— This glossary was compiled and edited by volunteer scientists from multiple scientific disciplines using reputable sources, including the references listed at the bottom of this page. If you don’t find the scientific word, term, or expression you are looking for, let us know in the comment section below, and we will research the word for you, and add it to the glossary. We desperately need editors to flesh this glossary out. If you are interested, please contact jerry.cates@entomobiotics.com:
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- gena [JIN-uh] (pl. genae [JIN-ee]): the area on the head below the compound eye.
- genal [JIN-ull] comb: a row of strong spines on the lower front border of the head (Siphonaptera)
- geniculate (jin-IK-yoo-lutt): L. geniculum = little knee, knotty; 1. zool. anat. — bent, knee-like; a. arach. anat. — usu. pertains to chelicerae in which the basal segment (paturon) extends beyond the clypeus giving the chelicerae a bent appearance.
- genital bulb (see bulb)
- genitalia [jin-uh-TAHL-ee-uh]: The male or female reproductive organs, including internal and external structures; human anat.: the female internal genitalia are the ovaries, Fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, and vagina; female external genitalia are the labia minora and majora (the vulva) and the clitoris.
- glabrous [GLAY-bruss]: L. glaber = bald, smooth; 1. zool. anat. — smooth, shiny; a. arach. anat. — usu. ref. to a smooth cuticle that is without hairs or spines.
- globose [GLOW-bose]: L. globos = sphere, globe; 1. zool. anat. — rounded, spherical.
- glossa [GLAW-suh] (pl. glossae [GLAW-see]): one of a pair of lobes at apex of labium, between the paraglossae (ref. bees)
- gnathobase [NATH-oh-base]: see endite.
- gnathocoxa [nath-oh-KOCKS-uh]: see endite.
- gonopore [GAW-noh-pore]: Gr. γονος “gonos” = that which is begotten or produced, young animals, fruit + Gr. πορος “poros” = a passage, a way though, a hole; 1. zool. anat. — the genital opening; a. arach. anat. — the genital opening in the middle of the epigastric furrow.
- grub [grubb]: larvae of scarabaeiform beetles.
- gula [GEW-luh]: a sclerite on the underside of the head in Coleoptera, and on the underside of throat in Isoptera.
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Abbreviations:
anat. = anatomy; arach. = arachnid; behav. = behavioral; biol. = biological (inclusive of all animals and plants); bot. = botanical (inclusive of all plants); Gr. = Greek; L. = Latin; q.v. = L. quod vide = which see; pl. = plural; taxon. = taxonomy; zool. = zoological (inclusive of all animals).
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References:
- Allaby, Michael, Ed. 1991. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Zoology. Oxford Press.
- Beccaloni, Jan. 2009. Arachnids; Glossary, p. 319. University of California Press, p. 56.
- Gertsch, Willis J., 1979. American Spiders, 2nd Edition: Glossary, pp. 255-260. Von Nostrand Reinhold Company.
- Howell, W. Mike, and Ronald L. Jenkins. 2004. Spiders of the Eastern United States; Glossary, Chapter X, pp. 341-348. Pearson Education.
- Jackman, John A. 1997. A Field Guide to Spiders & Scorpions of Texas: Glossary pp. 173-177. Texas Monthly.
- Kaston, B. J. 1978. How to know the spiders: Index and Pictured Glossary, pp. 267-272. McGraw Hill Company.
- Preston-Mafham, Rod. 1996. The Book of Spiders and Scorpions; Glossary, pp. 140-141. Barnes & Noble Books, New York.
- Ubick, D., P. Paquin, P.E. Cushing and V. Roth, editors, 2005. Spiders of North America, Chapter 72: Glossary — pronunciation guide. Published by the American Arachnological Society.
- Venes, Donald, Ed. 2009. Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, 21st Ed. F.A. Davis Company, Philadelphia.
- Williams, Tim. 2005. A Dictionary of the Roots and Combining Forms of Scientific Words. Squirrox Press, Norfolk, England.
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—Questions? Corrections? Comments? e-mail jerry.cates@entomobiotics.com. You may also leave a comment in the space provided below.
