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BugGuide Gathering
Smoky Mountains
University of Tennessee Biological Field Station
August 8-10, 2008
Details...

Photos from the last gathering (Minnesota 2007)

Glossary

I keep coming across terms I would like to add to the glossary. Since we don't have one yet, I thought we could use this temporarily.

Websites....

1. Dictionary of Entomological Terms

2. Glossary of Entomological Terms by ufl.edu

3. Entomology Glossary by Berkeley

4. Introduction to Applied Entomology

5. Beetle Glossary by Coleoptera.org
.....a) Glossary for Tiger Beetles

6. Butterfly & Moth Glossary also Labeled Images
.....a) Glossary for Caterpillars by usgs.gov

7. Ant, Bee & Wasp Glossary
.....a) Terms for Chalcid Wasps
.....b) Bee Glossary by sfsu.edu (pdf)

8. Spider Glossary

9. Grasshopper Glossary

Diagrams of Insects, Spiders and Kin....

antenna pl. antennae or antennas n. - One of the paired, flexible, segmented sensory appendages on the head of an insect, myriapod, or crustacean functioning primarily as an organ of touch.

diapause n. - A period during which growth or development is suspended and physiological activity is diminished, as in certain insects in response to adverse environmental conditions .

exuvia pl. exuviae n. - When a larval insect sheds its exoskeleton (=skin) the cast-off exoskeleton is singular. However if one uses the term exuviae for this cast-off exoskeleton the word is plural. In the entomological sense a cast-off exoskeleton consists of several insect parts (head, thorax, abdomen, etc.) and thus the word is exuviae. If one was just describing a single leg I suppose that this could be an exuvia. However, a single cast skin is a collection of insect parts and is thus an exuviae. ~ Tony Thomas

flash colouration or flash pattern - Patterns that disrupt an image or startle a predator. Example: When a moth with cryptical forewings flies off in an instant (no warming-up) and flashes brightly coloured hind wings.

multivoltine adj. - Producing several broods in a single season

parthenogenesis - A form of reproduction in which the ovum develops into a new individual without fertilization.

sp - species (singular)

spp - species (plural)

ssp - subspecies.

species - In scientific classification, a species is assigned a two-part name in Latin. The genus is listed first (and capitalized), followed by a specific epithet (not capitalized).

teneral - Ten´er`al - Of, pertaining to, or designating, a condition assumed by the imago of certain Neuroptera, after exclusion from the pupa. In this state the insect is soft, and has not fully attained its mature coloring.

terminalia - The male genital appendages (collectively) at the end of the abdomen.

warning colouration - Showing of colors to advertise that the bug is distatesful. Example: The Hawk Moth exposes its abdomen. Such bright colours advertise that the moth is distasteful.

Contributed by Lynette Schimming on 30 September, 2005 - 6:40am
Last updated 31 January, 2007 - 9:51am

Wikipedia might fit the bill, mostly

You know, some glossary function could be implemented by links to Wikipedia or Wiktionary.Many entomological terms are there already, one can add as necessary, and the URL's are generally stable and easy to write. The Wiki tools really are better, I think, for this sort of application--one page per definition--I don't think we want to author nodes for each term. There are also some other uses for Wikipedia--I have recently been linking to Wikipedia pages for entomological authors, and if they are not there, you can add one.
Here are a few examples:
-Ocellus: Wikipedia, Wiktionary
-If you write a link to Ocelli, it redirects to Ocellus, a very handy feature
-Thomas Lincoln Casey--an author I added
-Arthropod leg--an article showing several parts of the arthropod leg, such terms as coxa, femora, tibia, and tarsus/i could link to that one article.

… Cotinis, 2 April, 2007 - 5:56pm

On the other hand (glossary proposal)

Well, it occurs to me it should be rather simple to make a new "no taxon" group under Arthropoda and call it Glossary. Under this, we could have an entry for each letter of the alphabet, and then terms underneath. I believe the "taxonomy view" would allow one to generate entries for each letter underneath (done), and then generate a new no taxon mode under the proper letter for an entry. The entries have to be alphabetized manually with the reorder guide pages feature, but this is pretty easy.

