Glossary of Lepidopteran terms

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article provides a list of terms used in the formal descriptions of lepidopteran species.

Parts of an adult butterfly

Like all insects, adult butterflies have three distinctive segments to their bodies, the head, thorax and abdomen. The head has the eyes, the mouth parts and antennae. The mouth parts have a proboscis formed from the modified galea. The legs and wings arise from the thorax. The abdomen is free of appendages in the adults. The venation and scale colour patterns on the paired fore and hind wings are usually the first characters used in identification. In the case of certain species, the identity can only be established using the structure of genitalia or by use of molecular techniques.

[edit] Terms connected with the head and body

Head parts

• Antennae The long feelers situated on the head and close to the eyes. They are however not tactile but used for detecting airborne scents and currents. In Papilionoidea the antennae end in bulging tips called clubs, whereas in Hesperioidea they have hooked tips and the club is found just before the tip. In some Lycaenidae like the genus Liphyra the antenna tapers gradually.
• Catenulated: Antennae with ringed appearance.
• Labial palpi or Palpi: Mouth parts that sometimes appear like a beak.
• Spiracle : respiratory openings on the thorax and abdomen that allow air to enter the trachea.

[edit] Terms connected with the wing

Terms associated with the wings

• Admarginal : (adjective) along the margin.
• Apex / Apical area : the anterior corner of the wing.
• Base / Basal area of wing : region close to the point of attachment to the thorax.
• Brands : regions covered with special scent scales or androconia, found in males of some species. Also called sex mark.
• Cell : the central area surrounded by veins. It can be closed by veins or open.
• Cilia : Fine hairs along the edges of the wing.
• Costa / Costal area : The leading edge of the wing.
• Disc / Discal area : The central band passing through the cell.
• Dorsum : trailing edge of wing.
• Fascia (plural Fasciae) : refers to a colour pattern with a broad band.
• Eyespot or Ocelli : spots resembling mammalian eyes. Can also be used to refer to simple eyes.
• Interspace : the region between adjacent veins.
• Irrorated : old term used usually to indicate a sprinkling of scales interspersed among scales typically of a different colour.
• Lunule : crescent marks usually found along the margin.
• Nervure : Older term for vein. Adnervural is used to describe for instance lines running adjacent and alongside the veins.
• Stigma (plural Stigmata) : prominent cells on the forewings of some moths. Their size, shape and colour can be useful in identifying some species.
• Strigae : refer patterns with thin lines.
• Terminal and marginal : Along the margin.
• Termen : the edge of the wing most distant from the body
• Tornus / Tornal area : the posterior corner of the wing
• Vein : hollow structures formed from the coupling of the upper and lower walls of the wing. They provide both rigidity and flexiblility to the wing.

(See also Insect wing and Comstock-Needham system)

[edit] Terms connected with larval and pupal stages

External parts of a caterpillar
1. Head 2. Thorax 3. Abdomen 4. Spiracle 5. Anal clasper 6. Proleg 7. Segment 8. Thoracic leg 9. Antenna

• Cremaster : most butterfly pupae are attached to a surface by a silken pad spun by the caterpillar and a set of hooks (cremaster) at the tip of the pupal abdomen.
• Girdle : a strand of silk used to prop up the pupa. Found especially in the Papilionidae.
• Osmeterium : fleshy structure on some larvae, often discharging odorous chemicals
• Proleg : fleshy leg like structures arising from the abdominal segments of caterpillars. These prolegs have crochets or curved hooks.

[edit] See also

• Butterfly
• Caterpillar
• Pupa