Glossary

A

aedeagus: in male beetles, the penis

alar: relating to the wings

alutaceous: rather pale leather-brown; covered with minute cracks like the human skin and leathery in texture

annulate: surrounded by a ring of a different color

antenna: in larval and adult insects, paired segmented appendages, borne one on each side of the head, functioning as sense organs and bearing a large number of sensilla

antennal tubercle: the protuberance on the head where the antenna arises

antennomere: a subunit of the antenna, including the scape, pedicel, and flagellomeres

antero-: Latin prefix; before; to the front of

apex: end of any structure distad to the base

appendiculate: bearing appendages

arcuate: arched or bow-like

attenuate: gradually tapering apically

B

base: the part of any appendage or structure that is nearest the body

bidentate: having two teeth

bifid: cleft or divided into two parts; forked

bilabiate spiracle: an elongate or annular spiracle with a pair of projecting lips interior to the spiracular frame (peritreme)

brachypterous: having short or reduced wings

C

callose: furnished with calli

carina: an elevated ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute

castaneous: chestnut brown; bright red-brown

caudal: of or pertaining to the cauda or to the anal end of the insect's body

chitin: a major polysaccharide constituent of arthropod cuticle

chitinization: the process of depositing or filling with chitin

chitinized: filled in with or hardened by chitin

chitinous: composed of chitin or like it in structure

cicatrix: a scar; a scar-like structure

clavate: thickening gradually toward the tip

clypeus: that part of the insect head below the frons, to which the labrum is attached anteriorly

conical: wider at base than apex

contiguous: so near together as to touch

corneus: of a horny or chitinous substance; resembling horn in texture

crenulate: having the margin finely notched with small, rounded teeth

crista: a prominent, longitudinal carina on the upper surface of any part of the head or body

cuneate: wedge-shaped

cuticle: a secretion of the epidermis, covering the entire body of the insect

cylindrical: shaped like a cylinder, parallel sided

D

dimorphic: occurring in two distinct forms

distad: toward the distal end

distal: near or toward the free end of any appendage; that part of a segment farthest from the body

divaricate: forked or divided into two branches

divergent: spreading out from a common base

E

elongate: much longer than wide

elytron: the leathery forewing of beetles, serving as a covering for the hind wings, commonly meeting opposite elytron in a straight line down the middle of the dorsum in repose

emarginate: notched at the margin

epicranium: the upper part of the head from the frons to the neck, including frons, vertex, and genae

epimeron: the posterior division of a thoracic pleuron, marked anteriorly by the pleural suture

epipleurum: in larval Coleoptera, the lateral area immediately above the ventrolateral suture and below the alar area

episternum: the aspect of a thoracic pleuron dorsal to the coxal cavity and anterior to the pleural suture

epistoma: the oral margin or sclerite directly behind the labrum, e.g., anteclypeus, clypeus or frontoclypeus

excurved: curved outward

exserted: projecting; thrust forth

eye lobe: used to refer to the upper or lower portion when the eye is emarginate or separated

F

farinose: dotted with many single flour-like spots

filiform: threadlike, i.e., slender and of equal diameter, being commonly applied to antennae

fimbriate: fringed with hairs of irregular length

flabellate: fan-shaped, i.e., with long thin processes lying flat on each other like the folds of a fan, e.g. flabellate antennae

flagellomere: one part of a multiannulated flagellum of an antenna, not including scape or pedicel

frass: solid larval insect excrement

frons: the upper anterior portion of the head capsule, usually a distinct sclerite between the epicranium and clypeus

frontoclypeal suture: the suture between the frons and the clypeus

fusiform: spindle-shaped, i.e., broad at the middle and narrowing towards the ends

G

gena: the part of the cranium on each side below the eye

gin-traps: in pupal Coleoptera, defense organs formed by local sclerotization of opposable edges of adjacent abdominal segments

girdle: to cut away the bark and cambium in a ring around (a plant) usually to kill by interrupting the circulation of water and nutrients

glabrous: smooth, devoid of pubescence; devoid of any sculpturing

granulate: minutely and densely verrucose or minutely farinose

H

humerus: shoulder; the basal exterior angle of the elytra

hypopleurum: in larval Coleoptera, the lateral area immediately below the ventrolateral suture

