|
| A |
| abdomen | third (posterior) major division of the insect body |
| aberration | a form that departs in some striking way from the normal type; either single or occurring rarely, at irregular intervals |
| acrodendric | living in tree tops |
| adult | the stage when an insect is sexually mature and ready to reproduce normally |
| aedeagus | male copulatory organ |
| Alae | the membranous wings |
| alate | winged, having wings |
| allopatric | two or more forms of a species having essentially separate distributions |
| alpine | climate zone 2000 - 3000 m, montane grasslands and shrublands. Mountain Pine or Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo) limit |
| antenna | paired, segmented sensory appendages |
| anterior | concerning of facing the front, towards the head |
| apical | at or towards the apex |
| apterous | without wings |
| arboreal | living in, on or among trees |
| arid | applied to regions in which the normal rainfall is insufficient to produce ordinary farm crops without irrigation, and in which desert conditions prevail |
| arolium | pretarsal pad-like structure |
| Australis | ecozone including Australia and Tasmania |
| autochthonic | originating where found; indigenous |
|
| B |
| basal | at or towards the base, closer to the point of attachment |
| binominal nomenclature | formal system of naming species, devloped by Carl Linnaeus |
| bivoltine | having two generations per year |
| boreal | from or belonging to the north, faunal region with cool, wet summers and cold winters |
| boreoalpine | occurring in the boreal forest zone as well as in the Alps |
| brachypterous | having shortened wings |
|
| C |
| carnivorous | preying or feeding on animals |
| caudal | at or towards the end |
| cavernicolous | living in caves |
| cf. | (lat. confer, compare, consult) indicates that a species needs to be seen in context of its comparison to another, but by definition is not confirmed as the same |
| chitin | biopolymer (polysaccharide, closely related to cellulose), major component of the arthropod cuticle |
| clypeus | part of the insect head between labrum and frons |
| Coleoptera | order beetles |
| coleopterology | the branch of entomology that studies beetles |
| colin | climate zone 150-450 m, oak limit (Quercus spp.); European Beech (Fagus sylvatica), Sessile oak (Quercus petraea), Pedunculate oak or English oak (Quercus robur) |
| coll. | specimen in the collection of |
| commensalism | symbiosis, two or more species living together such that one benefits but neither loses fitness |
| compound eye | an eye consisting of many individual elements each of which is externally represented by a facet |
| coprophagous | feeding on dung or excrement |
| coprophilous | living or growing on excrement |
| copula | the act of sexual union |
| copulation | the act of sexual union |
| corticolous | growing or living on tree bark |
| cosmopolitan | occuring throughout most of the world |
| coxa | the proximal (basal) leg segment |
| cuticle | external skeletal structure of the insect |
|
| D |
| det. | (lat. determinavit) determined by |
| dimorphism | a difference in size, form, or color, between individuals of the same species |
| disjunct | two closely related taxa are widely separated geographically |
| distal | referring to the part of an appendage that is farthest from the body |
| diurnal | active at daytime |
| dorsal | on the upper surface |
|
| E |
| ectoparasite | a parasite that lives on the outside of its host |
| elytron, elytra | modified, hardened forewing of the beetles |
| endemic | restricted to a well defined geographical region |
| endoparasite | a parasite that lives internally (inside its host) |
| entomology | the branch of Zoology that deals with insects and, specifically, the Hexapods |
| eurytopic | able to adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions; widely distributed |
| eutrophic | waters rich in mineral and organic nutrients that promote a proliferation of plant life, especially algae |
| exuvia | the cast-off outer skin of an insect or other arthropod |
|
| F |
| femur | the third segment of the insect leg, following coxa and trochanter |
| fertile | capable of initiating, sustaining, or supporting reproduction |
| fossil | extinct in the Pleistocene (the previous geological period) or before |
| fossorial | digging or adapted to digging |
| frontal | referring to the front of head or anterior aspect of any part |
| fungicolous | living in or on fungi |
|
| G |
| glabrous | without hairs |
| granivorous | feeding on grain and seeds |
|
| H |
| habitat | the region or place which an insect inhabits or where it was taken |
| habitus | body-build, general appearance |
| halobiont | an organism that lives or grows in a salty environment |
| halophilic | species living in salt marshes, or near the sea |
