case which confines and conceals all appendages, though their
outlines may be marked on the surface: see free, and coarctate.
Obtuse: not pointed: an angle greater than a right angle: opposed to
acute. Obtuse-angulate: two markings or margins meeting so as to
form an obtuse angle.
Obtusilingues: short-tongued bees with the tip obtuse or bifid: see
acutilingues.
Occipital foramen: the opening in the occiput, opposed to a similar
opening in the prothorax: = foramen magnum.
Occipital margin: in Mallophaga, the posterior margin of the head.
Occipito-orbital bristles: in Diptera; situated on posterior orbit of eye.
Occiput: that part of the head behind the vertex: in Diptera, the whole
posterior surface of the head: in bees, the space between the vertex
and the neck.
Occlusor: applied to muscles which close an opening; e.g. spiracles.
Occult -us: hidden; concealed from superficial view.
Ocellar bristles: in Diptera, are situated close to the ocelli, usually
directed forward: often absent.
Ocellar ribband: a crescent-shaped, smooth thin belt across the eye
region in butterfly chrysalids.
Ocellar triangle: a triangle, indicated by grooves or depressions, on
which the ocelli are situated; Diptera.
Ocellate: eye-like in appearance: in Lepidoptera, spots on the wings,
bordered by a colored iris or ring, and usually with a pupil.
Ocelli: plural of ocellus; q.v.; = stemmata.
Ocelligerous: supplied with, or bearing ocelli.
Ocellus: a simple eye, consisting of a single convex or bead-like lens,
which conveys an image to a retina.
Ocelli occur in larvae and, singly or in small groups, in adults: the
compound eyes are made up of numerous ocelli.
Ochraceous: yellow with a slight tinge of brown [pale cadmium yellow
and brown ochre].
Ochraeus -eus: = ochraceous.
Ochro-leucus: dilute ochraceous.
Ocular emargination: in Mallophaga, a lateral emargination of the
head in which the eye is received posteriorly.
Ocular fleck: in Mallophaga, a small, intensely black spot of pigment
in the eyes.
Ocular fringe: in Mallophaga, closely set small hair on posterior half of
ocular emargination, sometimes extending on temporal margin.
Ocular lobes: of brain = procerebrum; q.v.
Ocular sclerite: the first or protocerebral segment of the head.
Ocular tubercles: in Aphids, are a group of prominent facets on the
hinder part of each eye.
Oculi -us: the eyes: an eye: refers to the compound eyes.
Oculocephalic: applied to that pair of imaginal buds destined to
produce the cephalic region in Hymenoptera.
Odona: toothed: applied to Odonata by Fabricius because of the long
teeth on the maxilla and labium.
Odonata: net-veined insects with mandibulate mouth; head free;
thorax agglutinate; wings similar, elongate, flat; metamorphosis
incomplete; copulatory organs of male near base of abdomen,
separate from the testes. {Scanner's comment: Dragon flies
and damselflies}
Odonate: bearing toothed mouth parts, like those of dragon flies.
Odoriferous: diffusing an odor; applied to glands or secreting organs.
OEcology: see ecology.
OEdagus: the penis.
OEnocytes: large yellow cells arranged segmentally in clusters, in each
side of body cavity: associated with blood and fat bodies.
OEsophageal bone: a plate below anterior part of oesophagus in
Psocidae.
OEsophageal bulb: = sub-clypeal pump; q.v.
OEsophageal diverticula: = food reservoirs (q.v.); but more generally
applied also to any sac-like structure connected with the gullet.
OEsophageal lobes: form posterior portion of brain or tritocerebrum.
Oesophageal valve: a funnel-like folding of the oesophagus, extending
into the chylific ventricle in some insects, and forming a valve that
controls the entrance of food into that organ: = cardiac valvule.
Oesophagus: the gullet: that part of the alimentary canal between the
mouth and the crop.
Olfactory: pertaining to the sense of smell: those lobes of the
deutocerebrum from which the nerves supplying the antennae arise.
