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Flyfishing Entomology |
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Terms |
TERM |
DEFINITION |
| abdomen | third (of three) major body segment of insects |
| aerobic | living in an environment where free oxygen is used for respiration |
| aestivation | passing hot or dry periods in a torpid state |
| air straps | a pair of abdominal segment 8 appendages of giant waterbugs used for respiration |
| alate | winged |
| algae | aquatic plants having chlorophyll, and not having true roots, stems, or leaves |
| ametabolous | without change in body form during development to adult |
| amorphous | not having any definite form |
| anaerobic | not requiring free oxygen for respiration |
| anal | pertaining to the most posterior part of the body |
| anal vein | the 6th major longitudinal vein of insect wings |
| anastomosed | crisscross-like network of veins, usually in stigmatic area of wing |
| annulated | having ring-like segments |
| antenna | a variously shaped appendage of the head |
| anterior | the forward part of the body |
| apex | tip, end, or highest point of structure |
| apical | at the end or tip of a structure |
| apolysis | separation, but not casting off, of larval integument from pupal integument |
| apotome | small plate in middle of underside of head |
| apterous | being wingless |
| aquatic | living in or on water |
| basal | at the base of a structure |
| benthic | bottom-dwelling organisms |
| bifid | coming to two distinct points |
| binomial | scientific name, composed of genus and species |
| bivoltine | two generations completed in a single year |
| brachypterous | having shortened wings |
| bristle | a stiff, short, blunt hair |
| brood | a clutch of individuals that hatch at the same time from eggs of one set of parents |
| bulla | bubble node or blister usually found midway along the subcostal vein of insect wing |
| burrower | a benthic insect that tunnels into the soft bottom substrates |
| campodieform | grub-like (as are some caddisfly larvae) |
| carapace | a hardened shield covering part of the body dorsally |
| carnivor | an insect that feeds off living animal material |
| caudal | pertaining to the anal end of the insect body |
| cerci | slender segmented (normally paired) appendages on the 10th abdominal segment |
| cervical | pertaining to area immediately behind head and before thorax |
| cervix | the neck, or especially the back of the neck of insects |
| chitin | a hard secretion of the epidermis, major component of arthropod cuticle |
| chloride | cells whose function is uptake of ions from the water |
| collar | rounded or flattened anterior margin of prothorax |
| clasper | paired, jointed structure of male adult mayfly used to clasp female abdomen during mating |
| clavopruina | white frosted valley on forewing of adult waterboatmen |
| climber | a benthic insect that commonly resides on aquatic plant stems, etc. |
| clinger | a benthic insect that clings steadfastly to substrates |
| coleopteroid | beetle-like in form, referring to structure of forewings |
| costa | the 1st longitudinal wing vein; the thickened front margin of the wing |
| coxa | the basal, or first, segment of the leg |
| CPOM | coarse particulate organic matter (organic particles > 1 mm.) |
| crochets | curved hooks, spines or spinules on prolegs |
| cross-veins | transverse wing veins that link the longitudinal veins |
| cubitus | the 5th longitudinal vein of insect wings |
| culm | the stem of grasses or sedges |
| cutaneous | term for respiration where insects obtain oxygen directly through body wall |
| cuticle | the external skeletal structure composed of chitin and protein |
| denticles | tooth-like projections |
| detritivore | an eater of organic detritus of plant or animal origin |
| detritus | dead and decomposing plant or animal material |
| diapause | resting stage with reduced metabolic activity |
| diatom | a unicellular form of algae |
| diel | pertaining to a 24-hour period or a regular occurrence in every 24-hour period |
| dimorphic | male and female differ considerably |
| disjunct | separated |
| distal | at or toward the end of a structure |
| diurnal | active during daylight hours |
| dorsal | pertaining to the top or upper surface |
| ecdysis | the casting off of the larval integument |
| eclosion | the process of hatching from the egg |
| ecology | pertaining to the relationships of organisms and their environment |
| ecosystem | all of the component organisms of a community and their environment |
