Glossary

Glossary of terms used within this website*

(Select a letter from the above. Afterwards you can click your left mouse button anywhere on the page and then press the 'home' button on your keyboard to return to the top of this glossary)


A

Abdomen	The third part of a body of an insect (cf. head and thorax).

Adult	The final (mature) developmental stage an insect, during which reproduction occurs, and winged species develop their wings.

Alae	Hindwings.

Aposematic	Meaning that a prey animal is brightly coloured, in order to ward off predators (e.g. Oreophoetes peruana and Anisomorpha buprestoides).

Apterous	Without wings.

Autotomy	The breaking off of a damaged limb, with subsequent regeneration.

B

Brachypterous	With short wings. Short wings are not used for flying, and are often used as a warning display to frighten off predators (e.g. in Phaenopharos spp).

C

Camouflage	Concealment by means of blending in with the surroundings.

Capitulum	The structure attached to the operculum of some phasmid ova.

Cerci	Paired appendages on the end of the abdomen.

Crepuscular	Active in the twilight (cf. diurnal and nocturnal).

Crypsis	This is basically the technique whereby the prey animal becomes indistinguishable from its background, to avoid predator detection. This can be via background matching, whereby the animal visually resembles objects in its environment. For example, Deroplatys spp, Decimiana bolivari and Extatosoma tiaratum all resemble dead leaves. This can also be through disruptive colouration, whereby the body of the prey animal either has features that detract from the shape of the animal itself (e.g. the brightly-coloured knees of Oreophoetes peruana and Pseudophasma acanthonata), or where there are visually distracting features on the body (such as the beautiful pattern on the elytra of Creobroter gemmatus). Countershading is another way that a vulnerable animal can blend in with its background. Basically, any solid object of uniform colour will appear brighter on the side from which it is lit (e.g. by the sun). Animals that take advantage of countershading usually have brighter colours on the underneath of its body, and darker colours above. When illuminated from above the greater ambient light intensity at the top is reflected less by the dark dorsum and the lower light intensity below is reflected more by the pale ventrum, the result being a loss of the 3D appearance. As far as I'm aware, this technique is not really used by mantids or phasmids.

Culture	If a species is referred to as being 'in culture', it generally means that the species is successfully reared in captivity, in artificial conditions that replace those found in the species' natural environment. In some instances on this website I have been slightly misleading, saying that I have a species in culture when I in reality I have not actually had success in breeding that particular species (e.g. Eurycnema versirubra).

D

Dichotomous key	A tool used to identify unknown organisms. Based on a series of choices that eventually lead the user to the correct identity of the organism in question.

Disruptive colouration	See under 'Crypsis'.

Diurnal	Active during daylight (cf. nocturnal and crepuscular).

Dorsal	Relating to the back or upper surface (cf. ventral)

E

Ecdysis	The process of moulting or shedding skin, the mechanism whereby insects grow.

Elytra	Forewings. Elytra = forewings, elytron = forewing. Synonym: tegmina.

Entomology	A branch of zoology relating to insects. One who collects and studies insects is an entomologist.

Exuvium (pl. exuvia)	The old skin of an insect, that is either discarded or eaten after moulting.

F

Foliaceous	Leaf-like.

Forewings	Both mantids and winged phasmids have two sets of wings: the forewings and the hindwings. The hindwings are almost always folded beneath the forewings. Synonyms: elytra, tegmina.

Frass	The droppings, or faeces, of an insect.

G

Genus	A category of taxonomic classification ranking between the family and the species, comprising structurally or phylogenetically related species or an isolated species exhibiting unusual differentiation, and being designated by a Latin or latinized capitalized singular noun.

H

Haemolymph	An insect's equivalent of blood.

Hatchling	A recently-hatched nymph.

Hindwings	Both mantids and winged phasmids have two sets of wings: the forewings and the hindwings. The hindwings are almost always folded beneath the forewings. Ala = hindwing, alae = hindwings. Synonym: alae

I

Instar	A stage between two successive moults or ecdyses in the life of an insect, before the adult stage is reached. For example, a fourth instar nymph is an immature insect that has already shed its skin three times.

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K



L

"L" (i.e. L1, L2, L3...)	Meaning 'instar'. e.g. an L3 nymph is in its 3rd instar, meaning that it has shed its skin twice since hatching.

M

Mantid	Of the order "Mantodea". Characteristics of this order include a triangular head with large eyes, raptoral front legs, a lengthened pronotum and chewing mouthparts. Mantids develop/ grow through gradual metamorphosis. They are all carnivorous/ rapacious. Synonyms: mantis; praying mantis
Mesothorax	The second or middle thoracic segment which bears the forewings (when present).