Oligonephria: applied to insects with few urinary (Malpighian) tubes.
Oligoneura: having few wing veins: specifically applied in Diptera to
Cecidomyids.
Olivaceous: with a tinge of olive-green, usually as a shading [olive
green].
Omaloptera: the pupiparous flies.
Omia: the shoulders: the lateral anterior angles of an agglutinated
thorax, when they are distinct:= see umbone: in Coleoptera; a
corneous sclerite to which the muscles of the anterior coxa are
attached; also the lateral margin of the prothorax; also the lateral
margin of the scutellum in Carabids and Dytiscids.
Ommateum: the compound eye.
Ommatidium -ia: one of the elements of which the compound eye is
composed.
Omnivorous: a general feeder upon animal or vegetable food, or both.
Oncus -i: a welt: applied to welt-like ridges on caterpillars.
Onisciform: shaped like a wood-louse, Oniscus sp.; applied to certain
Lycaenid and other caterpillars.
Ontogenetic: relating to the development of the individual.
Ontogeny: the development of the individual as distinguished from
that of the species: see phylogeny.
Onyches: claws of tarsi.
Onychium -ia: small processes between the tarsal claws in many
Diptera; see empodium: a more or less retractile process on the feet of
some beetles: in Hymenoptera, the apical tarsal joint bearing the
claws: see also arolium and pulvillus.
Oöblast: the primitive germinal nucleus of an egg.
Oögenesis: the process of egg-formation.
Oölemma: the cell wall of an egg: see vitelline membrane.
Oötheca: the covering or case over an egg mass, as in certain
Orthoptera: see egg case.
Opacus: opaque; a surface without any lustre.
Opalescent: with a bluish white lustre, as in opals.
Opalinus: = opalescent; q.v.
Opaque: without lustre: not transparent.
Operaria: the workers in Hymenoptera.
Operative: in working order or actually working.
Opercula: two plates covering the vocal structure of Cicada, beneath.
Operculum: a lid or covering: in Diptera, the chitinous envelope
covering the lower part of the muscid mouth; the labrum-epipharynx
of Dimmock: the scutes covering the meso-thoracic stigmata: in
Aleurodidae, the lid-like structure closing the vasiform orifice; q.v.
Ophthalmic: relating to the eye.
Ophthalmotheca: that part of the pupa that covers the eyes.
Opisthogoneate: having the organs of generation at hind end of body.
Opisthogonia: the anal angle of the secondaries.
Opposite: placed over against, or opposed to.
Optic: relating to the organs of vision.
Optic ganglia: are at the sides of the procerebrum and innervate the
compound eyes.
Optic lobes: the laterals lobes of the procerebrum in which are
centered the nerves supplying the organs of vision.
Opticon: the first of a series of three ganglionic swellings in the optic
nerve: see epiopticon and periopticon.
Optic segment: =procerebral segment; q.
Optic tract: is the perceptive portion of the compound eye.
Ora: a border: specifically in some Coleoptera, the lateral margin of
prothorax.
Ora coleopterorum: the margin of the elytra.
Orad: toward the mouth.
Oral: pertaining to the mouth.
Oral cavity: the mouth; = buccal cavity.
Oral fossa: in Mallophaga, a furrow lying in front of the mandibles.
Oral segment: that ring or segment which bears the mouth.
Orbicular: round and flat, the diameters of the plane equal: in sonic
moths, a round or oval macula in the median cell.
Orbit: an imaginary border around the eye: in Diptera the orbits are
divided into vertical or superior; frontal and facial or anterior; of the
cheek or inferior; occipital or posterior.
Orbital sclerite: a narrow sclerite encircling some eyes.
Order: one of the primary divisions of the Class Insecta, based largely
on wing structure and then usually ending in -ptera.
Ordure: excrement; usually applied to such as is foul or offensive.
Orichalceous: = aurichalceous; q.v.