| elytra | the front chitinous wings of beetles which cover and protect the hind wings |
| emergence | transformation to the adult stage |
| entomology | the study of insects |
| epiproct | a dorsal relic of abdominal segment 11 |
| eruciform | caterpillar-like (as are some caddisfly larvae) |
| eutrophic | an aquatic environment rich in nutrients and biological productivity |
| exoskeleton | the external body wall of arthropods |
| exuvia | a cast skin or nymphal shuck |
| eyespot | a single eye or eyelike structure found on the head |
| facet | lens-like divisions of compound eyes |
| femur | the third (often stoutest) segment of an insect leg, following the coxa and trochanter |
| fibrils | threadlike gill filaments of some mayfly nymphs |
| file | a toothed or ridged structure used in sound production by contact with a scraper |
| flagellum | the third part of an antenna, distal to the scape and pedicel |
| forceps | clasping projections from the posterior of an adult male mayfly's abdomen |
| fossorial | adapted for burrowing or digging, as in fore tibia of burrowing mayfly |
| FPOM | fine particulate organic matter (organic particles > 5 um. & < 1 mm.) |
| frenulum | spines or bristles on costa of hind wing that lock with forewing retinaculum in flight |
| ganglia | collection of nerve cells acting as center of nervous influence |
| generation | the complete life cycle of an insect |
| genitalia | external sexual organs or structures |
| geotropic | responding to gravity |
| gills | respiratory appendages of nymphs |
| gravid | having fertilized eggs |
| halteres | the modified hind wings of Diptera, acting as a balancers |
| head | the most anterior region of an insect's body |
| hemelytron | the partially thickened forewing of waterbugs |
| hemimetabolous | undergoes incomplete metamorphosis (no pupal stage) |
| hemolymph | the internal body fluids of arthropods |
| herbivore | a plant feeder, specifically of living plant tissue |
| hindlegs | the pair of legs projecting from an insect's metathorax |
| holometabolus | undergoes complete metamorphosis (including pupal stage) |
| hyaline | glassy, transparent, usually in reference to wings of spinner |
| hypopharynx | an insect's "tongue" used for manipulating food in the mouth |
| imagio | the adult stage of an insect |
| incubation | period during egg stage necessary for development and subsequent eclosion |
| instar | insect between two molting events |
| integument | the outer covering of the living tissues of an insect, epidermis plus cuticle |
| intercalary | in mayfly, short veins not connected to main longitudinal veins |
| intermittent | description of streams with water flow only part of the year |
| interstitial | located in small or narrow space (crevice) between objects |
| labium | the lower lip of an insect |
| labrum | the upper lip of an insect |
| lacinia | apex of the maxilla |
| lamella | a leaflike gill located at the end of the abdomen of damselfly nymphs |
| lanceolate | lance-like, as in gills of some mayfly nymphs |
| larva | first major mobile life stage or form of insects |
| lateral | at or toward the sides |
| lentic | aquatic environments with nonflowing water |
| ligula | tongue or strap-like central appendage of the labium |
| limnetic | open-water zone of lakes beyond zone of emergent vegetation |
| littoral | near-shore zone of ponds and lakes |
| lotic | aquatic environments with flowing water |
| macropterous | having long wings |
| macrovore | an insect whose food items are generally larger than 10 cubic microns |
| maggot | a legless larval insect, usually with a reduced head, frequently a fly. |
| mandibles | the first pair of jaws in insects |
| maxilla | second pair of jaws of mandiblulate insects |
| media | the 4th major longitudinal vein of insect wings |
| medial | at or toward the midline of the body |
| merovoltine | one generation completed in (three or more) years |
| mesonotum | top or dorsal area of mesothorax |
| mesosternum | bottom area of mesothorax from which middle pair of legs are attached |
| mesothorax | the second (middle) thoracic segment |
| metamorphosis | series of changes an insect passes through during development from egg to adult |
| metanotum | top or dorsal area of metathorax |
| metapleuron | in mayfly, side area of metathorax, from which base of hind wings are attached |
| metathorax | the third thoracic segment |
| microboita | microscopic organisms |