L

labial palp: an extension of the labium, found in a posterior position within the mouth parts

labrum: the upper lip, abutting the clypeus in front of the mouth

lobe: a rounded projection or protuberence

M

macula: a spot or mark

maxillary palp: an extension of the maxilla, in an anterior position within the mouth parts

mesepimeron: the epimeron of the mesothorax

mesocoxa: coxa of the midleg

mesofemur: the middle femur

mesosternal process: a prolongation of the mesosternum extending between the mesocoxae

mesosternum: sternum of the mesothorax

mesothorax: the second or middle thoracic segment bearing the midlegs and the forewings

metacoxa: coxa of the hind leg

metafemur:  hind femur

metatibia: the hind tibia

metepimeron: the epimeral portion of the pleuron on the posterior thoracic segment

metepisternum: the episternal portion of the pleuron on the posterior thoracic segment

micropyle: one of the minute openings in the chorion of an insect egg, through which sperm enter in fertilization

moniliform: beaded like a necklace, e.g., monoliform antennae

O

oblong: longer than broad

occiput: dorsal part of the head between the occipital sulcus and the postoccipital sulcus

ocelliform: in the shape of ocelli

ommatidium: one of the visual elements of the compound eye

orbicular:  round and flat

ovate: egg-shaped, with the broader end at the base

oviposit: to deposit or lay eggs or ova

ovoid: see ovate

P

palpifer: any palp-bearing part

paramere: A pair of finger-like structures that are located where the male genitalia exits the abdomen.

parascutal area: alar area

pectinate: applied especially to antennae or claws, with even processes like the teeth of a comb

pedicel: the second segment of the antenna, following the scape

peritreme: the sclerite plate about any body opening, especially about any spiracle

phytophagous: feeding in or on plants

piceous: black, pitch colored

pleuron: the lateral portion of a thoracic segment bordered by the notum dorsally and the sternum ventrally

postero-: Latin prefix; posterior; back

pretarsus: last segment of the insect leg

proalar: pertaining to forewing

procoxa: coxa of the front leg 

pronotum: the upper and dorsal part of the prothorax

prosternal process: a posterior extension of the prosternum between the coxae

protergum: tergum of the prothorax

protibial spur: sclerotized spine(s) located at the distal tibia; can be single, double, or absent

protuberance: any outgrowth or elevation above the surface

protuberant: rising or produced above the surface or general level

proximal: that part of an appendage nearest the body, as opposed to distal

pseudotetramerous: having apparently four articles, although five are actually present

pubescent: downy; clothed with soft, short, fine, loosely set hair

punctate: set with fine, impressed points or punctures appearing as pin-pricks

punctation: pits or depression of variable size in cuticle

R

reniform: kidney-shaped

rugose: wrinkled

rugulose: minutely rugose; minutely wrinkled

S

scape: the first proximal segment of the antenna

sclerite: any hardened plate of the body wall bounded by membrane or sutures; sometimes found floating in the internal sac of male genitalia

scutellum: a small sclerite located directly posterior to the pronotum, bordered laterally by the elytra

serrate: sawlike, i.e., with notched edges like the teeth of a saw, e.g., serrate antennae

seta: a sclerotized hair-like projection of the cuticle

setiferous: set with or bearing setae; see setose

setose: furnished or covered with setae or stiff hairs

sinuous: undulating, curved in and out

spiculate: having the form of a spicule, or needlelike spine

spine: a protuberance with an acute (sharp) distal end

spinose: armed with thorny spines, more elongate than echinate

spinule: a small spine

sternellar: pertaining to the sternellum

sternellum: the second sclerite of the ventral part of each thoracic segment, frequently divided into longitudinal parts which may be widely separated

striate: marked with parallel, fine, longitudinal, impressed lines or furrows

subquadrate:  not quite a square

subtruncate: not quite cut off squarely at the tip

sulcus: groove with a purely functional origin

suture: groove marking the line of fusion of two formerly distinct plates; the line of junction of elytra

T

tarsal claw: usually paired claws of the pretarsus, at the distal end of the leg

tarsomere: subdivision or article of the tarsus, usually numbering from two to five

tarsus: the leg segment distal to the apex of the tibia, bearing the pretarsus; consists of one to five tarsomeres (including pretarsus)

tergum: the upper or dorsal surface of any body segment of insect, whether consisting of one or more than one sclerite

thorax: the middle body segment in insects which bears the legs and wings, consists of the pro-, meso-, and meta- thorax

tibia: the leg segment distal to the femur, proximal to the tarsus

transverse: broader than long

truncate: cut off squarely at the tip

tubercle: a small knoblike or rounded protuberance

type: a particular kind of specimen; e.g. allotype, cotype, holotype, lectotype, paratype, syntype

U

uncate: hooked; barbed

unguiculus: a small claw or claw-like process

urogomphus: in larval Coleoptera, usually paired processes from the posterior end of the tergum of the ninth abdominal segment, being joined and movable by muscles, or unjointed and immoveable

V

verrucose: covered with irregularly shaped lobes or wart-like protuberances

vertex: the top of the head between the eyes, frons and occiput, anterior to the occipital suture

vitta: a broad longitudinal stripe

X

xylophagous: feeding on xylem or wood