Oriental: in geographical zoology as used by Wallace, that part of the
earth's surface including Asia east of the Indus River, south of the
Himalayas and the Yangtse-kiang watershed, Ceylon, Sumatra, Java
and the Philippines.
Orificium: the anal or genital opening.
Original type: is the actual specimen from which a published
description is prepared.
Orismologia -y: the defining of scientific or technical terms.
Orthoptera: straight winged: an ordinal term applied to insects in
which the primaries are not used in flight, but cover the longitudinally
folded secondaries; mouth mandibulate; head set into prothorax, the
latter free; metamorphosis incomplete.
Orthorrhapha: that section of Diptera in which the pupa escapes from
larval skin through a T-shaped opening on back: see cyclorrhapha.
Orthorrhaphous: straight-seamed.
Os: the mouth of insects, in general.
Oscillation: a vibrating or swinging from side to side.
Osculant: intermediate in character between two groups or series.
Osmaterium -ia: fleshy, tubular, eversible processes producing a
penetrating odor, capable of being projected through a slit in the
prothoracic segment of certain Papilionid caterpillars, and from
openings elsewhere in the bodies of other forms.
{Scanner's comment: currently the only spelling I can find is
"osmeterium". This given spelling is almost certainly an error
on someone's part. Not only do the earliest books that I can
find spell it "osmeterium", but the Greek root is "osme".}
Osmosis: the tendency of liquids to pass or diffuse through a
membrane or septum.
Osselet: = ossicle; q.v.
Ossicle: a small nodule of chitin resembling a bone.
Ossicula: small corneous pieces that serve in the articulation of the
wings to the thorax.
Ostia: the slit-like openings of the heart.
Ostiolar canal: a marginal furrow leading from the ostiole.
Ostiole: in Heteroptera, the openings at the sides of meso- and
metathorax, through which an odoriferous fluid is excreted.
Ostium: singular of Ostia; q.v.
-osus; an affix, signifying saturation, or the possession of the quality
expressed in the stem word.
Otocyst: an auditory or ear-like vesicle.
Otolith: a little ear-bone: granules or concretions found in an otocyst.
Outer lobe: of maxilla = galea; q.v.
Outer margin: the outer edge of wing, between apex and hind angle.
Ovo, Ovum: the eggs; an egg.
Ova glebata: eggs laid or concealed in lumps of dung.
Ova imposita: eggs laid in the substance that is to serve as food for
the larva.
Oval: egg-shaped, with both ends similar.
Ova pilosa: eggs that are covered with hair: usually from the abdomen
of the female.
Ovarian tube: a tubular structure in which are developed the cells
forming the future ova: a single one of the mass which, taken
together, form the ovaries.
Ovaries: a mass of ovarian tubes, lying one on each side of the body
cavity of the female, in each of which tubes eggs or ova are developed:
the individual tubes of an ovary all converge to one oviduct.
Ovariole: an ovarian tube: q.v.
Ovary: singular of ovaries; q.v.
Ovate: in outline, egg-shaped or oval.
Oviduct: the tube through which the egg passes from ovarian tubes
into vagina: sometimes used in the sense of ovipositor: q.v.
Oviform: egg-shaped.
Oviparous: where reproduction is through eggs laid by the female.
Oviposition: the act of depositing the eggs.
Ovipositor: the tubular or valved structure by means of which the eggs
are placed; usually concealed; but sometimes extended far beyond the
end of the body.
Oviscapt: = ovipositor; q.v.
Ovivalvule: in Ephemeroptera; is an appendage of the female
reproductive organs.
Ovoviviparous: when living young are born from eggs which are
hatched in the body of the parent.
P
Pacific coast humid area: is that faunal area of the transition zone
comprising the western parts of Washington and Oregon between the
Coast Mountains and Cascade range: parts of northern California and
most of the coast region from near Cape Mendocino south to the
Santa Barbara Mountains. To the south and east it passes into the
arid transition and in places into the upper Sonoran.
Pad: the pulvillus, or that part of it which is capable of extension and
retraction in some Coleoptera.
