Ant and Related Entomology Terms

The dorsal plate of the prothorax in insects: The pronotumis or foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect which bears the first pair of legs.

Its principal "sclerites" (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum (dorsal), the prosternum (ventral), and the propleuron (lateral) on each side.

In the higher hymenoptera, the first abdominal segment when it is fused with the alitrunk (the thorax and propodeum of "wasp-waisted" hymenopterans: Propodea exist in the bodies of honeybees, yellow jackets, yellow hornets, white-faced hornets, polistes wasps, and ants).

The gizzard, muscular tubular organ just posterior to the crop and anterior to the midgut (ventriculus): The proventriculus in insects secrete digestive enzymes.

1. Referring to something that is closest to the body: The proximal is a section of an animal that is toward the center of the body, as opposed to distal, or that which is farther from the center.
2. Pertaining to something that is near, or next, or proximate; The first row of seats were proximal to the speakers's lectern.

Regarding to the appearance of being frosted, or lightly dusted similar to a plum: The surfaces of some plants are pruinose which means that they have a fine layer of granular secretion.

The condition in which several dealated virgin queens coexist with one egg-laying mated queen: Sandy read about an ant's nest or colony that didn't have just one queen that laid eggs, but a situation of pseudopolygyny that included many queens that had lost their wings.

Dealated refers to certain ants and termites, after nuptial flights, having no wings as a result of having them bitten or having them rubbed off.

The metathorax and the mesothorax of an insect: The pterothorax is the wing-bearing portion of the thorax (middle of the three major divisions of the insect body including the legs and wings, when present) of winged insects, that is, the mesothorax (second segment of the thorax) and the metathorax (third and last segment of the thorax).

One of the short, fine hairs, typically forming a second layer beneath the pilosity, or longer, coarser hairs: Pubescences are soft down or fluff that envelops the outside of various plants and animals.

Referring to a surface bearing fine punctures as if done by pins: Some plant leaves can be punctate in that they have dots or pits scattered over the outer layers of the foliage..

The phase of development of an insect after it has been a larva and prior to becoming an adult: The pupa is the inactive instar of the holometabolous insects, or complete metamorphosis, with larval and pupal stages in the life history, (including the hymenoptera or membranous wings of the insects) during which development into the final adult form is completed.

The last complete tergite (upper segmental plate) of the abdomen, regardless of its numerical designation: The pygidium is the posterior body part of of some invertebrates.

A member of the reproductive caste in semi-social or eusocial species: The existence of the queen caste presupposes the existence also of a worker caste at some stage of the colony life cycle.

Queens may, or may not, be morphologically different from workers.

The inhibitory influence of the queen on the reproductive activities of the workers: Queen control does not only pertain to the life of the workers, but also of other queens in the colony.

Originally, the set of pheromones by which the queen continuously attracts and controls the reproductive activities of the workers: The queen substance is consumed by worker bees and preventss ovary development.

Pertaining to a nest or a hive having only one queen: Jane read that a queenright ant colony was inhabited by only a single functional queen, and not by several ones.