Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology
Chapter 9
Laemodipodiform: like a laemodipod; similar to the larva of a walking stick.
Laete: bright.
Laevis -igatus: smooth, shining and without elevations: said of a surface.
Lamella: a thin plate or leaf-like process.
Lamellate: antennae with the club formed of closely opposed leaf-like surfaces, the concealed surfaces set with sensory pits.
Lamellicornia: those beetles in which the antennae terminate in a lamellate or leaf-like club.
Lamelliform: made up of or resembling leaves, blades or lamellae.
Lamina -ae: a chitinous plate or plates.
Lamina externa: the paraglossa.
Lamina interna: the ligula.
Lamina subgenitalis: the sub-genital plate; q.v.: in roaches the 7th ventral plate of females and 9th ventral plate of males.
Lamina supra-analis: = supra-anal plate.
Laminate: formed of thin, flat layers or leaves.
Laminato-carinate: with an elevated ridge or keel, formed of thin plates.
Laminiform: layer-like: having the appearance or made up of lamina.
Lana: wool: the long hair on the abdomen of some Lepidoptera.
Lanate -atus: woolly: covered with dense, fine, long hairs, so distinct that they may be separated.
Lanceolate: lance- or spear-shaped: oblong and tapering to the end.
Lanceolate cell: in Hymenoptera (ort.); - 2d anal (Comst.).
Lancet: indiscriminately applied to any piercing mouth structure.
Lanuginose -us: with long, curled hair dispersed over the surface: see crinitus.
Lanugo: slender single hairs.
Laparostict: that series of lamellicorn beetles in which the abdominal spiracles are situated on the connecting membrane between the dorsal and ventral rings.
Lapidicolous: living under deeply imbedded stones.
Larva: the second stage of insect development; comes from the egg or ovum, grows, and according to its kind, changes to a pupa or chrysalis or to an imago; bears various names in the different orders: see nymph; caterpillar slug; maggot; grub.
Larvarium: a tube or case made by a larva as a shelter or retreat.
Larvatae: asked; applied to coarctate and obtect pupae.
Larvina: a maggot: a dipterous larva without distinct head or legs.
Larvule: applied to early stages of Ephemerid larvae when they appear to have no developed respiratory, circulatory or nervous systems.
Lashed: eyes that have a more or less complete fringe of stiff hairs or bristles at the orbits.
Lasureus: a very dark blue [French blue with some black].
Laterad: toward the side and away from the median line.
Lateral: relating, pertaining or attached to the side.
Lateral areas: in Hymenoptera; on the metanotum, the three spaces between the median and lateral long carinae; the upper is the external or first lateral basal area; the second is the external or central lateral area; the third is the middle, internal, apical or third lateral area.
Lateral bristles: in Diptera; situated at or near the lateral margins of the abdominal segments.
Lateral carinae: in Orthoptera; on the head, extend downward from the front margin of the eyes: on prothorax extend along each lateral margin of the dorsum.
Lateral foveolae: in Orthoptera: foveate depressions on the margins of the vertex near the front border of the eye.
Lateral line: in caterpillars is at the margin of the dorsum between sub-dorsal and supra-stigmatal line.
Lateral lobe: of the labium in Odonata, corresponds to the paraglossa with palpiger and palpus (Gerstaecker) or, more probably, to the palpus alone (Butler).
Lateral lobes: the deflexed portions of pronotum that cover the sides of pro-thorax in many Orthoptera: in certain Hymenoptera, lie on each side of the parapsidal furrows of mesoscutum and = scapulae.
Lateral longitudinal area: of Hymenoptera, extends between the median and pleural carinae of metanotum.
Lateral ridge: in slug caterpillars, extends longitudinally along the lateral series of abdominal tubercles.
Lateral scale: one of the lateral processes of the ovipositor in Cynipidae, lying within and below the anal scale.
Lateral space: in slug caterpillars is the area on each side of the body between the subdorsal and lateral ridges.
Lateral sutures: of the thorax in Odonata, are situated on the sides of thorax, the first separating the metepisternum from the mesepimeron; the second separating the metepisternum from the metepimeron; the first more or less obsolete in the Anisoptera.
Lateral tubercle: lateral on thoracic and abdominal segments of caterpillars: it is 3 of the abdomen, 2a of thorax: constant (Dyar).
Latericeous: = lateritius: q.v.
Lateritius: yellowish-red; yellowish brick color [pale clay yellow with a little red].
Laterodorsal: the point of junction of dorsum and pleurum.
Lateropharyngeal: applied to the 4th pair of salivary glands in bees; situated on each side of the pharynx.
