Glossary

Pollinator Words

Abdomen

An insect’s rear-most body segment

Antenna

A segmented, sensory appendage on an insect’s head

Antennae

A pair of segmented, sensory appendages on an insect’s head

Arboreal

Found in or upon trees

Arthropods

Invertebrates with a hard external skeleton, segmented body, and several pairs of jointed appendages

Brand

A patch of scent scales on a male lepidopteran’s (Family Lepidoptera) wing

Bristles

Stiff, strong, and slender hairs or hair-like outgrowths

Brood

Collectively, all offspring produced or hatched at one time

Brood cells

Compartments in which eggs are laid and hatch, used by bees for rearing larvae

Broods

Collectively, all offspring produced or hatched at one time

Calypter

A lobe or flap near the base of a fly’s (Diptera) wings

Calypters

Lobes or flaps near the base of a fly’s (Diptera) wings

Chest

The under part of an insect’s thorax

Chrysalids

Lepidopteran (Family Lepidoptera) pupae; develop in hard cases into adults

Chrysalis

A lepidopteran (Family Lepidoptera) pupa; develops in a hard case into an adult

Crop

Part of an insect’s gut; used to temporarily store food

Dormancy

A period when insects enter an inactive state

Elytra

Wing cases; the hardened forewings of Coleoptera (Beetles)

Eyespot

An eye-like marking on an insect’s wings used to scare off potential predators

Eyespots

Eye-like markings on an insect’s wings used to scare off potential predators

Forewing

An insect’s front wing

Forewings

An insect’s front pair of wings

Hindwing

An insect’s rear wing

Hindwings

An insect’s rear pair of wings

Honeydew

A sweet substance secreted by aphids and other true bugs (Homoptera)

Hyperparasitism

Occurs when organisms are parasitic on other parasites

Kleptoparasite

Insect that steals food or prey from another

Larva

The second stage in an insect’s life cycle, between egg and pupa

Larvae

The second stage in an insect’s life cycle, between eggs and pupae

Larval

Referring to larva or larvae

Membrane

A very thin piece of tissue, often transparent

Membranes

Very thin pieces of tissue, often transparent

Migrate

To periodically change location, by moving seasonally from between regions

Mimic

An insect species that resembles another, usually to fool predators

Multiparasitism

Occurs when a host is attacked by multiple species of parasitoid

Mutualism

Relationship between two different species that is beneficial to both

Mutualisms

Relationships between two different species which are beneficial to both

Myiasis

An infestation of the body by fly larvae

Nocturnal

Active during the night

Over-winter

To wait out the winter season; insects remain alive but inactive

Ovipositor

An appendage used to lay eggs; on a female’s last abdominal segment

Ovipositors

Appendages used to lay eggs; on the last abdominal segments of females

Parasitize

To feed on another while it is living, without killing it

Parasitoid

A larva that feeds on the tissues of its host, normally resulting in host death.

Parasitoids

Larvae that feed on the tissues of their host, normally resulting in host death.

Pollen baskets

Cavities on the legs of female bees that hold pollen

Postscutellum

In flies (Diptera), an area on the dorsal surface of the thorax

Proboscis

Elongated, tube-like mouthparts adapted for consuming liquids

Pronotum

The upper surface of the first segment of the thorax

Pupa

The third stage in an insect’s life cycle, between larva and adult

Pupae

The third stage in an insect’s life cycle, between larvae and adults

Pupal

Referring to pupa or pupae

Puparium

A rigid outer shell that covers some pupae

Pupate

Go through the process of transformation from larva to adult

Pupation

The process of transformation from larva to adult

Scopa

A fringe of hairs on the leg or the abdomen of female bees that holds pollen

Scopae

Fringes of hairs on the legs or the abdomen of female bees that hold pollen

Setae

Stiff, hair-like outgrowths

Thorax

The middle body segment of an insect, between the head and abdomen

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Glossary - Pollinator Words