Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology | Page 2

secure perfection.
It would be interesting to go at length into the history of the
correspondence to determine what sort of terms should or should not be

included and to bring out the hopeless divergencies existing; but all that
is important here is to state briefly what has been included and what
omitted.
Common English terms even if descriptive, when used in their ordinary
dictionary sense, have not been included as a rule; but this is subject to
many exceptions. Latin terms and derivatives, even if used in their
usual sense have been generally included; but compounds made up of
adequately defined descriptive terms are generally omitted. Adverbial
or adjective forms have been omitted whenever it has been considered
safe, and so have terms prefixed by sub-, supra- and the like, indicating
degree or position. In doubtful cases the terms have been included and
defined. All terms of venation are, so far as possible, reduced to the
Comstock system which is the only one that has been satisfactorily
worked out for all orders, and a series of figures is added to explain this
system so far as seems necessary. It has not been considered feasible to
determine the proper use of terms applied differently in different orders
or families; that is scarcely within the scope of a work of this kind.
Terms used in embryological and histological study have been included
only so far as seemed necessary to an understanding of the general
works, and no attempt has been made to cover the terms applied to
musculature and other details of microscopic structure: this has seemed
rather to be outside of the scope of the present essay.
All color terms are reduced so far as possible to terms of the Windsor
and Newton system of water colors which are standard in the
English-speaking world, and the color plate shows solid blocks of those
colors that seem necessary to explain all modifications except metallics,
blacks and whites. {Scanner's note: color plate may be excluded, partly
because it is in poor condition.}
The figures illustrating body structures and other details have been
drawn under my supervision by Mr. John A. Grossbeck, and are meant
to be guides merely - else the glossary would exceed its scope.
In the admission that the work is incomplete, no apology is intended for
its publication; it is merely a statement of fact to encourage

constructive rather than destructive criticism. It is hoped that those who
note errors or omissions will communicate them to the writer so that
when another edition is needed, as it will be before many years are past,
a standard work may be possible.

JOHN B. SMITH, Sc.D.
New Brunswick, N.J. April 1906

EXPLANATORY.
Definitions of general application are as a rule given first, where more
than one is necessary; next those of limited use, and finally the specific
meaning in each order in which there is any notable difference.
Where a word has more than one ending, the difference is given after a
hyphen which represents the stem word: e.g. ametabola -ous; the latter
in place of ametabolous, which indicates the possession of the
characters peculiar to the ametabola. Where there is an English and a
Latin ending, the former is usually given with the word and the other is
added: e.g. aequilate -us, instead of aequilatus, there being no
difference in the application. Usually the singular form of the word is
first given, and the plural ending is added; e.g.
antenna -ae,
cenchrus -ri,
desideratum -ata;
but occasionally, when the plural is more commonly used, e.g. epimera
-eron, this is reversed and the singular ending is added: when the two
are different in form, e.g. foot and feet, the words are given separately,
and so when there is a difference in the application, as in
uncus and unci.

In the definition of color terms the words in brackets [ ] refer to the
equivalent color as named on the plate, or the combination needed to
produce it.
The names in parentheses ( ) are those of the writers whose definitions
are used, or who have used the term in the sense defined. In the terms
of venation, these parentheses occur most frequently.
Most of the signs and abbreviations are those in common use
:= equal to, or the same as;
q.v. which see;
pl. plural;
abb. abbreviated.
The abbreviated names are: Comst. for Comstock; Coq. for Coquillett;
Meig. for Meigen; Nort. for Norton: O. S. for Osten-Sacken: and Will.
for Williston.
A
A: prefix, is privative; wanting or without.
Ab: off; away from.
Abbreviated: cut short; not of usual length.
Abdomen: the third or posterior division of the insect body: consists
normally of nine or ten apparent segments, but actual number is a
mooted question: bears no functional legs in the adult