| microvore | an insect whose food item are generally less than 10 cubic microns |
| midge | a generic term used to describe any minute insect |
| midlegs | the pair of legs projecting from an insect's mesothorax |
| miner | an insect that feeds on leaf tissue by tunneling within the leaf itself |
| molting | the formation of a new cuticle followed by ecdysis |
| morphology | the study of the structure and form of organisms |
| mutic | without spines |
| naiad | larval stage of insects with incomplete metamorphosis |
| natant | floating, the emergent nymphal stage |
| natorial | fitted for swimming, generally applies to swimming legs in aquatic bugs |
| notum | dorsal surface of a body segment |
| nymph | larval stage of an insect which undergoes incomplete metamorphosis |
| ocelli | simple eyes consisting of a single beadlike lens |
| oligotrophic | an aquatic environment having a low level of nutrients and biological productivity |
| omnivore | an animal that eats both living plant and living animal matter |
| operculate | having a flap-like gill covering succeeding gills as in some mayfly nymphs |
| organism | any living individual plant or animal |
| ova | eggs of female adult |
| oviposition | the act of laying eggs |
| ovipositor | specialized structure of female adults of certain insects used to lay or deposit eggs |
| ovoviviparity | eggs remain in female until the hatch or are about to hatch |
| pala | hair fringed tarsus of adult waterbug |
| palp | a segmented finger-like appendage attached to the maxilla or labium |
| papilla | a thin walled structure of certain insects and used for ion uptake |
| paraproct | ventral relics of abdominal segment XI |
| parthenogenic | refers to reproduction without mating or egg fertilization |
| pectinations | toothed, comblike spines in tarsal claw |
| pedicel | the second antennal segment |
| palagic | living in open oceans or seas |
| penes | paired structures of male for transfer of sperm to female eggs |
| periphyton | a complex matrix of algae and heterotrophic microbes attached to submerged objects |
| petiole | the stalk by which a leaf is attached to the stem |
| pharate | the newly formed adult that still resides within the pupal skin |
| pheromone | insect-produced chemical signaling its presence to other members of same species |
| phoretic | use of one organism by another as a means of transportation |
| phototactic | responding to light |
| plankton | organisms that live suspended in water and have little or no power of locomotion |
| plastron | a thin film of air held by many tiny unwettable hairs |
| plueon | the lateral region of any segment of the insect body |
| polypod | a type of larva with jointed legs on the thorax and prolegs on the abdomen |
| polyvoltine | more than one generation completed per year |
| posterior | the hind part of the body |
| posterolateral | referring to the back and sides |
| prey | an animal attacked and eaten by a predator |
| proboscis | elongate mouthparts |
| profundal | pertaining to the deep-water zone of lakes below the depth of light penetration |
| proleg | a fleshy, unsegmented, leglike structure of a larva |
| pronotum | dorsal area of prothorax |
| propleuron | side area of prothorax |
| prosternum | bottom surface of prothorax, from which forelegs are attached |
| prothorax | the first thoracic segment |
| proximal | the part of an appendage closer to or at the body (opposite to distal) |
| pupa | the life stage that immediately precedes adult in an insect with complete metamorphosis |
| puparium | the thickened and hardened larval skin in which the pupa is formed |
| pupation | the act of becoming a pupa |
| quadrate | more-or-less square-shaped |
| radius | the 3rd major longitudinal vein of insect wings |
| raptorial | adapted for seizing prey |
| rheophilic | found in flowing waters, usually with strong currents |
| riparian | typically occurring or growing along the banks or rivers or streams |
| saltatorial | adapted for jumping or springing |
| saprophagous | an eater of decaying organisms |
| scale | a flat unicellular outgrowth of the body wall |
| scape | the first segment of the antenna |
| scavenger | a feeder on dead animals |
| sclerite | a plate on the body wall surrounded by membrane or sutures |
| sclerotized | definite hardened areas of the insect exoskeleton |
| scraper | the ridged surface drawn over a file to produce stridulatory sounds |
| screen | basic device for sampling aquatic insect life in a stream |
| scutellum | in beetle adults, a small dorsal, triangular area found medially at the base of the elytra |
