|
|
| Abdomen:
the rear
section of the three major body divisions, located at the end
of the thorax. |
| |
| Aestivate:
to pass the summer in a dormant or torpid state. |
| |
| Book
lung:
respiratory organ in many arachnids consisting of many thin
folds of membrane resembling the leaves of a book. |
| |
| Calcareous:
consisting of or containing calcium carbonate, calcium, or limestone. |
| |
| Canada
balsam: a
resin-based substance used for mounting specimens onto microslides
for viewing under a microscope. See also Euparal.
|
| |
| Carnivores:
animals that
feed on the flesh of other animals. |
| |
| Carnoy's:
a substance
consisting of glacial acetic acid, 95% ethyl alcohol and chloroform
which is used for fixing large larvae of moths, butterflies,
beetles, bees and wasps as it preserves their colour and body
marking and prevents shrinkage. The larvae must be placed alive
in the fixative. For more information refer to Upton
(1991). |
| |
| Caste:
a distinct
type of body form within a colony of social insects e.g. soldier,
worker, queen. |
| |
| Caterpillar:
a soft bodied
larva with a number of prolegs or false legs on the abdomen
in addition to the six true thoracic legs. Usually refers to
the larvae of moths and butterflies. |
| |
| Cellulose:
the substance
which makes up the essential parts of tissues and fibres in
plants, wood, linen and paper. |
| |
| Cephalothorax:
the
front body section of arachnids and some crustaceans which consists
of the fused head and thorax. |
| |
| Cerci:
a pair of
jointed appendages on the tip of the abdomen of insects and
other arthropods. |
| |
| Chelicerae:
the first pair of fang-like appendages near the mouth of an
arachnid, often modified for grasping and piercing. |
| |
| Cocoon:
a protective
case often of silk or similar fibrous material forming a natural
protective covering or structure around such things as the pupae
or eggs of some invertebrates. |
| |
| Complete
Life Cycle: the
growth cycle where the young have a different form from the
adults and undergo a pupal stage to become the adult. Stages
usually consist of egg-larvae-pupa-adult. |
| |
| Compound
eyes: eye
which consists of many light-sensitive lens, each with its own
refractive system and each forming a portion of an image. |
| |
| Cribellum:
a sieve-like organ of some spiders which is used for spinning
a special kind of silk.
|
| |
| Cuticle:
hardened
or membranous protective layer covering the body of many invertebrates
especially arthropods. |
| |
| Elytra:
the hardened
forewings used to protect the membranous hind wings of insects
in the order Coleoptera (beetles and weevils). |
| |
| Entognathous:
having the
mouthparts in pockets or oral folds from which they can be protruded
when feeding. |
| |
| Ethyl
alcohol:
distilled alcohol made from grain and often used in medicines,
colognes, cleaning solutions and rocket fuel . |
| |
| Euparal:
a resin-based substance used for mounting specimens onto microslides
for viewing under a microscope. See
also Canada balsam. |
| |
| Femur:
(pl:
femora)
the third of five segments of an insects' leg and is often the
largest segment. |
| |
| Filamentous:
(filiform)
thin and thread-like. |
| |
| Furca:
any fork-like
structure; esp. in reference to the fork-like 'tails' of Collembola. |
| |
| Glycerol:
a syrupy,
sweet, colourless or yellowish liquid obtained from fats and
oils and often used in cosmetics, liquid soaps, inks, and lubricants
or as a sweetener or antifreeze. |
| |
| Halteres:
small club-shaped structures that vibrate and act as gyroscopic
stabilisers. They are the reduced hind wings of insects in the
Diptera order. |
| |
| Heinz
(PVA) mounting medium:
a substance made with poly vinyl alcohol, distilled water, glycerol,
phenol/distilled water solution, chloral hydrate and lactic
acid used as a temporary mounting medium. This medium tends
to degrade over time but is useful is specimens do not need
to be kept. Specimens can be lifted from slides by dissolving
the mountant in lactophenol. |
| |
| Herbivores:
animals that feed on plants. |
| |
| Hermaphrodite:
an animal
or plant; having both male female reproductive organs. |
| |
| Hexapod:
six legged |
| |
| Hoyers:
a water-miscible
substance made up of gum arabic, chloral hydrate, water and
glycerine used as a mounting medium for specimens on microslides.
