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Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology

Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology

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Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by John Bernhard Smith

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Chapter 1 No.1

Iceous or Icius: suffix; expresses a likeness or the possession of a character see aceus.

Icotypes: typical specimens which serve for purposes of identification, but have not been used in literature.

Idiotype: a specimen named by the author after comparison with the type, but not also a topotype.

Ignitus: fire-red [vermilion].

Ileo-colon: the anterior portion of the hind-gut, extending from the mid-gut to the rectum, when not distinctly differentiated into ileum and colon.

Ileum: the small intestine; begins at end of chylific ventricle at the point where malpighian tubules join, and extends to colon.

Imaginal: pertaining to the adult or imago.

Imaginal buds, cells, or discs: in forms with a complete metamorphosis are those embryonic cells around and from which the organs and appendages of the future imago develop.

Imago: the adult or sexually developed insect.

Imbricate: arranged or appearing like the scales on a fish or the shingles on a roof.

Immaculate: destitute of spots or marks.

Immarginate: without an elevated rim or margin.

Immersed -us: inserted, imbedded or hidden in.

Imponderable: that which cannot be weighed.

Impregnate-ed: to make or made fertile or pregnant: fertilized.

Impressed -us: a surface with shallow depressed areas or markings.

Impubis: without hair.

Inaequalis: unequal.

Inarticulate: not jointed or segmented.

Inaurate -us: golden yellow [pale cadmium yellow].

Ineanus: hoary.

Inch: the English and American standard of length in insect measurement: it is = 12 lines and = 25.4 mm.: usually expressed in units and hundredths, as 1.01.

Incised: notched or deeply cut into.

Incision: any cut into a margin or through a surface: the marginal slits or notches in Coccidae.

Incisure: an impressed line marking the junction of two segments: an incision.

Inclinate -us: leaning or inclining.

Inclusus: when one part is wholly or partially hidden in another.

Inconspicuous: not attracting attention or quickly noticeable.

Incrassated: thickened: rather suddenly swollen at some one point, especially near tip.

Incubate: to brood: to cause to develop; as an egg.

Incumbent: lying one over another: wings when they cover the dorsal horizontally.

Incunabulum: = folliculus and cocoon; q.v.

Incurved -ate: bowed or curved inwards.

Independent: in Lepidoptera; that vein of the wings that arises from the cross-vein closing the cell, and does not branch directly from any vein reaching the base: it is v. 5 of the numerical series in both wings and the media of Comstock.

Indeterminate: not defined nor well marked; obscure: of no constant form or shape.

Indigote: a very deep indigo blue.

Indirect: applied to metamorphosis = complete.

Indumentum: a covering of hairs, scales or tufts.

Indurated: hardened.

Indusium: the case made by an insect larva: a membranous layer of the embryo of Locustidae below the serosa.

Inequal: a surface with irregular elevations and depressions.

Inermis: unarmed: without spines or spurs.

Infericornia: Hemiptera; in which the antenna appear to be inserted well down on the sides of head; e.g. Lygaeidae.

Inferior: beneath, below or behind: a term of position.

Inferior appendage -es: in male Odonata the lower one or two of the terminal abdominal parts used to clasp the female in copulation.

Inferior wings: = hind wings or secondaries: q.v.

Infero-posterior: below and behind: refers to location.

Inflated: blown up; distended bladder-like.

Inflected: bent inward at an angle.

Inflexus: = inflected.

Infra: below or beneath: opposed to supra.

Infra-anal lobe: a thick, conical fleshy lobe, often ending in a chitinous point, situated beneath the vent in caterpillars.

Infra-cereal plates: in Orthoptera - generally inconspicuous paired plates which underlie in part the cerci and in part the lateral portion of the supra-anal plate.

Infra-clypeus: = ante-clypeus and rhinarium: q.v..

Infracted: abruptly bent inward, as if broken.

Infra-genital: below the genital opening or process.

Infra-marginal: situated below or behind the marginal cell.

Infra-median vein; in Orthoptera: = ulnar vein: q.v.

Infra-ocular: applied to the region below and between the eyes.

Infra-oesophageal: situated below oesophagus; see sub-oesophageal.

Infra-stigmatal: situated below the stigmata or spiracles.

Infringing: encroaching upon.

Infumated: clouded.

Infundibuliform: funnel-shaped.

Infuseated: smoky gray-brown, with a blackish tinge [Roman sepia].

