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Insect Zoo - Insect glossary Category: Animals and Nature > Insects Date & country: 24/11/2013, USA Words: 384

invertebrates
animals with no backbone or internal skeleton

insecticide
a chemical used to kill insects

instar
the stage of an immature insect between moltings; growth stages

instinctive
inborn in an animal or person as opposed to learned behavior

integument
outer layer that covers an organism or one of its parts; skin and shells are examples of integument

intertidal
that part of the shore above the low-tide mark

insect
arthropod in Class Hexapoda whose body is divided into three sections: the head, thorax, and abdomen; an insect has three pairs of legs and usually one or two pairs of wings

ingenious
clever

infest
trouble or disturb frequently or in large numbers

hover
hang suspended in air

humidity
dampness in the air

hydrocarbon
an organic compound consisting of carbon and hydrogen

Hymenoptera
insect order with two pairs of filmy, membrane-like wings; includes bees, ants, and wasps

hypermetamorphosis
a type of metamorphosis in which the larva changes into different forms of larvae during its development

hyperparasite
a parasite of a parasite

imago
the final or adult stage in the metamorphosis of an insect

host-specific
feeding on only a certain kind of plant or animal

honeydew
a sweet part of plant sap that is excreted by aphids, leafhoppers, and other insects

hormone
internal secretion which controls the activity of some organ or tissue

host
a plant or animal in or on which a parasite plant or animal lives

homo sapiens
human beings

Homoptera
insect order with piercing-sucking mouthparts similar to Hemiptera except the wings rest on the back in the shape of a tent; includes tree and leaf hoppers, scale insects, aphids, and cicadas

guano
fertilizer composed of animal waste, especially bat droppings; used as food by some insects

habitat
the place where an animal or plant normally lives

habitation
home

halteres
knob-like structures on the metathoraxes of flies which help to stabilize the insects' flight and to stay on an even course in flight

herbivorous
plant-eating

hindwing
the back wings of an insect having four wings

Guadeloupe
island in the West Indies

geometer
caterpillars and moths in the family Geometridae; the caterpillars also are called measuring worms

girdling
encircling

gland
body organ that forms secretions that can be used by the body or excreted from the body from the body

grooming
taking care of the appearance

groove
a long, narrow opening or depression

grub
larva of beetle that usually has short legs and is curved in a C-shape

genetic
relating to the genes (genes determine the development of characteristics in plants and animals)

genetics
the biological study of the genes and and the part they play in heredity

genitalia
the external sex organs

genus
(plural form is genera) a classification of related animals in the taxonomy division ranking above a species and below a family; in scientific name of a species, genus comes first, is spelled with a capital letter, and should be underlined or written in italics

gall
a lump on any part of a plant that is caused by an injury from insects, bacteria, or fungi

generation
the young produced by the same parents; from one stage in the life cycle to the same stage in the offspring

fused
joined together

fossil
remains of plants or animals found hardened in layers of rock

fungus
(plural form is fungi) organisms that are plant-like but lack chlorophyll; molds, rusts, mildews, and mushrooms are all types of fungi

funnel
a cone-shaped utensil used to prevent spillage when pouring something

filament
something that is threadlike in appearance

flourish
to do well or to thrive

forage
food for animals; to wander in search of food

forensic
related to a court of law

forewings
the front wings of an insect having four wings

femora
(plural form of femur) the third leg segment away from the body of an insect; also the third leg segment of a spider

fatal
causing death

feces
animal waste products

exoskeleton
shell-like body wall found on the outside of an arthropod and moved by internal muscles

expel
eject or force out

extinct
something that no longer exists

facet
the outer part of one of the parts of a compound eye

family
a group of related plants or animals forming a category ranking above a genus and below an order

fangs
piercing mouthparts of spiders and other Arachnida that are hollow and used for injecting venom

epidemic
rapid spread of a disease; affecting many people at the same time

epiphytes
a plant that grows on another plant; epiphytes get both moisture and nutrients from the air and rain rather than from the soil

evolution
development of a biological group from ancestor to descendant over a long period of time

excrete
discharge waste from the body; for example, sweat glands excrete sweat

environment
everything in the living and physical world that influences or affects something living

ensnare
trap

entomologist
scientist who studies insects; entomologists study insect physiology, behavior, form and structure, taxonomy, and ecology, as well as pest management and other disciplines that involve insects

encephalitis
an infection of the brain and nervous system caused by a virus, often transmitted by mosquites

elongated
made longer

elytra
(singluar form is elytron) the hardened front wings of beetles and other insects that cover and protect the hind wings

dung
animal droppings

dwarf
smaller in size than the usual member of a species

dysentery
intestinal disease caused by microorganisms; the most obvious symptom of this disease is diarrhea

ecosystem
habitat composed of many different organisms that live together as one unit

elaborate
complicated

elbowed
bent in the shape of an elbow

dry forest
a forest with trees adapted to long periods of dry weather (or no rainfall); a rain forest would be the opposite

disperses
scatters about

diversity
being composed of distinct or unlike elements or species; widely different

docent
a guide in a museum or art gallery

dome
a high and rounded object

domestic
living with or cared for by people; farm animals are domestic animals, as are dogs and cats

droppings
bodily waste from animals

Diptera
order of insects that have only two wings; includes flies, gnats, and mosquitoes

digestive
relating to changing food into material the body can use for nourishment

diffuses
spreads out widely

debris
what is left over when something is destroyed

deciduous
trees and shrubs that shed leaves each year

decomposition
rot or decay

defenses
ways of guarding against attack

defuses
make harmless or reduce the effect of

delicacies
special food; choice morsels

Devonian
geological period when plants and animals appeared on land between 405 million and 350 million years ago, the time before the Carboniferous period

cytotoxin
substance that has a poisonous effect on cells

cylindrical
in the shape of a cylinder

crustacean
arthropods with hard shells and two pairs of antennae; most crustaceans live in the water, including lobsters, shrimp, and crabs

crevices
narrow cracks

cribellate
spiders having a cribellum, a structure on the abdomen that can spin a special form of flattened silk

crops
plants grown for food

cross hairs
hairs or fine threads or wires used to define the line of sight when shooting at a target of any type

crude oil
unrefined oil