Paddle: the flattened joints of posterior tarsi in aquatic Hemiptera.
Paedogenesis: reproduction in the sexually immature or larval stage.
Paedogenetic: reproducing in the sexually immature or larval stage.
Pagina: the surface of a wing: P. superior, is the upper surface;
P. inferior, the lower surface: in Orthoptera, the external flattened
surface of the caudal femora.
Pagiopoda: Heteroptera, in which the posterior coxae are not globose
and the articulation is a hinge joint: see trochalopoda.
Pagiopodous: those Heteroptera which have the coxae of the hind legs
hinged and the femora grooved.
Pala: the shovel-shaped tarsal joints in many aquatic Heteroptera.
Palate: = hypopharynx; q.v.
Paleace: chaff or chaffy: = paleaceous.
Paleaceous: chaffy in appearance.
Palearctic: relating to that part of the earth's surface including
Europe, Africa north of Sahara, and Asia as far south as the southern
edge of the Yang-tse-Kiang watershed and the Himalayas, and west to
the Indus River.
Paleodictyoptera: an ordinal name suggested by Scudder for Paleozoic
insects which cannot be assigned to existing orders.
Paleolepidoptera: haustellate Lepidoptera in which the mandibles are
distinct and the pupa is free: includes the Micropterygidae only: see
protolepidoptera and neolepidoptera.
Pallescent: becoming pale or light in color or tint.
Pallette: the disc-like structure composed of three tarsal joints, on the
anterior feet of male Dytiscidae.
Pallid: pale or very pale.
Pallide-flavens: pale or whitish yellow.
Pallidus: of a pale, cadaverous hue [a very dilute brown pink].
Pallium: an erectile membrane partially closing the open cavity formed
by the walls of the sub-genital plate in Melanopli.
Palma: the basal segment of the anterior tarsus when it is broadened
or specifically modified.
Palmate: like the palm of the hand, with finger-like processes.
Palmula: = pulvillus; q.v.
Palp: a mouth feeler or palpus.
Palpal: belonging, relating or attached to the palpi.
Palparium: in some Coleoptera, and other insects, the membranous
support to which the labial palpi are attached, and which permits an
amount of extension not possible when they are fixed.
Palpi: plural of palpus; q.v.
Palpicorne: with long, slender, antenna-like palpi.
Palpifer: any palpus-bearing part: specifically, a small sclerite hearing
the maxillary palpus and itself articulated to the stipes.
Palpiferous or -gerous: bearing a palpus.
Palpiger: that sclerite of the labium to which the labial palpus is
attached corresponds to the palpifer of the maxilla and has been used
in the same general sense.
Palpigerous stipes: in Coleopterous larvae, = palpifer; q.v.
Palpuli: the maxillary palpi in Lepidoptera, when visibly developed.
Palpus: a mouth feeler: tactile, usually jointed structures borne by the
maxillae (maxillary palpi) and labium (labial palpi).
Panduriform: violin shaped: oblong, with rounded ends, medially
constricted.
Panorpatae: = Mecoptera; q.v.
Pantherine: in color, almost like cervinus; q.v.: in maculation, like
those of a panther.
Papilioform: formed like a butterfly wing.
Papilionaceous: butterfly-like.
Papilla: a minute, soft projection: specifically the modified ligula in
silk spinning caterpillars.
Papillary: with nipple-like processes that have the tips rounded.
Papillate -us: a surface with small elevations which are porous at tip.
Papilliform: like a wart or pimple.
Papillose -us: pimply; a surface covered with raised dots or pimples.
Pappose: downy: made up or clothed with pappus.
Pappas: a fine down.
Para-: next to; near by; at the side of.
Parabiosis: see symbiosis.
Parabolic: elongately rounded.
Paraclypeal piece: in lepidopterous pupa, occurs in some of the
generalized families on each side of the maxillary palpi.
Paraclypeus: in caterpillars, a narrow sclerite bordering clypeus at
sides.
