Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology - Part 46
Library

Part 46

Limpid: clear and transparent: applied to wings and ornamentation.

Line: a narrow streak or stripe: as a term of measurement, one-twelfth of an inch; commonly used by English and early American authors.

Linea: a line or narrow stripe.

Linear: straight; in the form of a right line.

Lineate: marked with lines or streaks: lined.

Lineolet: a delicate fine line.

Lingua: the tongue; applied in Hymenoptera, to the ligula: in Lepidoptera and Diptera, to maxillary structures: has also been used for the hypopharynx, and that use might be adopted: a median organ of the hypopharynx in Apterygota.

Lingua spiralis: the spiral tongue of Lepidoptera: see glossa.

Linguiform: tongue-shaped: linear, with the extremities obtusely rounded.

Lingula: in Aleurodidae, a more or less slender tongue or strap-shaped organ, attached cephalad within the vasiform orifice: a term proposed by Leuckart for the ligula of the bees.

Lipochromus: without color.

Lipoptera: = Mallophaga; q.v.

Literate: ornamented with characters like letters.

Littoral: living along the sea-coast or in the sh.o.r.e debris: strictly, between tide marks.

Littoralia: Heteroptera that live in marshes.

Litura: an indistinct spot, paler at its margin.

Livid: yellowish gray with a violet tinge: greenish gray.

Lobate -us: divided by deep, undulating and successive incisions.

Lobe: any prominent rounded process or excrescence on a margin: specifically, the rounded, tooth-like processes on the margin of the pygidium of the Diaspinae: also applied to lateral expansions of the abdominal segments.

Lobes: of the maxilla; see galea (outer) and lacinia (inner): of the mentum in Coleoptera, are the lateral expansions shielding the base of the central organs.

Lobes of p.r.o.notum: in Orthoptera; the s.p.a.ces or areas formed by three transverse impressions on the p.r.o.notum: that which borders the head is the anterior lobe, the hindmost is the posterior lobe, those intervening are the middle lobes.

Lobiform: shaped like a lobe or rounded process.

Lobulate: divided into, or with many small lobes or lobules.

Lobule: in Coccidae, one of the two distinct parts of which a lobe is sometimes composed.

Lobulus: the partly separated portion of the wings of some flies and of secondaries in some Hymenoptera: also used as = alula; q.v.

Lobus: of maxilla = galea; q.v.

Locomotion: organs of, are legs and wings.

Longicorn -ia: having the antennae as long or longer than the body; specifically the Cerambycid beetles.

Longitudinal: in the direction of the long axis.

Longitudinal veins: are those that extend lengthwise through the wing either directly from base or as branches of one that does start there: they are named or numbered, and differently in the different orders.

Loop: applied to that structure at base of innerside of primaries into which the frenulum of male moths is fitted: see retinaculum.

Looper: applied to geometrid and other caterpillars in which some or all the middle abdominal legs are wanting and which move by bringing tail to thorax and forming a loop of the intervening segments.

Lora: the chitinous bands connecting the submentum with the cardo of maxilla (Comst.): the submentum: small cords upon which the base of the proboscis is seated (Say): the anterior part of the genae at the edge of the mouth: the corneous processes to which the muscles flexing the mouth in certain Diptera are attached, and in that sense the palpifer of the maxilla: in h.o.m.optera, the small sclerite at side of clypeus and front, extending laterally to the genae.

Lorum: in bees: the angular piece upon which the sub-mentum rests.

Lower austral zone: occupies southern part of United States from Chesapeake Bay to the great interior valley of California. Is interrupted by the continental divide in eastern Arizona and west New Mexico and divided according to conditions of humidity into an eastern or Austroriparian and western or lower Sonoran area.

Lower field: in termini; see costal field.

Lower fronto-orbital bristles: in Diptera: are on the lower part of front, above the antennae, along the orbit.

Lower margin: of tegmina (Thomas), is the costal or anterior margin of other authors.

Lower radial vein: in Lepidoptera (Holland) media 2 (Comst.).

Lower sector of triangle: in Odonata - = cubitus 2 (Comst.).

Lower Sonoran faunal area: comprises the most arid deserts of North America, beginning west of lat. 98 degrees in Texas: sends narrow arms into southern New Mexico, is interrupted by the Continental Divide; covers a large part of w. and s. Ariz., s. w. Nev., s. w. Calif., a portion of central Calif., and most of Lower Calif. These areas are irregular and incapable of brief definition.

Lubricate -ous: covered with a slippery mucus.

Lucid: shining; applied to luminous insects.

Luciferase: a substance in the nature of an enzyme, existing in the luminous organs of light-giving beetles.

Luciferine: a substance in the blood of luminous beetles which, when brought into contact with luciferase, produces light.

Luciferous: light giving.

Lucifugous: fleeing the light: applied to nocturnal forms or those that live in concealment.

Lumen: the cavity of an organ: the inner surface of a tube: the hollow portion of a gland or vesicular structure.

Luminescence: applied to the light of fire-flies, as a subst.i.tute for phosph.o.r.escence.

Lumper: one who, in describing species or genera recognizes only prominent or obvious characters to the exclusion of minor color or variable characters of maculation or structure: see splitter.