrmecophilous insect that does not interact with the host insects


termitophilous

(entomology) That has a symbiotic or mutualistic relationship with termites, and typically lives in a termite nest


acrostichal

(entomology, of bristles) Situated on the mesothorax of some dipteran flies


endothoracic

(entomology, rare) Relating to the endothorax.


sternopleural

Sternopleurals medium large.

1931, John Allen Rowe, “A revision of the males of the nearctic species in the genus Fabriciella (Tachinidae)”, in Annals of the Entomological Society of America, volume 24:

(entomology) Short for sternopleural seta or bristle.


digoneutic

From di- +Ancient Greek γονεύω (goneúō, “produce offspring”) (from γονεύς (goneús, “parent”)) + -tic.

der

(entomology) Having two broods per season.


large chequered skipper

en-noun

large chequered skipper (plural large chequered skippers)

(lepidopterology, entomology) A butterfly, Heteropterus morpheus, of the family Hesperiidae.


discocellular

Lower discocellular of hind wing not or very slightly longer, often much shorter than the middle discocellular, always straight, not angled; middle discocellular long, oblique and usually angled near its upper end.

1901, Per Olof Christopher Aurivillius, On the Ethiopian Genera of the Family Striphnopterygidae, page 20:

In this form the cell is said to be closed; however, if one or more of the discocellulars are absent, it is said to be open. The basal sections of the median vein have been lost in adult butterflies, [...]

2016, Michael Braby, The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia, →ISBN, page 5:

(entomology) One of several short transverse veins forming the distal edge of the discal cell in the wing of a lepidopteran insect.


discocellular

(entomology, dated) Pertaining to a discal cell in the wing of a lepidopteran insect.


semicoronet

(entomology) A line of spines half surrounding a part.


semicoronate

(entomology) Having the form of a semicoronet.


mesoventrite

(entomology) A projecting part of the ventral thorax between the mid pair of legs of beetles.


echeme

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἤχημα (ḗkhēma, “a sound”), from ἠχέω (ēkhéō, “I make sound, I chirp”) + -μᾰ (-mă, forming nouns form verbal stems). Introduced by Broughton (1976).

suf

This new term, then, is echeme, defined as: a first-order assemblage of syllables.

[1976, W. B. Broughton, “Proposal for a new term ‘echeme’ to replace ‘chirp’ in animal acoustics”, in Physiological Entomology, volume 1, number 2, →DOI, pages 103–106:

The general pattern of the low-frequency sweep is repeated in each echeme and does not appear to change as the insect matures[…].

1978 July, William Latimer, Aspects of song interaction between the closely related bush cricket genera Platycleis and Metrioptera, DPhil Thesis, City of London Polytechnic (British Library’s microfilm copy), page 44:

[T]he echemes of yersini have a uniform sound, lacking the 'metallic' unevenness characteristic of the echeme-sequences of biguttulus.

1988, D.R. Ragge, W.J. Reynolds, “The songs and taxonomy of the grasshoppers of the Chorthippus biguttulus group in the Iberian Peninsula (Orthoptera: Acrididae)”, in Journal of Natural History, volume 22, number 4, →DOI, pages 897–929:

In sunlight, echemes are shorter, but echeme intervals are longer.

2021, Wilbur L. Hershberger, “Calling and courtship songs of the rare, robust ground cricket, Allonemobius walkeri”, in Journal of Orthoptera Research, volume 30, number 1, →DOI, pages 81–85:

(bioacoustics, entomology) A unit of sound produced by insects that can be broken down into multiple physically more basic sound units (syllables).


synovigenesis

(entomology) The production of eggs throughout a mature insect's life cycle


teratocyte

(entomology) A unicellular form of an embryonic braconid


profurca

(entomology) A bundle of muscles in the thorax of some insects


stenogamous

(entomology, of the mating of insects) Requiring no nuptial flight


cimicoid

en-adj

cimicoid (comparative more cimicoid, superlative most cimicoid)

more cimicoid (comparative)
most cimicoid (superlative)

The group appears to have a blend of both reduvioid and cimicoid features and is probably an early offshoot of the ancestral heteropteran stock.

1980, Cedric Gillott, Entomology, →ISBN, page 206:

As in Scantius, all the immature stages have two-segmented tarsi, but the nymphs are quite different in other respects as they are more cimicoid in outline, paler in colour and the ostioles of the repugnatorial glands are represented by three larger blackish patches.

1984 November 9, A.J. Prins, “Morphological and biological notes on some South African arthropods associated with decaying organic matter”, in Annals of the South African Museum, volume 92, page 109:

During the course of evolution of carnivorous reduviids from the saprophagous Cimicoid stock, the rostrum might have undergone reduction in four to three segments and shortening of segments.