Ingens: unusually large or disproportionate in size.

Ingluvies: the crop; q.v.

Inner lobe: of maxilla = lacinia: q.v.

Inner margin: the line extending along the lower or interior edge of the wing from the base to the hind or anal angle.

Innervate: to supply with nerves.

Innotatus: without markings.

Inocular: inserted in the inner margin of and partially or wholly surrounded by the eye.

Inquiline: a species living in a gall or other structure prepared by a different species, not as a parasite but as, a guest.

Inquiline: living as guests in the homes of others; as in galls.

Insect: a member of the class Insecta strictly limited.

Insecta: broadly defined, contains all articulates that are also tracheates and have the head free from the thorax; more strictly limited to those forms that have only three pairs of thoracic legs in the adult stage and a limited number of segments.

Insectary: a place or building where insects are bred and studied.

Insectivorous: feeding upon or devouring insects.

Insectologist: a student of insects: = entomologist.

Insectology: the science of insect study: = entomology.

Insertion: the point or place where a part is inserted: a part that is inserted: the act of inserting.

Insertus: a part that has its base set into another.

In situ: in its natural place or normal position.

Instar: the period or stage between molts in the larva, numbered to designate the various periods; e.g. the first instar is the stage between the egg and first molt, etc.: see stadium.

Institia: stria or furrows of equal width throughout.

Instrumenta cibaria: mouth parts of a mandibulate insect as a whole.

Instrumenta suctoria: mouth parts of a haustellate insect as a whole.

Integer: entire: applied to a margin without incisions.

Integument: the outer covering to the insect body.

Inter: between; among.

Inter-alar space: in Odonata; the terga of meson- and meta-thorax.

Interantennal: between the basal segments of antennae.

Inter-articular: the membranous tissue between joints or segments.

Intercalary -ies: additional or inserted between others; as a vein: plural; added or supplementary longitudinal wing reins: see under specific headings; i.e. anterior, etc.: in Ephemerides, certain longitudinal veins between the 8th (anal) and 9th (1st maxillary) and not branches of either: in Diptera, the anterior intercalary (Loew) = the discoidal, and the posterior intercalary = the cubitus 1 of Comstock: applied to an evanescent sclerite in the embryo between antenna and mandible; also termed premandibular.

Intercostal: between veins or costae; usually in the narrow grooves between veins in the costal region of a wing.

Intercostula: those small, vein-like structures between the normal veins, visible on a wing margin but lost toward the disc.

Intercoxal process: in Coleopteran; a median protrusion of the basal segment of abdomen between the hind coxae.

Intermediate: lying between others in position or possessing characters between two other forms.

Intermediate field: of termini is = discoidal field q.v.

Internal area: in Hymenoptera; the posterior of the three areas between median and lateral longitudinal carina on the metanotum third lateral area.

Internal cell: in Hymenoptera (Pack.) 2d anal (Comst.).

Internal triangle: in Odonata see triangle.

Internal veins: in Lepidoptera, from one to three in number, run free from base to outer margin near hind angle; never branched;1a to is in the numerical series: = anal veins (Comst.).

Interneural: between the nerves (or veins) of wings.

Interno-mandibular: applied to one of the pairs of salivary glands in bees, situated at the inner side of base of mandible.

Internomedian: in Orthoptera; = cubitus (Comst.); q.v.

Interocular: between the eyes.

Interplical: lying between folds; specifically applied to the alternate ridges and grooves in anal area of secondaries of Orthoptera.

Interposed sectors: in Odonata; the shorter longitudinal veins occurring in the wings of some species between the chief veins; = supplementary sectors. Interrupted: broken in continuity, but with the tips of the broken parts in a right line with each other.

Intersegmental: = interarticular; q.v.

Interspace: Coleopteran; the plane surface between elytral striae: Lepidoptera spaces between wing veins not included in closed cells.

Interspaceal: occurring in the interspaces between two wing veins or two elytral striae.

Interstice -tium: space between two lines, whether striate or punctate.

Interstitial line: the elevated ridge between two striae or series of punctures.

Interval: the space or time between two structures, sculptures or periods of development.

Interventricular: the inner valve between the chambers of the heart.

Interventricular valvule: of heart, lies in front of seluilunar valve.

Intervenular: in thespace between two veins.

Intestinal caecum: that point of the large intestine in front of the junction with the small intestine.

