Glossary
Antenna: one
of paired, jointed, sensory appendages on the head of an insect
or crustacean.
Caddisfly: a
four-winged insect of the order Trichoptera, found near lakes
and streams; the larva lives in a tube-like nest.
Carnivorous: feeding
on animal tissues.
Cercae: pair
of long tail filaments.
Chironomid: a
very small fly, also called a midge; their larvae are also called
blood worms.
Chitin: a
horny substance forming the principal ingredient of an insect's
exoskeleton.
Crop: a
pouchlike enlargement of the esophagus in insects and other invertebrates.
Detritivorous: feeding
on detritus.
Detritus: disintegrated
matter; debris or decayed leaves and wood.
Diatom: a
class of planktonic one-celled or colonial algae with skeletons
of silica.
Diurnal: active
during the daytime rather than at night.
Dorsal: relating
to the back of an organism.
Emerge: to
change from the nymphal form into an adult.
Ephemeroptera: latin
name for the insect order of mayflies, derived from the Greek
for "winged for a day".
Exoskeleton: an
external supportive or protective structure of many invertebrates,
including insects.
Fauna: animal
life, especially of a region or period.
Herbivorous: feeding
on plants.
Instar: an
insect between molts.
Larva: the
wingless, wormlike form of a newly hatched insect before complete
metamorphosis.
Mandible: a
chewing mouth part.
Mayfly: a
fragile, winged insect of the order Ephemeroptera that develops
from aquatic nymphs and lives in the adult stage for only
a few hours.
Metamorphosis: a
marked change in the appearance, structure and function of an
animal during normal, postembryonic growth; in insects
this includes the transformation of larvae into adult flies (complete
metamorphosis) and the transformation of nymphs into adult flies
(incomplete metamorphosis).
Molt: to
shed an outer covering of skin or exoskeleton, which is replaced
periodically by a new growth.
Nocturnal: active
at night rather than in the daytime.
Nymph: a
young insect that undergoes incomplete metamorphosis.
Plankton: passively
floating or weakly swimming, microscopic animal and plant life
in water.
Plecoptera:
latin
name for the insect order of stoneflies, derived from the Greek
for "braided wing".
Stonefly: a
winged insect of the order Plecoptera, found on the banks of streams,
often clinging to stones or among dead leaves.
Vegetarian: herbivorous.
Ventral: relating
to the lower surface of an organism.
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