Ant and Related Entomology Terms

(terms restricted to the study of social insects; such as, ants and words that apply generally to entomology)

instar
Any period between molts (shedding outgrown skin) during the course of development.
internidal
Between nests; involving more than one nest whether of the same colony or of different colonies.
intranidal
Within a single nest.
intrinsic rate of increase
Symbolized by r, the fraction by which a population is growing in each instant of time.
invitation signal
A signal used to induce another member of the same species to join in performing an act; such as, following an odor trail or cooperating in adult transport.
isometry
The condition in which the sizes of two body parts remain constant relative to each other as total body size increases.
kairomone
Any substance or blend of substances emitted by an organism that elicits a response adaptively favorable to the receiver but not the emitter.
kin recognition
Recognition of and discrimination toward various categories of kin.
kin selection
The selection of genes as a result of one or more individuals' favoring or disfavoring the survival and reproduction of relatives who possess the same genes by common descent which usually excludes offspring.
kinopsis
Alarm communication or recruitment mediated by the sight of movement in nest mates alone.
labial palps
The segmented appendages arising from the labium, or lower "lip" of the head.
labium
The lower "lip", or lowermost mouthpart-bearing segment of insects, located just below the mandibles and the maxillae.
lamella
A thin, plate-like process.
lanuginous
Referring to hair that is woolly or like soft down.
larva
An immature stage which is radically different in form from the adult; characteristic of the holometabolous insects, including the Hymeoptera.

In the termites, the term is used in a special sense to designate an immature individual without any external trace of wing buds or soldier characteristics.

Here are two additional word units that deal directly with "ants": formic- and myrmeco-.


Index of additional Scientific and Technological Topics.


Bibliography of Entomology or Insect Terms (The Ants).