Laterostigmatal: situated on the side, immediately above the spiracle.
Lateroventral: the point of junction of sternum and pleurum.
Latero-ventral metathoracic carina: in Odonata; forms the dividing line between the metepimera and the metasternum.
Latescent: becoming obscure or hidden.
Latreille's segment: the first abdominal segment of those Hymenoptera in which it is fused with the thorax:= median segment, propodeon, propodeum.
Latticed: = cancellate; q.v.
Latus: the side: broad.
Latuscula: the facets of the compound eye.
Leathery: having the appearance or texture of leather.
Lectotype: a co-type chosen, subsequently to the original description, to take the place which in other cases a holotype occupies.
Leg -s: the jointed appendages attached to the thoracic segments, used in walking: the organs of locomotion other than wings: unjointed organs of locomotion are pro-legs or false legs; q.v.
Legion: a group of genera, subequal to a tribe.
Legnum: the margin of a squama.
Lemniscate: ribbon-like: in the form of an 8.
Lenticular: round, doubly convex; like a lens or lentil.
Lepidoptera: scale-winged: an order of insects with spirally coiled haustellate mouth structures; head free; thorax agglutinate; transformations complete four scale-covered wings.
Lepidopteric acid: a green pigment obtained from the wing scales of Lepidoptera; a derivative of uric acid: see Lepidotic acid.
Lepidopteron: a butterfly or moth: one of the Lepidoptera.
Lepidotic: set with minute scales.
Lepidotic acid: a yellow pigment obtained from certain butterfly scales a derivative of uric acid: see Lepidopteric acid.
Lepis: a scale.
Leprous: with loose, irregular scales.
Leptiform: = compodeiform; q.v.
Leptos: small, fine.
Lethargic: torpid or inactive.
Leucine: a white crystalline compound, the product of animal decomposition, found in the malpighian tubes: as a color, cheesy white.
Leucocytes: pale, unicellular bodies, numerous in the insect blood.
Levator: a muscle that raises an organ or a part.
Levigate -us: with a smooth, somewhat shiny surface.
Liber: free.
Ligament: a band or sheet of tough, fibrous tissue between two parts or segments.
Ligneous -eus: wood brown [Vandyke brown].
Lignivorous: feeding upon wood or woody tissues.
Ligula: the central sclerite of the labium, borne upon the mentum, usually single, sometimes paired: often used as synonymous with "glossa" and "tongue": corresponds to the united laciniae of right and left maxillae: see also elytral ligula.
Ligulate: strap-shaped; linear, much longer than broad.
Lilacinous: lilac-colored [lilac].
Limaciform: having the form of a Limax or slug; said of larvae.
Limb: the circumference: the area surrounding the disc.
Limbate: when a disc is surrounded by a margin of different color.
Limbus: the area along the outer and posterior margin of wing beyond the closed cells; Homoptera, Cicada.
Limpid: clear and transparent: applied to wings and ornamentation.
Line: a narrow streak or stripe: as a term of measurement, one-twelfth of an inch; commonly used by English and early American authors.
Linea: a line or narrow stripe.
Linear: straight; in the form of a right line.
Lineate: marked with lines or streaks: lined.
Lineolet: a delicate fine line.
Lingua: the tongue; applied in Hymenoptera, to the ligula: in Lepidoptera and Diptera, to maxillary structures: has also been used for the hypopharynx, and that use might be adopted: a median organ of the hypopharynx in Apterygota.
Lingua spiralis: the spiral tongue of Lepidoptera: see glossa.
Linguiform: tongue-shaped: linear, with the extremities obtusely rounded.
Lingula: in Aleurodidae, a more or less slender tongue or strap-shaped organ, attached cephalad within the vasiform orifice: a term proposed by Leuckart for the ligula of the bees.
Lipochromus: without color.
Lipoptera: = Mallophaga; q.v.
Literate: ornamented with characters like letters.
Littoral: living along the sea-coast or in the shore debris: strictly, between tide marks.
Littoralia: Heteroptera that live in marshes.
Litura: an indistinct spot, paler at its margin.
Livid: yellowish gray with a violet tinge: greenish gray.
Lobate -us: divided by deep, undulating and successive incisions.
Lobe: any prominent rounded process or excrescence on a margin: specifically, the rounded, tooth-like processes on the margin of the pygidium of the Diaspinae: also applied to lateral expansions of the abdominal segments.
Lobes: of the maxilla; see galea (outer) and lacinia (inner): of the mentum in Coleoptera, are the lateral expansions shielding the base of the central organs.