|
| |
| Incomplete
Metamorphosis: where
the young develop gradually, appearing similar to the adults
and do not undergo a pupal stage. |
| |
| Instar:
refers to one stage of growth between moults, e.g. 3 larval
instars (or growth stages) before an insects pupates. The number
of larval instars varies between insects and may range from
3 to 30. |
| |
| Isopropyl
alcohol:
is
a clear, colourless liquid with a bitter taste and a smell of
acetone. Often used in rubbing alcohol, household cleaning products
and antifreeze. |
| |
| KAA:
a substance
consisting of glacial acetic acid, 95% ethyl alcohol and kerosene
which is used for fixing large larvae of moths, butterflies,
beetles, bees and wasps as it preserves their colour and body
marking and prevents shrinkage. The larvae must be placed alive
in the fixative. For more information refer to Upton
(1991). |
| |
| Larva:
(larvae) the immature stage of
most insects. Usually grub-like in appearance. |
| |
| Mandibles:
the jaws
of an insect which consist of the upper chewing pair of mouthparts,
sometimes modified into other shapes. |
| |
| Mandibulate:
biting or
chewing mouthparts. |
| |
| Membranous:
transparent,
usually referring to the flying wings of insects. |
| |
| Mesonotum:
the upper
surface covering the middle segment of the thorax of insects. |
| |
| Metamorphosis:
a change
in the appearance or function of a living organism, by a natural
process of growth or development. |
| |
| Monofiliform:
of bead-like
appearance, usually in reference to the shape of antennae. |
| |
| Moult:
to shed the
hard outer skin of an invertebrate during growth. |
| |
| Nocturnal:
being
most active during the night. |
| |
| Nymph:
the immature stage of certain species of insects. Nymphs usually
resemble their parents but are mostly smaller and lack wings. |
| |
| Ocellus:
(pl:
ocelli)
simple eye consisting of a single lens. Simple eyes often occur
in patterns of three in many insects. |
| |
| Omnivore:
an animal
that feeds on both animal and vegetable matter. |
| |
| Ootheca:
an
egg case of some insects and molluscs which is formed by the
hardened of a sticky substance secreted from a special organ
known as the colleterial gland. |
| |
| Ovipositor:
tubular apparatus,
usually concealed but sometimes extending some length outside
the end of the abdomen, with which many female insects deposit
eggs. |
| |
| Parasite:
(vrb: parasitise) an organism that
feeds on or in a different organism while contributing nothing
to the survival of its host. |
| |
| Parasitoid:
a term which
is applied to insects whose larvae are parasites of other insects
and eventually kill the host. |
| |
| Pedipalps:
one of the second pair of jointed appendages near to the mouth
arachnids that are modified for reproductive, predatory, or
sensory functions. |
| |
| Pheromone:
a chemical
secreted by an animal, especially insects that influences the
behaviour of other animals of the same species. Often used as
an attractant for the opposite sex. |
| |
| Phloem:
the food-conducting
tissue of vascular plants. |
| |
| Plumose:
having feathers
or feather-like growths or resembling a plume. |
| |
| Predators:
an
organism that exists by preying on other living organisms. |
| |
| Preorally:
before
or in front of the mouth. |
| |
| Prepupa:
an inactive
stage just before the pupal stage in the development of some
insects. |
| |
| Proboscis:
the lengthened
mouthparts which are modified to form a tube for piercing and
sucking, or other specialised ways of feeding. This term may
also refer to the coiled feeding tube of moths and butterflies.
See rostrum
also. |
| |
| Prolegs:
small, short
leg-like appendages on the abdomen of some caterpillars that
assist in locomotion. |
| |
| Pronotum:
the upper
surface of the first segment of the thorax of an insect. May
be enlarged to form a shield over the rest of the thorax. |
| |
| Pupa:
(pl:
pupae)
a non-feeding and relatively inactive stage between the larvae
and adults stages of insects with a complete
life cycle. Often referred to as a chrysalis in butterflies
and moths. |
| |
| Pupating:
(pupate) to
go through the pupal stage. See Pupa. |
| |
| Radula:
a
flexible tongue-like organ in some molluscs that consists of
rows of horny teeth on the surface. |
| |
| Raptorial:
adapted for
catching and holding prey. They usually have sharp claws and
spines or bristles. |
| |
| Rostrum:
the elongated piercing and sucking mouthparts of all species
in the Hemiptera. Also applied to the snout of weevils (Curculionidae).
See proboscis
also. |
| |
| Scape:
the first
and usually the largest segment of the antennae. |
| |
| Scavengers:
an animal
that feeds on dead or decaying material. |
| |
| Sclerotised:
hardened
or toughened tissue, like the elytra of a beetles forewing. |
| |
| Spermatophore:
a packet
or capsule containing spermatozoa which is produced by the male
to be transferred to the female for fertilisation. |
| |
| Spinnerets:
tubular structures found on the end of the abdomen of spiders
and some insect larvae (e.g. silkworms) that secrete silk threads
from which they form webs or cocoons. |
| |
| Symbiotic:
a relationship
between two or more different organisms of different species
that does not necessarily benefit each member. |
| |
| Tarsus:
(pl:
tarsi)
the last of the five sections of an insects' leg, i.e. "the
foot". The tarsus itself is also divided into five parts.
|
| |
| Thorax:
the middle
section of the three major body divisions, located between the
head and the abdomen. The wings and legs are all appendages
of the thorax. |
| |
| Tibia:
the forth
of five segments of an insects' leg, usually the longest segment
and is often thin, straight or slightly curved and may have
spines. |
| |
| Uropods:
one of the
last pair of appendages on the end of the abdomen of certain
crustaceans, such as the lobster or slater. |
| |
| Xylem:
the supporting tissues and water-conducting tissue of vascular
plants. |
| |
