Ant and Related Entomology Terms

The production of females from unfertilized eggs: Thelytoky is a kind of parthenogenesis whereby females are born from eggs that are not fertilized.

The fourth division of the leg, between the femur (thigh) and tarsus (foot): The tibia is the part of an insect's leg between the tarsus and the femur, the second part from the end of the insect's leg.

Referring to something that is capable of performing all essential tasks: The founding queens of some species are totipotent or nearly so.

A substance laid down in the form of a trail by one animal: A trail pheromone is important so that another member of the same species.can follow the path successfully.

The taxonomic category between genus and subfamily: hence, a set of similar genera of common phylogenetic origin: A tribe is considered to be a taxonomic group, classified to be below a family (or subfamily) and above a genus and normally consists of many genera.

A tuft of long, often yellow or golden hairs associated with glandular areas on the body surfaces of many myrmecophilous beetles: The trichomes are believed to aid in the dissemination of attractants.

Polymorphism in which the allometric regression line (study of the relative growth of a part of an organism in relation to the growth of the whole), when plotted on a double logarithmic scale, breaks at two points and consists of three segments: In reference to ants, triphasic allometry pertains to the two terminal segments usually have slight to moderately high slopes and the middle segment has a very high slope.

The short second division of the leg (away from the body), between the hip joint and the area in the thigh that articulates with the pelvis above and the knee belo): In various arthropods, the trochanter is the second part of the leg, between the femur and the coxa.

The use of liquid food offerings ("trophallaxis") to appease other, potentially hostile workers: The ants used the method of trophallactic appeasement to pacify possible adverse and resistant workers.

1. The mutual exchange of food between insects: Trophallaxis takes place especially between adults and larvae in social insects.
2. The exchange of alimentary liquid among colony members and guest organisms, either mutually or unilaterally: In stomodeal trophallaxis the trophallaxis originates from the mouth, while in proctodeal trophallaxis originates from the anus.

An egg, usually degenerate in form and inviable: A trophic egg, being infertile, is useless as a living creature and is fed to other members of the colony.

The intrusion of one species into the social system of another: An example of trophic parasitism is when a foreign species utilizes the trail system) in order to steal food.

A symbiotic relationship in which one organism supplies or receives nourishment from another: Trophobiosis is a type of association in which ants receive honeydew from aphids and other homopterans, or the caterpillars of certain lycaenid and riodinid butterflies, and in return provide these insects with protection.

The insects supplying the honeydew are referred to as "trophobionts".

The origin of different caste traits from differential feeding of the immature stages: Trophogenesis is not to be confused with genetic control of castes and "blastogenesis".

"Blastogenesis" is the origination of different castes, within a species, from the egg by means other than genetic; asexual reproduction.

Covered with tubercles (small thick spines or pimple-like structures); tubercular: The skin of the species Syrrhophus nivocolimae is considered to be tuberculate that appear along the outer sides of the tarsus.