Intestine: that part of the alimentary canal through which the food passes from the stomach, in which absorption is completed and the excretions are formed for expulsion.

Intima: the lining membrane of the trachea: see endotrachea.

Intorted: turned or twisted inwardly.

Intra-: within: between.

Intra-alar bristles: in Diptera; a row of two or three between the supra-alar and dorso-central groups.

Intracellular: occurring within the cell or in a cell.

Infra-humeral bristles: in Diptera calyptrata; occur immediately in front of the thoracic suture, between the humeral callus and the presutural depression.

Infra-ocular: situated within the eye, actually or apparently.

Intra-pulmonary: that method of respiration which does not involve movements of the outer body wall and is confined to the respiratory organs.

Intrauterine: applied to development, when the young hatch within the vagina of the mother.

Intricate: irregular: confused; applied to markings and sculpture.

Intromittent: used for throwing within.

Intromittent organ: the penis; q.v.

Introse -um: directed inward, toward the body.

Intrusus: seemingly impressed with a sharp point.

Intumescent: enlarged; swollen: expanded.

Invaginate: when a tubular or vesicular part is turned inward or retracted within the body wall.

Invagination: a pouch or sac formed by an infolding or indrawing of the outer surface.

Investitus: unclothed: a surface without scales or hair.

Involucrate: = involute.

Involucrum alarum in Dermaptera a flap of the metanotum.

Involute: spirally rolled inwardly.

Involuti: butterflies whose larvae live in a folded leaf; Hesperidae.

Iridescent: a surface which reflects the prismatic hues.

Iridicolor: any color so broken up as to reflect the prismatic hues.

Iris: the circle which, in an ocellate spot surrounds the pupil.

Irised: with rainbow colors.

Iris-pigment: = iris tapetum.

Iris tapetum: the pigment layer of the compound eye just below the crystalline cone.

Irregular: unequal, curved, bent or otherwise twisted or modified without order or symmetry, e.g. certain antennae.

Irrorate: marked with minute points; freckled.

Isabelline -us: pale yellow with some red and brown [chronic lemon with a little carmine and roman sepia].

Ischia: = pleura; q.v.

Iso-: equal.

Isolate: to separate out from others; occurring alone.

Isomers: that series of Coleoptera in which the tarsi have an equal number of joints on all feet.

Isomerous: with equal number of tarsal joints on all feet := homoeomerous.

Isomorphous: having the same form, appearance or construction.

Isopalpi: that series of Trichoptera in which the palpi of both sexes have the same number of joints.

Isoptera: equal winged: an ordinal term for insects with four, similar, net-veined wings; mouth mandibulate; thoracic rings similar, loosely jointed metamorphosis incomplete: the Termitidae. {Scanner's note: In modern nomenclature the Isoptera constitute the order of all termites; the Termitidae are just one family within the Isoptera.}

Isotypical: a genus described from more than one species, all of which are congeneric.

-itus: = -atus; q.v.

-ius: suffix; having the power or ability to.

J

Jabot: the crop; q.v.

Janthine: violet colored.

Jaw-capsule: contains the mouth structures in those dipterous larvae in which the head is differentiated.

Johnston's organ: a complex nervous structure in the basal joint of dipterous antennae.

Joint: a segment or part between two incisures: an articulation.

Jubate -us: fringed with long pendent hairs.

Juga: the lateral anterior lobes of the head of a Heteropteron; each side of the tylo.

Jugatae: that series of Lepidoptera in which there is a jugum instead of a frenulum to unite the wings in flight.

Jugular: of or pertaining to the throat.

Jugular sclerite: small sclerite in the membrane connecting the head with the thorax: see cervical sclerite.

Jugulum: that sclerite just behind the sub-mentum; =gula: that cavity of the posterior part of the head to which the neck is annexed: the lateral and under parts of the prothorax.

Jugum: in certain Lepidoptera and Trichoptera, a lobe or process at the base of primaries, overlapping secondaries and holding the two together in flight.

K

Katabolic: the destructive change from animal tissue to waste product: see anabolic.

Keel: an elevated ridge or carina.

Kermesinus: dark red, with much blue [purple lake].

Key: a tabular or other arrangement of species, genera or other classification according to characters that serve to identify them.

Kidney-shaped: like a kidney in outline; convex on one long side, concave on the other, the ends evenly and somewhat obtusely rounded: bean-shaped.

Knee: the point of junction of femur and tibia.

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