Copy of `Butterfly guide - Insect glossary`

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Butterfly guide - Insect glossary Category: Animals and Nature > Butterflies Date & country: 15/11/2007, UK Words: 51

Abdomen
The body of the Butterfly behind the thorax.

Aberration
A genetic or environmentally produced variation on the usual form of the species For example very cold conditions can produce very dark forms of some species.

Aestivation
A summer version of hibernation

Androconica
Male scent scales for attracting females.

Antenna
The clubbed sensory organs projecting from the front of the head.

Anterior
Towards the front (head) of the Butterfly.

Basal
Towards the base of the wing.

Bivoltine
Having two broods.

Calcareous
Generally alkaline soils.

Caterpillar
See larva.

Cell
Centre of the wing

Chorion
The outer casing of an egg.

Chrysalis
See pupa.

Cremaster
Hooks on the pupa for attaching to silk pads.

Desiccation
Drying out

Diapause
Suspension of life

Dimorphism
Two different forms of the same species

Distal
The furthest point from the body.

Dorsal
The upper part of the body.

Ecdysis
The process of skin shedding.

Endemic
Restricted to a particular region.

Frons
The 'face'

Gyandromorph
Having both female and male characteristics

Hibernation
The suspension of activity during the winter, cold period.

Homonym
A name accidentally used for two different species.

Imago
The adult butterfly.

Instar
A stage of larval development.

Larva(e)
The second stage of a Butterflies life.

Lunule
A crescent shaped mark

Macular
Spotted

Marginal
The outer edges of the wings.

Melanism
The preponderance of blackness.

Metamorphosis
The change of stage in the life of a butterfly.

Micropyle
The minute opening in a butterfly egg.

Mimicry
The similarity of two species for advantage.

Monophagous
A species which only uses one species as a hostplant.

Ocellus
Eye-spots.

Oligophagous
A species which uses several closely related hostplants.

Oviposit
Lay eggs.

Ovipositor
The structure a female has for laying eggs.

Ovum
Egg

Polymorphism
The occurrence of many forms of the same species.

Polyphagous
A species which uses hostplants from different genera.

Polyvoltine
Having many broods each season.

Postdiscal
A wing area, see diagram.

Posterior
Towards the end of the butterfly.

Proboscis
The feeding tube of a butterfly.

Pupa
The third stage in a butterflies life.

Submarginal
A wing area, see diagram.

Thorax
The middle section of an insects body.

Univoltine
Having one brood per season.