Lobes of pronotum: in Orthoptera; the spaces or areas formed by three transverse impressions on the pronotum: that which borders the head is the anterior lobe, the hindmost is the posterior lobe, those intervening are the middle lobes.
Lobiform: shaped like a lobe or rounded process.
Lobulate: divided into, or with many small lobes or lobules.
Lobule: in Coccidae, one of the two distinct parts of which a lobe is sometimes composed.
Lobulus: the partly separated portion of the wings of some flies and of secondaries in some Hymenoptera: also used as = alula; q.v.
Lobus: of maxilla = galea; q.v.
Locomotion: organs of, are legs and wings.
Longicorn -ia: having the antennae as long or longer than the body; specifically the Cerambycid beetles.
Longitudinal: in the direction of the long axis.
Longitudinal veins: are those that extend lengthwise through the wing either directly from base or as branches of one that does start there: they are named or numbered, and differently in the different orders.
Loop: applied to that structure at base of innerside of primaries into which the frenulum of male moths is fitted: see retinaculum.
Looper: applied to geometrid and other caterpillars in which some or all the middle abdominal legs are wanting and which move by bringing tail to thorax and forming a loop of the intervening segments.
Lora: the chitinous bands connecting the submentum with the cardo of maxilla (Comst.): the submentum: small cords upon which the base of the proboscis is seated (Say): the anterior part of the genae at the edge of the mouth: the corneous processes to which the muscles flexing the mouth in certain Diptera are attached, and in that sense the palpifer of the maxilla: in Homoptera, the small sclerite at side of clypeus and front, extending laterally to the genae.
Lorum: in bees: the angular piece upon which the sub-mentum rests.
Lower austral zone: occupies southern part of United States from Chesapeake Bay to the great interior valley of California. Is interrupted by the continental divide in eastern Arizona and west New Mexico and divided according to conditions of humidity into an eastern or Austroriparian and western or lower Sonoran area.
Lower field: in termini; see costal field.
Lower fronto-orbital bristles: in Diptera: are on the lower part of front, above the antennae, along the orbit.
Lower margin: of tegmina (Thomas), is the costal or anterior margin of other authors.
Lower radial vein: in Lepidoptera (Holland) media 2 (Comst.).
Lower sector of triangle: in Odonata - = cubitus 2 (Comst.).
Lower Sonoran faunal area: comprises the most arid deserts of North America, beginning west of lat. 98 degrees in Texas: sends narrow arms into southern New Mexico, is interrupted by the Continental Divide; covers a large part of w. and s. Ariz., s. w. Nev., s. w. Calif., a portion of central Calif., and most of Lower Calif. These areas are irregular and incapable of brief definition.
Lubricate -ous: covered with a slippery mucus.
Lucid: shining; applied to luminous insects.
Luciferase: a substance in the nature of an enzyme, existing in the luminous organs of light-giving beetles.
Luciferine: a substance in the blood of luminous beetles which, when brought into contact with luciferase, produces light.
Luciferous: light giving.
Lucifugous: fleeing the light: applied to nocturnal forms or those that live in concealment.
Lumen: the cavity of an organ: the inner surface of a tube: the hollow portion of a gland or vesicular structure.
Luminescence: applied to the light of fire-flies, as a substitute for phosphorescence.
Lumper: one who, in describing species or genera recognizes only prominent or obvious characters to the exclusion of minor color or variable characters of maculation or structure: see splitter.
Lunaris or Lunate: crescent-shaped: formed like a new moon.
Lunula: a small lunule or crescent.
Lunulae: in Hymenoptera, crescent-shaped marks near the orbits.
Lunulate: a line, when made up of a series of small lunules.
Lunule: a lunate mark or crescent.
Lurid -us: dirty brown with a bluish tinge [pale brown + a little French blue]: also used to indicate an obscuring of bright colors.
Luteo -testaceous: dark clay yellow.
Luteous -eus: clay yellow [pale clay yellow].
Lutescent: becoming or appearing to be clay yellow.
Lutose -us: apparently or really covered with dirt.
Lymphatic: producing, carrying or relating to the lymph.
Lyrate: lyre-shaped: cut into several transverse segments, and gradually enlarging towards the extremity.
Lyre: the upper wall or border of the spinning tube of caterpillars.
M
Macrochaetae: the long bristles occurring singly on the body of Diptera.
Macropterous: long or large winged.
Macrosomites: the primitive regions of primitive hand of the insect embryo.
Macula: a colored mark larger than a spot; of indeterminate figure.
Maculate -ed: spotted or marked with figures of any shape, of a color different from the ground.
Maculation: the ornamentation or pattern of marking.
Maculose: spotted; with many marks or spots.