| halotolerant | adapted to conditions of high salinity without being dependent of them |
| heliophilic | attraction or adaptation to sunlight |
| hemimetabolous | having an incomplete metamorphosis, with no pupal stage in the life history |
| hemolymph | the blood plasma or liquid part of the blood, though generally synonymous for blood of insects |
| holarctic | ecozone referring to North America, Europe, Northern Africa and Eurasia |
| holomediterranean | the entire Mediterranean region |
| holometabolous | having a complete metamorphosis, with larval and pupal stages in the life history |
| holotype | a single specimen selected by the author of a species as its type, or the only specimen known at the time of description |
| host | the organism in or on which a parasite lives; the plant on which an insect or other arthropod feeds |
| hybrid | the progeny from the mating of two species |
| hydrophilic | having an affinity for water; living in water |
| hygrophilous | moisture loving |
| hypermetamorphose | a type of life history in which the larvae adopts 2 or more distinct forms during its development |
| hypogaeic | living primarily underground |
|
| I |
| imago | the adult insect |
| immature | not fully grown or developed |
| indet. | indeterminate, indeterminable |
| interspecific | arising or occurring between species |
| intraspecific | arising or occurring within a species |
| invasive species | non-indigenous species that adversely affect the habitats they invade |
|
| J |
|
| K |
| kleptoparasite | a "thief parasite," an organism that gets food by stealing it from another organism that it lives in close association with, possibly in the way of killing the brood to reach their broodsubstrate |
|
| L |
| labium | lower lip |
| labrum | upper lip |
| lateral | concerning the sides |
| lectotype | single specimen selected from among the syntypes to serve as the only name-bearing type specimen |
| leg. | (lat. legit, has collected) found/caught by |
| lignicolous | growing or living on or in wood |
| locus typicus | type locality, place where a type was found |
|
| M |
| macropterous | long or large winged |
| mandible | the jaws, jaw-like in biting and chewing insects |
| maxilla | second (lower) pair of jaws |
| medial | towards the middle |
| mesophilic | regarding temperature and humidity the medium conditions are preferred, avoids extremes |
| mesothorax | the second segment of the thorax |
| metamorphosis | change in the body form larval stage to adult |
| metathorax | third and last segment of the thorax |
| microcavernicolous | living in small cavities, like burrows and warrens |
| mimesis | resemblance to an inedible object in the environment |
| mimicry | resemblance to a harmful or impalatable species |
| monophagous | eating only one kind of food (usually plants) |
| montane | 800 - 1600 m , rye and wheat crop limit |
| morphology | the branch of biology that deals with the form and structure of organisms without consideration of function |
| multivoltine | producing several broods in a single season |
| myrmecophilous | ant-loving: applied to insects that live in ant nests |
|
| N |
| Nearctic | ecozone including most of North America |
| necrophagous | eating dead and decaying animals |
| nectarivorous | feeding on nectar |
| Neotropic | ecozone including Central and South America |
| neotype | a specimen later selected to serve as the single type specimen when an original holotype has been lost or destroyed, or where the original author never cited a specimen |
| nidicolous | sharing the nest of another species of animal |
| nival | climate zone above 3000 m, alpine desert, permafrost and above snow line |
| nocturnal | active at night |
|
| O |
| ocellus | simple eye consisting of a simple beadlike lens |
| oligophagous | feeding on a restricted range of food substances, especially a limited number of plants |
| omnivorous | a general feeder upon animal or vegetable food, or both |
| ovipositor | the organ used for laying eggs |
|
| P |
| Palaearctic | ecozone including Eurasia and North Africa |
| Palaetropic | area of the tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World, including almost the whole of Africa, India and Southeast Asia |
| parapatric | referring to organisms whose ranges do not significantly overlap but are immediately adjacent to each other |
| parasite | an organism that lives at the expense of another usually without killig ist host |
| parasitoid | an organism that lives at the expense of another an finally killing its host |
| paratype | any additional specimen listed in the type series, where the original description designated a holotype |
| parthenogensis | a form of reproduction in which eggs develop normally without being fertilised |
| petricolous | inhabiting rocks |
