Glossary

Abdomen:

The posterior of the three main body divisions.

Abdominal:

Pertaining to the abdomen.

Antenna (pl. antennae):

A pair of segmented appendages located on the head above the mouthparts and usually sensory in function.

Algae:

Unicellular, multicellular, or colonial aquatic plants having chlorophyll and not having true roots, stems, or leaves.

Amorphous:

Not having any definite form.

Anal:

Pertaining to the hind or most posterior part of the body.

Anterior:

At or directed toward the head or forward part of the body.

Aquatic:

Living in water.

Basal:

At the base of a structure or part, generally the region near attachment to the body.

Beak:

The protruding mouthpart structures of a sucking insect; proboscis.

Benthic:

Bottom-dwelling; describes organisms which reside in or on any substrate.

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Bottom-dwelling (benthic) animals without backbones (invertebrates) that are visible with the naked eye (macro).

Biomonitoring:

The use of organisms to assess or monitor environmental conditions.

Brackish:

Having a salt content greater than freshwater.

Breathing tube:

A structure used to contact the air-water interface so as to facilitate the aquisition of air while while the body remains submerged.

Carnivorous

Eating animal tissue(the eater is referred to as a carnivore).

Caudal:

Pertaining to the tail or posterior portion of the body.

Caudal filament:

A threadlike process at the posterior end of the body.

Chelate:

Pincherlike; having two opposable claws.

Class:

A subdivision fo a phylum containing a group of related orders.

Climber:

An aquatic insect that climbs about aquatic vegetation.

Clinger:

An aquatic insect that that is able to cling to substrates and maintain itself in fast-flowing water.

Complete metamorphosis:

A developmental process in the life cycle in which there is a distinctive pupal stage that precedes the adult stage.

Detritus:

Dead and decomposing animal or plant material.

Dissolved oxygen:

Oxygen that is available in water.

Distal:

Near or toward the free end of a structure; opposite of basal.

Dorsal:

Pertaining to the top or upper surface.

Emergence:

Transformation to the adult stage.

Estuarine:

An area where freshwater and marine waters mix.

Exoskeleton:

The external body wall of arthropods.

Filter feeder:

Generally, an animal that filters its food by means of hairs, specialized mouthparts, catchnets, or other structures.

Free-living:

Not living in contact with another organism or not encased in a fixed burrow, retreat or case.

Hemimetabolous:

Undergoing incomplete metamorphosis.

Herbivore:

An animal that feeds on living plant tissue.

Holometabolous:

Undergoing complete metamorphosis.

Immature:

The larva or pupa of an insect.

Incomplete metamorphosis:

A developmental process in the life cycle in which no pupal stage preceded the adult.

Instar:

The individual insect between two molting events.

Interstitial:

Within the bottom substrate or interspersed deeply among bottom substrate particles.

Larva (pl. Larvae):

The immature stage, between egg and pupa, of an insect having complete metamorphosis.

Lateral:

At or toward the sides.

Lentic:

Pertaining to aquatic environments with nonflowing waters; e.g. lakes, ponds.

Lotic:

Pertaining to aquatic environments with flowing waters; e.g. streams, rivers.

Macroinvertebrate:

An animal lacking a backbone and visible without the aid of magnification.

Mandible:

jaw; one of a pair of mouthparts located behind the upper lip (labrum).

Medial (or median):

In the middle; at or toward the midline of the body.

Membrane:

A thin film of tissue, usually transparent.

Membranous:

Like a membrane; a thin and more or less transparent.

Mesothorax:

The second or middle thoracic segment.

Metamorphosis:

See Incomplete or Complete Metamorphosis.

Metathorax:

The third or most posterior thoracic segment

Molt:

The process of shedding the exoskeleton.

Noctural

Active during the night.

Notum:

The dorsal surface of a body segment; usually of thoracic segments.

Nymph:

The immature stage in insects which do not undergo complete metamorphosis; the life stage between the egg and the adult in hemimetabolous insects.

Ocellus (pl. ocelli):

A simple eye.

Omnivore:

An animal which consumes both living plant and animal matter.

Operculum:

A lid or cover.

Palp:

A segmented process of the mouthparts.

Papillae:

Asoft projection.

Parasitism:

A type of symbiotic relationship in which one species (parasite) benefits from the relationship and the other (host) is harmed.

Pharynx:

Throat.

Posterior:

In the direction away from the head; opposite of anterior.

Predator:

Animal that lives by killing and consuming other animals.

Prey:

An animal taken for food by another animal.

Proboscis:

Tubular process of the head used in feeding.

Proboscis:

Tubular process of the head used in feeding.

Process:

An elongation of the surface or an appendage; any prominent part of the body not otherwise definable.

Proleg:

Any process or appendage that is used in support, locomotion or attachment; the fleshy unjointed thoracic or abdominal appendages of tricopterans, lepidopterans and dipterans; may be scleritized.

Proximal:

Away from the tip of a structure; opposite of distal.

Pupa:

Developmental stage in insects at the end of the larval period that is dormant and usually passed in a protected location, such as a cocoon or underground.

Riparian :

Living on the bank of a lake, pond or stream.

Sclerite:

Scleritized:

Hardened and usually darkened segmentation - characteristic of animals whose bodies are divided into a series of repeated units.

Seta :

Slender hairlike appendage.

Symbiosis:

A physical relationship between two species in which at least one species is dependent upon the other.

Tarsus (pl. tarsi):

The most distal major leg segment, immediately beyond the tibia, often divided into tarsal segments.

Terminal:

Pertaining to the posterior end of the body or distal end of a structure.

Terrestrial:

Petaining to land; living on land.

Tolerant:

Generally referring to an organism able to withstand relative extremes in environmental conditions.

Thorax:

The second or middle major body region of an insect.

Tibia (pl. tibiae):

The fourth major segment of the insect leg, between the femur and the tarsus.

Venter:

The undersurface.

Ventral:

Pertaining to the bottom or underside.

Wing pad:

A developing wing or sheath of a developing wing.