Maerianum: "that segment of the post-pectus situate one on each side behind the acetabulum and parapleurum"; it supports the posterior feet: see meriaeum.
Magenta: pinkish red; an aniline product.
Magis: more.
Maggot: applied to the footless larvae of Diptera.
Mala: a lobe: a ridged or grinding surface.
Mala mandibularis: the grinding surface or area of a mandible.
Mala maxillae: the globes of maxilla; outer or galea, inner or lacinia; where only one is present, the term refers to that one.
Malaxation: a kneading or softening; applied to the chewing and squeezing by fossorial wasps of insects captured as food for their larva.
Male: that sex having organs for the production of spermatozoa: designated by "?", the astronomical sign for Mars. {Scanner's comment: The sign for Mars being an diagonal arrow rising from a circle, and pointing upwards towards the right.}
Mallophaga: wool-eaters: an ordinal term applied to biting lice: wingless: mandibulate; thoracic segments similar; no metamorphosis: =Lipoptera.
Malpighian tubules: long, slender tubules, varying in number, serving as excretory organs, entering the alimentary canal at the point of junction of chylific ventricle and ileum: said to be analogous with kidneys: = biliary vessels.
Mammilate: with nipple-like protuberances or processes.
Mandible: the lateral upper jaws of a biting insect.
Mandibular strobe: a broad deep groove on outer side of mandible in some Coleoptera.
Mandibular segment: the fourth or mandible bearing segment of head.
Mandibulata: that series of insects in which the adults have functional mandibles used for biting.
Mandibulate: with jaws or mandibles.
Manicate -us: fur-like: surface clothed with irregular depressed hair.
Manitrunk: that part of trunk that bears the anterior legs: =prothorax.
Manometabola: with a slight or gradual metamorphosis and without a resting stage; e.g. the Orthoptera.
Manubrium: in Coleoptera: that part of the mesosternum in Elateridae which forms the process for fitting into the cavity of the prothorax: in Collembola the basal part of the furculum.
Manus: the hand: formerly applied to the anterior tarsus.
Marbled: irregularly mottled, gray and white, like marble; = marmoratus.
Marcescent: shrivelling.
Margaritaceous: shining, like mother of pearl = nacreous; q.v.
Margin: that portion of a surface within the edge, bounded on the inner side by the sub-margin and consisting of a more or less dilated imaginary line.
Marginal: of, belonging to, or near the margin.
Marginal area: in Orthoptera; see mediastinal area.
Marginal bristles: in Diptera; are inserted on the posterior margin of the abdominal segment.
Marginal cell: in Diptera (Williston):= subcostal (Shiner):= radial (Comst.): in Hymenoptera:= radial and 2 (Comst.): in general that cell beyond the stigma.
Marginal field: in tegmina = costal field: q.v.
Marginal nervure or vein: in Orthoptera, = costa (Comst.): in Hymenoptera (Norton) = radius 3 (Comst.): in general, the vein forming the marginal cell.
Margined -ated: bounded by an elevated or attenuated margin: when the margin is edged by a flat border.
Marmorate -us: spots and lines irregularly disposed, as in marble: marbled. Mask: in the nymphs of Odonata, the modified labium which, when at rest, conceals the other mouth parts.
Masticate: to chew.
Masticatory: formed for chewing or grinding; applied to the mouth parts and to the grinding structures in the gizzard.
Mastigium -ia: telescopic anal organs in certain caterpillars, serving to repel attacks of parasites.
Matrix: the formative substance from which cells and other structures are derived.
Maxilla: without any qualifying adjective, the second pair of jaws in a mandibulate insect; the most persistent when the mouth is modified, and represented by some functional part in all insects in which the mouth structures are useful: second maxillae, = the labium, or third pair of jaws in a mandibulate insect.
Maxillary: attached or belonging to the maxilla; e.g. palpi.
Maxillary palpi: the first pair of palpi, borne on the maxilla.
Maxillary pleurites: the lateral pieces, epimera and episterna of the maxillary segment.
Maxillary segment: the sixth segment of the head, bearing the maxillae.
Maxillary tendons: two slender rods in basal third of the muscid proboscis the remnant of the palpifer, to which muscles for flexing the proboscis are attached: see lora.
Maxillary tentacle: in female Pronuba: a specialized process of palpifer.
Maxillulae: a pair of appendages in Thysanurids, between mandibles and first maxillae.
Maxime: very much or very large.
Mealy: with a flour-like dusting: = farinose.
Mecaptera: = Mecoptera, q.v.
Meconium: the substance excreted by certain metabolic insects soon after their emergence from the chrysalis or pupa.