| pheromone | a chemical used in the communication between individuals of the same species (used e.g. for aggregation, alarm, courtship, sex attraction, trailmarking) |
| phoresis | the usage by one animal of another soley as a means of transport, i.e. certain mites on various other insects |
| phyllophagous | feeding upon leaf tissue |
| phytophagous | eating plants |
| planar | climate zone under 150 m |
| polyphagous | eating many kinds of food |
| ponto-mediterranean | South-East Europe around the Mediterranean |
| population | all the organisms that constitute a specific group or occur in a specified habitat |
| posterior | concerning or facing the rear |
| praticolous | living on meadows |
| predator | an organism hunting and eating other animals |
| primary pest | an injurious organism that attacks an immaculate substrate and is the leading cause of a damage |
| pronotum | the upper (dorsal) plate of the prothorax |
| prothorax | the first segment of the thorax |
| proximal | concerning the basal part of an appendage - the part nearest to the body |
| psammophilous | living in sandy places |
| pubescent | covered with short, soft hair |
|
| Q |
|
| R |
| recent | of, belonging to, or denoting the Holocene Epoch |
| rhizophagous | feeding on roots |
| ripicolous | dwelling on river banks: riparian |
| ruderal area | pioneer habitats resulting from human activity |
|
| S |
| saprophagous | eating decaying organisms |
| scape | the first segment of the antenna |
| scutellum | the posterior third of the mesonotum |
| secondary pest | an injurious organism capable of damaging only weakend or stressed or already damaged substrates |
| serrate | toothed like a saw |
| sexual dichromatism | systematic difference in color between individuals of different sex in the same species |
| sexual dimorphism | systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species |
| silvicolous | growing in or inhabiting woodlands |
| s.l. | (lat. sensu lato) in the wider sense |
| spermatheca | a small sac-like branch of the female reproductive tract of arthropods in which sperm may be stored |
| sphagnetum | plant society characterized by sphagnum |
| s.str. | (lat. sensu stricto) in the stricter sense |
| stenotopic | able to adapt only to a narrow range of environmental conditions |
| sternite | the ventral piece in a ring or segment |
| stigma | a spiracle or breathing pore |
| stridulation | the production of sound by rubbing two ridged surfaces together |
| subalpine | 1500 - 2500 m, Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris), Norway Spruce (Picea abies), Swiss Pine (Pinus cembra, Arve or Zirbel) limit and European Larch (Larix decidua) limit |
| submontane | climate zone 450 - 800 m, European Beech (Fagus sylvatica), Silver Fir or European Silver Fir (Abies alba) and Norway Spruce (Picea abies). |
| subspecies | a well-marked form of a species differing from the type in some character of color or maculation which is recognizable but does not prevent a fertile union |
| symbiosis | a long-lasting, close and dependent relationship between two organisms of different species |
| sympatric | organisms whose ranges overlap or are even identical, so that they occur together at least in some places |
| synanthropic | associated with humans or their dwellings |
| synonym | different scientific names that pertain to the same taxon |
| syntype | any of two or more specimens listed in a species description where a holotype was not designated |
|
| T |
| t. | (lat. teste) reviewed/confirmed by |
| tarsus | the leg segment distal to the tibia, comprising 1-5 tarsomeres |
| taxonomy | the theory and practice of naming and classifying organisms |
| tergite | the primary plate or sclerite forming the dorsal surface of any body segment |
| thanatosis | feigning death |
| thermophilic | applied to species living in hot places |
| thorax | the chest, split into prothorax (anterior chest), mesothorax (middle chest) and metathorax (posterior chest) |
| tibia | the fourth leg segment, following the femur |
| triungulin | an active, dispersive first-instar larva of insects |
| trochanter | the second leg segment, following the coxa |
|
| U |
| ubiquist | species that is not bound to any particular habitat |
| univoltine | having but a single generation a year |
|
| V |
| ventral | towards or at the lower surface |
| vicariance | the separation or division of a group of organisms by a geographic barrier, such as a mountain or a body of water, resulting in differentiation of the original group into new varieties or species |
| vid. | (lat. vidit, has seen) seen/reviewed by |
|
| W |
|
| X |
| xerophilous | applied to species living in dry places |
| xerothermic | both dry and hot climate or area |
| xerothermophilous | applied to species living in hot and dry places |
| xylodetriticolous | living in decayed wood |
| xylophagous | eating wood |
|
| Y |
|
| Z |