Metathorax	The third or most posterior thoracic segment, which bears the hindwings (when present).

Micropylar plate	An visually-noticeable area on the side of an ovum.

Morphology	A branch of biology that deals with form and structure.

Moult	To shed the skin. Since the skin or outer covering of an insect has limited capacity to stretch during growth, insects need to regularly shed their skin in order to increase their size. This process involves formation of a new skin under the old one, which is then moulted. The old skin that is left behind is known as the exuvium Synonym: ecdysis.

N

Nocturnal	Active at night. (cf. diurnal and crepuscular).

Nymph	The immature stage of an insect (i.e. between ovum and adult). See also 'instar'.

O

Ootaxonomy	The classification of insects based on ova (egg) morphology.

Ootheca	The hard foamy egg sac laid by (female adult) mantids. Contained within are between 20-400 nymphs (numbers dependent upon species, age of female, condition of ootheca etc) which hatch out by lowering themselves down on a tiny thread. Ootheca = egg sac, oothecae = egg sacs

Order	A category of taxonomic classification ranking above the family and below the class.

Ova/ Ovum	egg. Ovum = egg, ova = eggs

Ovipositor	The egg-laying apparatus seen in female (phasmids).

P

Parthenogenesis	The method of reproduction whereby some species (of phasmids in particular) lay viable ova that have nonetheless not been fertilised. When an insect reproduces parthenogenically, they will only produce female young. This method of reproduction enables the species to exist in the absence of males.

PSG	Phasmid Study Group. See the links page, or www.stickinsect.org.uk "Since its formation early in 1980, The Phasmid Study Group has expanded to more than 350 members in 30 countries, including people of all ages and ranging from beginners to professional entomologists. The purpose of the Group is to encourage studies of all aspects of Phasmids." Members benefit from a quarterly newsletter and a bi-annual scientific review (Phasmid Studies), plus the opportunity to attend a bi-annual meeting at The Natural History Museum, London. "There are now many species being kept by members, and new ones are continually added - many of the Group�s species are not available commercially. The Livestock Co-ordinator helps to distribute surplus stock to members who want them. Members are not permitted to sell any livestock they obtain through the Group."

PSG number	Currently there are 241 phasmid species cultured by members of the PSG, and each of these has been given a number. For a list of all species in culture, see http://www.stickinsect.org.uk/Culture-List-1.html

Phasmid	Of the order "Phasmida" (also known as "Phasmatodea"). Characteristics of this order include chewing mouthparts, 6 walking legs and 3- or 5- segmented tarsi. The body is usually long and cylindrical, but in some species is actually wide and leaf-like. Phasmids develop/ grow through gradual metamorphosis. Some species are winged, most are nocturnal, and all are phytophagous (i.e. they eat leaves). Synonyms: stick/ leaf insect; walking stick

Phyllium	Refers to the Leaf Insects.


Phylogenetic	Based on natural evolutionary relationships.


Phytophagous	Eating plants only. All phasmids are phytophaous.


Pronotum	The dorsal surface of the first thoracic segment.


Prothorax	The first segment of the thorax.

Q



R

Rapacious	Feeding on prey.

Regeneration	The regrowth of limbs or other parts of the body that have been lost or damaged during nymphal development.

S

Sexually dichromatic	Refers to species in which males and females are differently coloured (e.g. Oreophoetes peruana, Baculum sp. 211)

Sexually dimorphic	Refers to species that have noticeable physical differences between males and females (e.g. Heteropteryx dilatata, Extatosoma tiaratum).

spermatophore	The 'parcel' of sperm that is passed from male to female during copulation.

sp.	If sp. is written as part of a species' name, as in Baculum sp. for example, this means that the genus of the species is known, but no official name has yet been given to that specific species.

spp.	Sometimes people write such things as Sphodromantis spp. By this they are referring generally to all species of that genus, in this instance the genus 'Sphodromantis'.

T

Thoracic	Referring to the thorax (i.e. middle section of the insect's body).

Thorax	The middle section of an insect's body, which bears the legs and wings. Divided into prothorax, mesothorax and metathorax.

Tegmina	Forewings. Tegmina = forewings, tegmen = forewing. Synonym: elytra.

Tubercles	Short, blunt, knobbly spikes, seen on the thorax of many phasmid species.
U



V

Ventral	Relating to the lower surface (cf. dorsal)

Vivarium (pl. vivaria)	Refers to the cage/ tank etc used to house an (exotic) animal

W

Wing buds	These are the appendages seen on the dorsum of certain winged insect species, during the later instars. They are simply the developing wings.

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Y



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*for a more detailed glossary of technical terms relating to phasmids, see Paul Brock's book, "The Amazing World of Stick and Leaf-Insects"