Paraderm: the limiting membrane enclosing the pronymph of Muscidae.
Paraglossa: a paired, labial structure, lying at each side of the ligula;
often connected with it; sometimes free and two-jointed: corresponds to
the galea of maxilla.
Parallel: along the same line and nearly equidistant.
Paranal: at the side of or next to the anus or anal structures.
Paranal forks: two lateral, bristle-like structures in some caterpillars,
used to throw frass pellets to a distance.
Paranal lobes: = podical plates; q.v.
Paraphysis: the chitinized thickenings or lateral ingrowths, usually
situated at the base of the lobes in certain Diaspid genera.
Parapleura: the sternal side pieces in beetles.
Parapodia: the pro- or false legs: more specifically applied to the
jointed abdominal processes of the Symphyla.
Parapsidae: the small sclerites on each side of the scutellum in
Chalcids, marked by the parapsidal grooves.
Parapsidal furrows: longitudinal grooves on each side of the
mesoscutum of Proctytrypidae separating the parapsides from the
middle lobe.
Parapsidal grooves: the grooves or furrows on each side of the Chalcid
scutellum, defining the parapsidae.
Parapsides: lateral pieces of the meso-scutum, separated from the
mesal portion by the parapsidal furrows.
Parapteron -era: small sclerites, articulated to the dorsal extremity of
the episternum, just below the wings; absent on prothorax = the
tegulae of Hymenoptera, and patagia of Lepidoptera: have been
homologized with the elytra of Coleoptera.
Parasita: = parasitica: q.v.
Parasite: a species that lives in or on another animal or insect, and
depends upon the tissue of the host for its food supply.
Parasitic: living on or in some other animal or insect in such a way as
to derive all nourishment from the tissues of the host.
Parasitica: the sucking lice: wingless; without metamorphosis; mouth
with piercing lancets; thoracic segments similar; habits epizoötic.
Parasitism: a form of symbiosis in which one party lives upon or at the
expense of the other, makes no return and destroys its host: see
symbiosis; commensalism.
Parastigma: = pterostigma; q.v.
Parastigmatic glands: small, circular glands, which secrete a waxy
powder, sometimes present around the spiracles of Coccidae.
Paratype: is every specimen of the series from which the type was
selected see type and cotype.
Parse: sparse or sparsely.
Parcidentate: with few teeth.
Parenchymatous: composed of soft cellular and connective tissue.
Parietes: walls: the perpendicular sides of elevated bodies.
Paronychium-ia: one or more bristle-like appendages of onychia; q.v.
Parthenogenetic: see asexual.
Parthenogenesis: reproduction by direct growth of germs from
egg-cells without fertilization by the male element: as in
plant lice, gall wasps, etc.
Particolored: partly of one, partly of another color: divided into two or
more color fields.
Partite -us: divided; e.g. the eyes of Gyrinidae.
Parum: not much.
Patagium -ia: in Lepidoptera, those sclerites that cover the base of
primaries: often used as synonymous with tegula and squamula, q.v.:
assigned by some writers to the pro-, by others to the meso-thorax:
homologized with the paraptera of meso-thorax.
Patella -ae: the modified joints of anterior tarsi in Dytiscidae;
plate-like, horny or spongy structures on the undersides of the tarsal joints:
the first coxal joint.
Patellar: pertaining to the knee-joint or cap.
Patellariae: in Dytiscids, the unequal, cup-like impressions on the
underside of the patella.
Patens, Patentes: open; diverging; spreading apart.
Patric: home or country of origin.
Patulous-ose: open, spreading.
Paunch: a crop-like accessory pouch in some Mallophaga: any
pouch-like appendage of the alimentary canal.
Paurometabolous: metamorphosis in which the changes of form are
gradual and inconspicuous: e.g. Orthoptera and most Rhynchota.
Pavillions: the sheds or cells sometimes built by ants as a shelter for
groups of plant lice.
Paxilla: a small stake or peg: a bundle of spicular processes.
