Glossary of Morphological Terms

• allotype: a specimen that is designated as a secondary, non name-bearing, type that is the opposite sex of the holotype


• annulate: surrounded by a ring of a different color


• antenna: in larval and adult insects, paired segmented appendages, borne one on each side of the head, functioning as sense organs and bearing a large number of sensilla (plural: antennae)


• antennomere: a subunit of the antenna, including scape, pedicel, and flagellomeres


• apex: end of any structure distad to the base (plural: apices)


• arcuate: arched or bow-like


• attenuate: gradually tapering apically

• base: the part of any appendage or structure that is nearest the body


• bidentate: having two teeth

• carina: an elevated ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute (plural: carinae)


• cicatrix: a scar; a scar-like structure


• clavate: thickening gradually toward the tip


• conical: wider at base than apex


• contiguous: so near together as to touch


• crista: a prominent, longitudinal carina on the upper surface of any part of the head or body (plural: cristae)


• cuticle: a secretion of the epidermis, covering the entire body of the insect


• cylindrical: shaped like a cylinder, parallel sided

• dimorphic: occuring in two distinct forms


• distad: toward the distal end


• distal: near or toward the free end of any appendage; that part of a segment farthest from the body

• elongate: much longer than wide


• elytron: the leathery forewing of beetles, serving as a covering for the hind wings, commonly meeting opposite elytron in a straight line down the middle of the dorsum in repose (plural: elytra)


• emarginate: notched at the margin

• farinose: dotted with many single flour-like spots


• ferrugineous: rusty red-brown


• fimbriate: fringed with hairs of irregular length


• flagellomere: one part of a multiannulated flagellum of an antenna


• frons: the upper anterior portion of the head capsule, usually a distinct sclerite between the epicranium and clypeus


• frontoclypeal suture: the suture between the frons and the clypeus

• gena: the part of the cranium on each side below the eye (plural: genae)


• girdle: to cut away the bark and cambium in a ring around (a plant) usually to kill by interrupting the circulation of water and nutrients


• glabrous: smooth, devoid of pubescence; devoid of any sculpturing


• granulate: minutely and densely verrucose or minutely farinose

• holotype: a single specimen designated as the name-bearing type of a species or subspecies when it was established, or the single specimen on which the taxon was based when no type was specified


• humerus: shoulder; the basal exterior angle of the elytra (plural: humeri)

• integument: the outer layer of the insect

• lectotype: a syntype designated as the single name-bearing type specimen subsequent to the establishment of a nominal species or subspecies

• macula: a spot or mark (plural: maculae)


• mesocoxa: coxa of the midleg (plural: mesocoxae)


• mesofemur: midfemur (plural: mesofemora)


• mesosternum: sternum of the mesothorax


• mesosternal process: a prolongation of the mesosternum extending between the mesocoxae


• metacoxa: coxa of the hind leg (plural: metacoxae)


• metafemur: hind femur (plural: metafemora)

• oblong: longer than broad


• occiput: dorsal part of the head between the occipital sulcus and the postoccipital sulcus


• ochraceous: pale yellow


• ommatidium: one of the visual elements of the compound eye (plural: ommatidia)


• ovate: egg-shaped, with the broader end at the base


• oviposit: to deposit or lay eggs or ova

• paratype: each specimen of a type series other than the holotype


• pretarsus: last segment of the insect leg (plural: pretarsae)


• procoxa: coxa of the proleg (plural: procoxae)


• profemur: forefemur (plural: profemora)


• pronotum: the upper and dorsal part of the prothorax (plural: pronota)


• protuberance: any outgrowth or elevation above the surface


• proximal: that part of an appendage nearest the body, as opposed to distal


• pubescence: short, fine, erect hair


• punctate: set with fine, impressed points or punctures appearing as pin-pricks


• punctation: pits or depression of variable size in cuticle

• rugose: wrinkled

• scape: see antennal scape


• sculpturing: definition


• seta: a sclerotized hair-like projection of the cuticle (plural: setae)


• sinuous: undulating, curved in and out


• subquadrate: not quite a square


• subtruncate: not quite cut off squarely at the tip


• sulcus: groove with a purely functional origin


• suture: groove marking the line of fusion of two formerly distinct plates; the line of junction of elytra


• syntype: each specimen of a type series from which neither a holotype nor a lectotype has been designated

• tarsal claw: usually paired claws of the pretarsus, at the apex of the leg


• transverse: broader than long


• truncate: cut off squarely at the tip


• tubercle: a small knoblike or rounded protuberance


• type: a particular kind of specimen; e.g. allotype, cotype, holotype, lectotype, paratype, syntype

• uncate: hooked; barbed

• vertex: the top of the head between the eyes, frons and occiput, anterior to the occipital suture (plural: vertices)


• verrucose: covered with irregularly shaped lobes or wart-like protuberances


• vitta: a broad longitudinal stripe (plural: vittae)