The "remarks" field could be used for definitions, and the Internet and printed references used as usual. Diagrams and such could be placed under the glossary if desired, or left under Arthropoda. It is easy to use thumnails to point to diagrams or photos.

Only problem is that one is going to have to do a lot of work to generate links--probably keep the glossary tree open in a separate window.

I like the idea so much, I'm doing a couple of prototype pages, which can easily be removed if we desire--see Glossary, and a prototype entry for clypeus.
Yes, looking at the prototype page, I think this is a very useful idea--the taxonomy feature will allow us to keep it organized--difficult to do in an article or a discussion forum. Thumbnails make it easy to illustrate, and an individual entry for each term will allow us to link to that definition in image captions, guide pages, and articles. Opinions?

… Cotinis, 15 May, 2007 - 4:55am

Patrick,

as usual you've done a very thorough job. I think it what you're suggesting would be very impressive. :) I wonder if it is important enough to have its own tab?

… Lynette Schimming, 15 May, 2007 - 7:54am

BugGuide Glossary

My wife was reading one of my comments recently, and said that it was "too technical." What she meant was the use of entomological terms such as coxae, metasoma, terga, median band, etc. She said the average person unfamiliar with those terms would be lost. I pointed out that I think it spurs one on to look up the terms and thereby have a learning experience. But we agreed a convenient BugGuide glossary would be great for newcomers. I found this forum topic by searching for "glossary." This is a great glossary center for those willing to search the term "glossary" on the BG site, but it would be great if BG had its own glossary accessible as a button at the top left of the homepage. Even if something like this forum topic - an edit friendly glossary center - were available on the frontpage, I think it would be a great help, and learning resource, for newcomers to the BG site. Does anyone know if this may already be in the works?

… J.D. Roberts, 15 March, 2007 - 11:04am

...

… Keoeeit, 11 August, 2006 - 9:11am

spider glossary

Spider glossary here: http://canadianarachnology.dyndns.org/data/canada_spiders/Glossary.asp

… David Shorthouse, 9 May, 2006 - 3:26am

Tiger beetles

Here is a site with a glossary of tiger beetle terms. Might help with other beetles too...

… Chris Wirth, 12 December, 2005 - 3:43pm

Another resource

I found this site with an extensive glossary for Chalcid wasps that could be useful for many other wasps as well as some other insects. The same site has a glossary with anatomical illustrations

… Beatriz Moisset, 6 December, 2005 - 9:33am

A good link

This site Discoverlife.org has a glossary of bees.

… Beatriz Moisset, 27 October, 2005 - 4:20pm

And here's one for beetles

at Natural Worlds.org
and a very comprehensive one at Coleoptera.org - this one includes a lot of terms for other orders, too e.g cocoon, pronotum, ovipositor - all the ones I've had to define or look up recently.

… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 16 November, 2005 - 10:10am

Great Idea!

Hi Lynette,
I was thinking of this, too! (And only today found your Forum message.)
I think it would be great to have morphological terms, anatomy, etc. Case in point, while I know a great deal about scorpions, I know virtually nothing about caterpillar terminology! I also have one of those Entomolgy Dictionaries.

Kari J McWest, Canyon, Texas

… Kari J McWest, 16 October, 2005 - 3:20pm

Glossary

I was thinking of starting with the most basic terms, the ones that people cofuse all the time. for instance: sp means species (singular), spp means species (plural) and ssp means subspecies.

… Beatriz Moisset, 15 October, 2005 - 9:23am

Oh yes,

I agree....I just didn't want to forget about these other ones.

… Lynette Schimming, 16 October, 2005 - 6:13am

Caterpillar Terminology

found here

… Lynette Schimming, 10 October, 2005 - 10:46am

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