| scutellum | in caddisfly adults, a large dorsal area on the mesothorax behind the pronotum |
| scutum | the medial, posterior, and dorsal area of the mesothorax of caddisfly adults |
| sector | a major wing-vein branch and all of its subdivisions. |
| semi-aquatic | living in saturated soils, but not immersed in free water |
| semivoltine | one generation completed in two years |
| sessile | attached and incapable of actively moving from place to place |
| seston | all of the suspended solid matter in a column of water |
| setae | sclerotized hair-like projections |
| shuck | the empty exoskeleton left behind after molting occurs |
| silt | substrate material composed of very small particles |
| sinuate | bending or curving as opposed to straight |
| species | a group of alike individuals that can interbreed producing fertile offspring |
| spine | a multicellular unjointed cutecular extension, often thorn-like |
| spiracle | external opening of the tracheal system along the body wall |
| sprawler | a benthic insect that crawls about on substrates |
| stadium | the time interval between two larval instars |
| stemmata | the simple lateral eyes of insect larvae with complete metamorphosis |
| sterna | the ventral or bottom surface of body segments |
| sternite | the ventral plate of an abdominal segment |
| stridulation | the production of sound by rubbing two rough or ribbed surfaces together |
| strigil | sound producing file on the abdomen on adult waterbug |
| subcosta | the 2nd major longitudinal vein of insect wings |
| subimagio | a fully winged stage that precedes the adult in mayflies |
| substrate | the bed or bottom of an aquatic environment |
| suture | a line or slight furrow in the body wall |
| suture | an external groove that may show the fusion of two plates |
| swarm | an aggregation of insects, often for the purpose of mating |
| symbiotic | living in close association or contact with another species |
| synonym | one of two or more names that apply to the same species |
| systematics | the science of biological classification |
| tagma | segments that become fused to form a distinct region |
| tarsus | third major leg segment, distal to the tibia |
| taxon | a named group of organisms (species, genus, family, etc.) |
| taxonomy | the theory and practice of naming and classifying organisms |
| tegmina | thick, leathery hardened fore wings |
| teneral | the adult insect shortly after emergence, before hardening and full coloration |
| terga | the dorsal or upper portion of body segments |
| tergite | upper or dorsal surface of an individual abdominal segment |
| tergum | the dorsal or upper portion of any body segment |
| terminal | pertaining to the posterior end of the body or distal end of a structure |
| terrestrial | living on land or in the air, as opposed to aquatic |
| thorax | second (of three) major body segments |
| tibia | the fourth major leg segment distal to the femur |
| tolerance | the degree to which an organism is able to endure certain environmental factors |
| trachea | an internal elastic air tube used for transporting oxygen |
| transverse | at right angles to the longitudinal axis |
| trivoltine | three generations completed in a single year |
| trochanter | the segment of the insect leg between the coxa and femur |
| trochantin | a separate small platelike appendage in caddisfly larvae |
| trophic | the relative position in the food web in terms of securing nutrients |
| truncate | squared off or blunt at end |
| tubercle | a rounded eminence or nodule |
| turbinate | in adult mayfly eyes; faceted part on a stalk-like platform |
| tusks | paired horn-like prominence extending from head of burrowing mayfly |
| univoltine | only one generation completed in a single year |
| urogomphus | process on terminal abdominal segment of certain insect larvae |
| veinlet | short vein in wing that leads from a major longitudinal vein to the wing margin |
| venation | structural network of veins in wing |
| ventral | pertaining to the bottom or underside |
| vernal | temporary or existing only part of the year |
| vestigal | an appendage surviving in a dwarfed or degenerate form |
| villopore | a ventral patch of stiff hairs at the base of the femur of a mayfly's foreleg |
| voltinism | pertaining to the number of generations per year (or years) |
| xylophagous | wood eating |
| zygote | a fertilized egg |
Created: 08/04/2004 Last modified: 03/17/2008 www.FlyfishingEntomology.com