Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology Part 62

Pilifer or Piliger: a small sclerite at each side of the clypeus in Lepidoptera, resembling a rudimentary mandible.

Piliferous: with a covering of fine hair or pile.

Pillared eye: in Ephemerids, that type which is placed on a cylindrical stalk or process: = turbinate eye.

Pilous or Pilose: clothed with down, or dense pile: with long, spa.r.s.e hair.

Pilosity: a covering of fine, long hair.

Pincers: the a.n.a.l forceps.

Pinna: a narrow wing; a feather.

Pinnae: of posterior femur in jumping Orthoptera, are the oblique ridges running to the median line and somewhat resembling a feather.

Pinnate: feather-like; cleft, like the wings of Alucita: with markings resembling a feather: with stiff hairs or th.o.r.n.y processes occupying opposite sides of a thin shank.

Pinnatifid: divided into feathers, as when wings are cleft nearly to the base.

Pistazinus: yellowish green, with a slight brownish tinge [pale green with a little burnt sienna].

Plaga: a spot, stripe or streak of color; a longitudinal spot of irregular form.

Plaited: longitudinally folded or laid in pleats.

Planate: with a flattened surface.

Plane: level, flat; applied to a surface.

Planipennia: applied to Neuroptera in which the wings are large and laid flat on the body wnen at rest; Sialidae, Myrmeleonidae, etc.

Planta -ae: the basal joint of the posterior tarsus in pollen gathering Hymenoptera: the soles of the posterior tarsal joints: the a.n.a.l clasping legs of caterpillars.

Plantigrade: species that walk on the entire foot, not on the claws alone.

Plantula: a lobe of the divided tarsal pulvillus; one of the soles or climbing cushions of the foot: see arolium; pulviglus.

Plaques: the small leathery hemelytra in some Naucorids.

Plasma: the liquid portion of animal fluids and cells.

Plasticity: the capacity for being formed, moulded or developed.

Plate: any broad flattened piece or sclerite: = squame, in Coccidae.

Platelet: a little plate or sclerite of chitin in a membrane.

Plates: in Coccidae, the squames; q.v.: in male h.o.m.optera, a pair of pieces following the last full ventral segment; usually preceded by a short piece, - the valve.

Platyptera: flat and broad-winged: an ordinal term applied to insects with four net-veined wings, secondaries longitudinally folded beneath primaries; mouth mandibulate; prothorax free; transformations complete: Psocidae, Termitidae, Perlidae and Mallophaga.

{Scanner's comment: These four groups are now placed in totally separate orders, and not families as these names imply}

Plecoptera or Plectoptera: plaited winged: an ordinal term applied to net-veined insects in which the secondaries are longitudinally folded beneath primaries; mouth mandibulate; body loosely jointed; prothorax free; metamorphosis incomplete: the term Plecoptera was used by Brauer for Perlidae; Plectoptera by Packard for the Ephemerida: there has been some confusion since, and both have been used in the Brauer sense.

Pleon: = abdomen; q.v.

Pleopoda: abdominal legs of larva: posterior legs of an adult.

Plesiobiosis: see symbiosis.

Plesiotype: any specimen identified with a described or named species by a person other than the describer.

Pleura: plural of pleuron or pleurum: the lateral sclerites between the dorsal and sternal portion of the thorax: in general, the sides of the body between the dorsum and sternum.

Pleural areas: on the metanotum of some Hymenoptera, the three s.p.a.ces between the lateral and pleural carinae; the 1st or anterior = spiracular area; the 2d or central = middle pleural; the 3d or posterior = angular area.

Pleural carinae: in Hymenoptera, extend along the exterior margin of the metanotum.

Pleural pieces: the lateral sclerites of the thorax; see pleura.

Pleurites: the sclerites into which the pleurum is divided.

Pleuron: the side of the thorax.

Pleuropodia: embryonic or temporary bands formed by the modified first pair of abdominal legs in many insects.

Pleurostict: lamellicorn beetles in which the abdominal spiracles are situated on the dorsal portion of the ventral sclerites.

Pleurum: = pleuron; plural, pleura; q.v.

Plexus: a knot: applied to a knot-like ma.s.s of nerves, or tracheae.

Plica: a fold or wrinkle: a longitudinal plait of a wing.

Plicate: plaited; folded like a fan.

Plications: folding,; applied to the folds on the hind wings of Orthoptera.

Plicipenna: = Trichoptera; proposed by Latreille.

Plumate: like a feather.

Plumbeus: leaden or bluish gray [neutral].

Plumose: feathered; like a plume: antennae that have long ciliated processes on each side of each joint: see cirrate.

Plump: with full, rounded outlines; not obese.

Plumules: specialized scales of the androconia of male Lepidoptera.