Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
larval Pertaining to a larva.
lateral At or close to the sides.
legume A plant in the family Fabaceae (formerly
Leguminosae).
lenticel A pore in a stem that allows gases to pass
between the inside of a plant and the outside air.
macropterous Fully winged.
mandible One of a pair of jaws.
mandibulate With mandibles suitable for biting or
chewing.
mantle In a mollusc, a protective fold of skin covering
part or all of the body; often enclosing a mantle
cavity.
marginal At the margin.
maxilla ( pl . maxillae ) One of a pair of appendages
forming the mouthparts of an insect, lying just
behind the mandibles.
maxillary Pertaining to a maxilla.
melanic Exhibiting melanism, a darkness of colour that
results from the presence of black pigment.
mesothorax The second (middle) segment of the
thorax, bearing the first pair of wings (fore wings)
and the second pair of legs.
metamorphosis Change of form from one state to
another.
metathorax The third (hindmost) segment of the
thorax, bearing the second pair of wings (hind wings)
and the third pair of legs.
micropyle A tiny pore in an insect egg.
midrib The central or main vein of a leaf.
moniliform Bead-like.
mouth-hooks The rasping, hook-like part of the
cephalopharyngeal skeletion of a fly larva, formed
from the mandibles.
Nearctic The zoogeographical region encompassing the
arctic and temperate parts of North America.
notifiable pest A non-native pest, suspected outbreaks
of which must be reported immediately to Plant
Health authorities.
nymph The immature growth stage of a hemimetabolous
or semi-hemimetabolous insect, usually similar in
general appearance to the adult and often sharing
similar feeding habits; wing buds (when present)
develop externally and increase in size at each
successive moult; compound eyes often present
(cf. larva). Also, the usually eight-legged growth stage
of a mite between the six-legged 'larva' and the adult.
nymphal Pertaining to a nymph.
ocellus ( pl . ocelli ) A simple, non-focussing, light-
sensitive, usually oval or round eye; in an adult
insect, three ocelli often form a triangle at the top of
the head, between the compound eyes (q.v.).
oligophagous Feeding on a limited range of related
plants.
omnivorous Feeding on all kinds of material, both
animal and vegetable.
ootheca ( pl . oothecae ) The purse-like, egg-containing
structure produced by cockroaches and other
Dictyoptera.
operculum ( pl . opercula ) A lid-like structure.
ovariole One of several egg-producing tubules into
which an ovary is divided.
ovipara ( pl . oviparae ) A female aphid that lays eggs.
oviposition The act of egg laying.
ovipositor The egg-laying apparatus of an insect.
ovisac An often silken, cocoon-like sac which contains
eggs.
Palaearctic The zoogeographical region encompassing
Europe, Africa north of the Sahara and most of Asia
north of the Himalayas.
palp A segmented, sensory structure arising from the
maxilla or the labium of an insect. See also pedipalp .
papilla ( pl . papillae ) A small, often finger-like,
projection.
parasite An organism which lives in or on another (the
host), obtaining nourishment from it but giving
nothing in return.
parasitoid A parasite in which only the immature stages
are parasitic, the adult being free-living. Unlike a
parasite, a parasitoid usually kills its host.
parthenogenesis Reproduction that does not involve
sex.
parthenogenetic Reproducing asexually.
pathogen An organism that causes disease.
pathogenic Disease-causing.
pedicel The second segment of an insect antenna,
between the scape and the flagellum.
pedipalp One of a pair of sensory, leg-like structures
arising from the gnathosoma of a mite.
petiolus In certain Hymenoptera, the narrow 'waist' or
stalk between the gaster and the propodeum.
phoresy The involuntary transportation of one organism
by another, without involving parasitism.
phoretic Undertaking phoresy.
phytophagous Plant feeding.
pinaculum ( pl . pinacula ) A small, chitinized, pimple-
like plate on the body of an insect larva.
pinna ( pl. pinnae ) A leaflet or primary division of the
compound leaf of a plant.
pleuron The lateral section of a body segment.
plumose With numerous feathery branches; feathery.
polyphagous Feeding on a wide range of hosts.
prepupa ( pl . prepupae ) The non-feeding stage of
development of a holometabolous insect between the
final-instar larva and the pupa.
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