1999, Dunston Ambrose, Assassin Bugs, →ISBN, page 253:

(biology, entomology) Resembling or being a member of the Cimicidae; buglike.


palpomere

(entomology) Any segment of the maxillary palpus of some insects


sex comb

sex comb rotation in Drosophila melanogaster

(entomology) An appendage, in the male of some flies, used to grasp the female prior to mating.


declivant

Head but slightly tumid above; front regularly arcuate and slightly declivant, the frontal costa broadening constantly in width toward the labrum, acuminate above; vertex narrow, the eyes being separated by a space less than equal to the diameter of one of the eyes, the fastigum scarcely declivant; […]

1875, Samuel H. Scudder, Entomological Notes, page 86:

Fastigium of the vertex declivant or sloping.

1909, Frederick Du Cane Godman, Osbert Salvin, Biologia Centrali-americana: Zoology, Botany and Archaeology, page 210:

Head but little tumid above; front vertical above, roundly declivant below the costa, nearly equal, but broadening and fading on approaching the labrum, a little constricted above the antennæ; vertex moderately broad, the eyes[…]

1917, University of Kansas. Department of Entomology, Studies in Kansas Insects: A Treatise Descriptive of the More Common Species, page 90:


subtegula

(entomology) An elongate sclerite at the base of a tegula


basiflagellar

(entomology) Of or relating to the basiflagellum.


IUSSI

(entomology) Initialism of International Union for the Study of Social Insects.


skull-collecting ant

en-noun

skull-collecting ant (plural skull-collecting ants)

(informal, entomology) Formica archboldi, a kind of ant that hunts trap jaw ants and takes their decapitated heads back to its nest.


spinella

(entomology) Small hard tooth-like structures that may be present on the gonosaccus.


eurygamous

(entomology, of the mating of insects) That takes place on a nuptial flight


culicomorph

(entomology) Any insect in the infraorder Culicomorpha, which includes mosquitos, blackflies, and many types of midges


mediocubital

(anatomy, entomology) median and cubital


ptychonome

From ptycho- (compare ptychography) + (-)nome, from Ancient Greek πτυχή (ptukhḗ, “fold”) + νομός (nomós, “division”).

The ptychonome of messaniella containing an Apanteles cocoon is generally recognizable by its large volume, due to an increased maximal distance between the two epidermal layers,

1962, Hymenoptera reprints: Bradley collection:

Larvae of these three genera all form a tentiform mine or ptychonome (Hering 1951).

1983, Carl Hildebrand Lindroth, Entomologica Scandinavica:

(entomology) An enclosure formed (of leaves) by some organisms of the order Lepidoptera; a tentiform mine.


ptychonomous

en-adj

ptychonomous (comparative more ptychonomous, superlative most ptychonomous)

more ptychonomous (comparative)
most ptychonomous (superlative)

Mine : Ptychonomous, on the space between two veins of the lower surface of leaves.

[...] Holotype, allotype, and paratype No. 15893 in Canadian National Collection of Insects, Ottawa. MINE. Ptychonomous, on the lower surface of leaves. BIOLOGY. P. elmaella has three generations a year in the Vancouver district [...]

1980, M Doğanlar, A Mutuura, A new species of Phyllonorycter Hbn. (=Lithocolletis Hbn.) (Lepidoptera: Gracilariidae [sic]) from western North America.:

Styracaceae: Styrax japonicus Sieb. & Zucc. (Kumata 1963). Ptychonomous mine on the upper side of leaves (De Prins and De Prins 2005) [...]

2016, DS Kim, BK Byun, “First discovery of winter-emerging leaf-miner: Phyllonorycter styracis ()(Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) from Korea with DNA barcode”, in Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity:

(entomology, rare) Having the form of, or relating to, a ptychonome. (Compare tentiform.)


workerless

(entomology, of social insects) That have no worker caste.


paraproct

(entomology) Any of various appendages surrounding the anus of some insects


subcostally

(entomology) In the area of the subcosta and/or the area of the wing next to it.


albocerulean

(entomology) A small lycaenid butterfly, Udara albocaerulea, of Asia.


satyrine

(entomology) Any butterfly of the subfamily Satyrinae


three-ring

(entomology) Any of various satyrine butterflies of the genus Ypthima, having circular markings on the wings.


fan-nerved

(entomology) Having a fan-like arrangement of the nervures or veins of the wings.


trifine

(entomology) Of insect wings: three-veined.


phallosome

(entomology) A tube of chitin that houses the penis of some insects


windshield phenomenon

(automotive, entomology, colloquial) The anecdotal observed decrease in the number of insects splattering across windshields during road trips across the years.