Glossary
Anterior: Forward Facing
Aposematic: Warning colouration
Balancers: Small, club-shaped organs, also called halteres. If present, they are situated behind the first pair of wings
Brachypterous: With tegmina & wings shorter than the abdomen but overlapping & touching each other dorsally.
Caste: A group of social insects (e.g) termites of similar anatomy & biological function.
Cerci: Jointed, generally paired appendages at the tip of the abdomen.
Cheliped: Claw-bearing appendage, terminating in pincers.
Chrysalis: The pupal stage of some Butterflies & Moths.
Clypeus: Part of the insect head, in front of or below the frons.
Clubbed: Thickened at the end & usually pertaining to the end of the insect antennae.
Cremaster: A stout terminal abdominal ‘stem’ by which a pupa is attached to a supportive surface, such as a leaf of stem.
Crepusclar: Active at dusk.
Cryptic: Protective colouration facilitating concealment.
Defoliate: To extensively strip leaves.
Detrital feeder: An eater of dertritus.
Dimorphism: (sexual) Males & Females of the same species having difference in form, colour, size etc.
Distal: Furthest from the body’s centre.
Diurnal: Active during the day.
Dorsal: The upper of top surface.
Dorsoventral: Between the upper & lower surface. A dorsoventrally compressed insect lies flat against the surface on which it sits.
Endemic: A native to & restricted in distribution to a particular region.
Endoparasite: A parasite living within the body of its host.
Exoskeleton: The armour-like outer skin of arthropods.
Exuvia: (pl. exuviae) Empty nymphal skin.
Fastigium: The front part of the vertex, projecting forwards between the eyes.
Femur: The third of the 5 segments of the insect leg, between the trochanter & the tibia.
Filiform: Thread-like (used to describe antennae of other appendages of the body.)
Flagellum: The distal section of the antennae.
Flange: Flattened, sometimes concave or convex edge.
Fossorial: Adapted for digging.
Frons: The front part of the insect head, between the eyes.
Halteres: Club-shaped balancing organs. If present they are usually placed behind the first pair of wings.
Hemelytra: The partially membranous first pair of wings of bugs.
Hirsute: Hairy.
Host: An animal or plant, which is a food source for a parasite.
Imago: The adult, or perfect stage of an insect.
Instar: One stage of growth between moults.
Lamellate: Antennae with fan-like segments.
Mandibles: Pair of chewing mouthparts (jaws).
Mandibulate: With biting & chewing mouthparts.
Mesothorax: The middle segment of the thorax.
Metathorax: The rear segment of the thorax.
Moniliform: Bead-like (used to describe antennae).
Morph: Form.
Morphology: Anatomy, structure.
Nocturnal: Active at night.
Nuptial flight: Flight taken by insects when mating takes place.
Nymph: The larval form of an insect, which develops through incomplete metamorphosis.
Occiput: The back section of the insect head.
Ocellus: (pl. ocelli) A simple, single-lensed eye.
Omnivorous: Eats animal & plant tissues.
Ovipositor: Egg-laying organ.
Palps: (pl.palpi) Appendages around the mouthparts; part of the complex sensory & feeding organs.
Parasite: Organism that feeds on another living organism, without killing it.
Parasitoid: Organism that feeds on another living organism, eventually killing it.
Parthenogenesis: Reproduction from unfertilised eggs.
Pathogen: Disease-causing organism.
Pedicel: The part of the antennae between the scape & flagellum.
Perfect insect: Imago, or adult form.
Phytophagous: Feeding on plants.
Posterior: Situated behind.
Predaceous: Hunts & eats other animals.
Proboscis: Extended mouthparts, often adapted for sucking.
Proleg: Leg-like organs assisting locomotion (eg. Caterpillar legs’)
Pronotum: Dorsal surface of the first segment of the thorax.
Prothorax: The front part of the thorax.
Proximal: The part of any appendage which is in closest proximity to the body.
Pubescence: Fine, short downy hair.
Raptorial: Adapted to seize & hold prey.
Rostrum: Beak-like piercing & sucking mouthparts.
Scape: The basal section of the antennae.
Sclerotised: Hardened – toughened.
Scutellum: The visible, usually triangular part of the metathorax as seen from above.
Spiracles: Small breathing holes positioned on the sides of the insect abdomen & thorax. Also called stigmata.
Stridulation: The Production of sound by rubbing two parts of the insect body.
Substratum: Support; a base to build on or be suspended from.
Synanthropic: An animal which lives close to humans.
Tarsus: (pl. tarsi) the foot, consisting of one to five segments attached to the apex of the tibia.
Tegmen: (pl. tegmina) the sclerotised first pair of wings of Orthopteroid insects. Eg. Crickets, Grasshoppers, Katydids & Locusts.
Thanatosis: A passive defence mechanism by feigning death.
Tibia: The fourth of 5 segments of the insect leg, between the femur & the tarsus.
Trochanter: Part of the insect leg.
Venation: The system of veins/tubes of the insect wing.
Ventral: Underside.
Vertex: The top part of the insect head.