Mecoptera: long-winged: neuropterous insects with similar, large, unfolded wings; mouth mandibulate, prolonged into a beak: head free; thorax agglutinated; transformations complete: the scorpion flies or Panorpidae. Medi-: prefix, = middle.
Media: the fourth of the longitudinal veins extending from base through approximately the middle of the wing, not more than four branched, the branches numbered on margin from nearest apex, to 4 nearest anal angle: in Orthoptera; it is the median or externomedian: in Lepidoptera (Pack.), is cubitus (Comst.).
Mediad: toward the median plane or middle.
Mediafurca: a process extending internally from the meso-sternum, to which the muscles are attached.
Medial: referring to, or at the middle.
Medial cells: (Comst.), are anteriorly bounded by the media or its branches: in Hymenoptera (Mort.), includes median and cubital (Comst.)
Medial cross-vein: (Comst.), is between media 2 and 3.
Median 1: in Lepidoptera (Pack.), = media 2 (Comst.).
Median 2: in Lepidoptera (Pack.), = media 3 (Comst.).
Median 4: in Lepidoptera ( Pack.), = cubitus 2 (Comst.).
Median area: of wings in Orthoptera, lies between the radial and ulnar veins, radius and media (Comst.): of meta-thorax of Hymenoptera, is the middle of the dorsum, divided into three spaces or cells; 1st or basal area, 2d or Lipper median or areola; 3d or apical or petiolar area.
Median carina: Orthoptera; of head, is usually applied to a median dorsal carina, but has been also used for that which extends down the middle of front from the fastigium, and then = frontal costa: of prothorax, extends along the middle of pronotum.
Median cell: in Lepidoptera, is the closed area formed by a line extending from the end of subcostal to the end of the median veins, = radial (Comst.): in Hymenoptera, 1st median (Pack.), = medial (Comst.); 2d median (Pack.), - medial 4 (Comst.); 3d median (Pack.), = medial 2 (Comst.); 4th median (Pack.), = medial 1 (Comst.).
Median cross-veins: in Odonata; are those which cross median space.
Median foveola: in Orthoptera; the foveate depression of the vertex between the eyes: = central foveola.
Median forks: in Orthoptera, refers to the forks of the median vein.
Median furrow: lies between radius and media: in some Heteroptera, separates the embolium from the remainder of the corium.
Median lines: on the primaries of many moths: the first or t.a. crosses about one-third from base; the second or t.p. crosses beyond the outer third and is usually sinuate.
Median lobe: of labium in Odonata, is the partly divided glossa or ligula; probably corresponds to united glossa and paraglossae (Butler).
Median longitudinal carinae: on the metanotum of Hymenoptera, extend one on each side of the middle.
Median nervules: in Lepidoptera (Holland)1st = cubitus 2 (Comst.): 2d cubitus 1 (Comst.); 3d = media 3 (Comst.).
Median notch: in Coccidae, a notch in the edge of the pygidium, at the posterior extremity of the body.
Median plate: in Hymenoptera := sessiliventres, is the dorsal plate connecting the thorax and abdomen.
Median sector: in Odonata, = media 3 (Comst.).
Median segment: applied to the basal segment of the abdomen when it forms part of the metathorax: see propodeum.
Median shade or line: in Lepidoptera, crosses at or about middle of wings.
Median space: in Lepidoptera, is the area between the median lines: in Odonata, the cubital cell (Comst.); the space at base between submedian (radius) and postcosta (st anal); by Selys in 1896 and later used in the sense of medial cell of Comst.
Median vein: in Odonata and Lepidoptera, = radius (Comst.): in Lepidoptera, it runs from base to about middle, nearly through centre, and is four or five branched: in Hymenoptera, it is the 3d from costal margin.
Mediastinal: relating to the longitudinal median line or area.
Mediastinal area: in Orthoptera, the area between median or mediastinal vein and the costal or front margin: = marginal area.
Mediastinal vein: in Orthoptera and Diptera, = suhcosta (Comst.): also, in Diptera, = auxiliary vein (Meigen).
Medio-eubital cross-vein: between media 4 and cubitus, connecting the two series (Comst.).
Medio-ventral line: in caterpillars, extends along middle of under side.
Medipectus: the under side of meta-thorax: the mesosternum.
Mediproboscis: the middle third of the flexed proboscis of muscid flies.
Medi-thorax: =mesothorax; q.v.
Medius: middle.
Mega- Megalo-: large.
Melanic: with a blackish suffusion.
Melanism: an abnormal or unusual darkening: a suffusion with blackish.
Mellifera: honey-makers: applied to bees as a whole.
Melliferous: honey-producing, or producers of honey.