Pearlaceous: having the appearance of pearl.
Pecten: a comb: in Hymenoptera, rigid, incurred setae on the basal
parts of maxilla and labium: the rows of spines on the feet of
pollen-gathering bees: any series of bristles arranged like a comb: in
mosquito larvae the comb-like teeth on the breathing tube.
Pectinate: comb-shaped: with even branches like the teeth of a comb.
Pectinato-fimbriate: having pectinations that are fringed with hair.
Pectoralis: relating to the breast.
Pectoral plate: in Coleoptera, the sternum.
Pectunculate: with a row of minute appendages like the teeth of a
comb: e.g. some maxillary structures.
Pectus: the ventral portion of thorax: variably applied in Coleoptera,
for the entire meso- and meta-thorax: also the pro- and meso-sternum:
in Diptera, is the inferior surface of the thorax between the legs.
Pedal line: in caterpillars: extends along the base of the feet.
Pedal tubercle: on the thoracic and abdominal rings of caterpillars: on
the anterior side of leg-base and, correspondingly, on apodal
segments: is VII of the abdomen where it consists of three setae: VI of
the thorax where the setae are not numbered: constant (Dyar).
Pedamina: the aborted fore-legs of Nymphalid butterflies.
Pedate: foot-bearing, or having feet.
Peddler: applied to the larvae of such Cassid beetles as carry their
excrement and cast skins on an anal fork.
Pedes: the feet, or really, legs.
Pedicellus or Pedicle: the third joint in a geniculate antenna: forming
the pivot between scape and funicle: in general, a stalk or stem.
Pediculosis: a state of lousiness, or the abnormal condition caused by
the multiplication of lice on the body: sec phthiriasis.
Pediculous: lousy: infested with lice.
Pedigerous: feet bearing.
Peduncle: a stalk or petiole: the basal joint of the antenna in
Homoptera: the smaller of the two stalks supporting the
mushroom body; q.v.
Pedunculated: set on a stalk or peduncle: attached by a slender stalk
or neck.
Pelagic: inhabiting the sea, far from land.
Pellicles: the exuviae or cast larval skins of many insects: in Coccidae
more especially applied to the hardened larval skin attached to the
puparia of Diaspinae.
Pellit: covered with long, drooping hairs, irregularly placed.
Pellucid: colored, but transparent: sometimes applied
when there is no color.
Pelotons: the balls of fine tracheae in larvae, developed to
supply the adult organism.
Pelottae: =arolia: q.v.
Peltate: shield- or target-shaped.
Penal claspers: in Proctytripidae. lateral fringed processes of the male
genitalia.
Penal sheath: the horny outer covering of the penis.
Pencil: a little, elongated brush of hair: in Diptera, applied to a group
of sensory hairs on the flagellum of the antenna.
Pendent: hanging down.
Pendulous: drooping: hanging free, attached to one end only.
Penes: open, slit-like structures of the seminal vesicles to the outer
surface in Euplectoptera.
Penicillate: with a long, flexible brush or pencil of hair: often at the
end of a thin stalk.
Penicilli: a pair of small style or cerci-like pieces on the tip of the 8th
dorsal segment of abdomen of various male Hymenoptera.
Penicilliform: pencil-like or shaped.
Penicillum: a pencil or brush of long hair attached at the end of a
stalk as long as the brush, and folded in a lateral groove in some
male moths.
Penis: the flexible, membranous, intromittent organ of the male.
Pennaceous: = pennate.
Fermate: feathered or bearing feather-like processes.
Penniform: feather-like in form.
Pentagon -um: a five-sided figure with five equal or unequal angles.
Pentamera: Coleoptera with 5-jointed tarsi.
Pentamerous: species having five-jointed tarsi.
Penultimate: next to the last.
Peptone: a soluble proteid compound produced by the digestion of
albummenoid food substances.
Per-: as a prefix, means very: extremely: through.
Percipient: with the power of perceiving.
Percurrent: running through the entire length.
Pereion: the prothorax.