Insect Anatomy

noun either of a pair of mouthparts in insects and other arthropods that are usually used for biting and crushing food

• The insect uses its mandibles to grasp and chew its food.
• Check out the size of that beetle's mandibles!
• Those mandibles are no joke, they can crush anything in their path.
• Her sharp words were like mandibles, cutting through the conversation with precision.

noun a long, flexible snout or trunk, especially of an elephant

• The elephant uses its proboscis to pick up food and drink water.
• Did you see how the elephant used its long nose, or proboscis, to grab the fruit?
• That elephant's proboscis is like a built-in straw!
• Her proboscis of curiosity led her to ask probing questions about the topic.

noun a partition or dividing wall within a structure or organ, such as the nasal septum

• The septum is a thin wall that separates the two nostrils in the nose.
• I heard that getting your septum pierced can be quite painful.
• She got a septum ring to show off her edgy style.
• The strict rules acted as a septum between the two conflicting groups.

noun the outer covering of something, such as a shell or husk

verb to remove the outer covering or shell from something

• The farmer shucks the corn before selling it at the market.
• I always shuck the peas before cooking them.
• Let's shuck this corn and get to grilling!
• He had to shuck off his old habits in order to make a fresh start.

adjective thin and long or tall in a way that suggests weakness or delicacy

• The spindly branches of the tree swayed in the breeze.
• I saw a spindly cat walking down the street.
• That spider had the most spindly legs I've ever seen!
• Her spindly fingers reached out to grasp the book.

noun a feeling of sharp emotional pain

verb to cause a sharp pain or discomfort

• The bee's sting can cause swelling and redness at the site of the injury.
• Ouch! That bee sting really hurts!
• I got stung by a wasp yesterday and it was so painful.
• The betrayal from her friend felt like a sting to her heart.

noun a bone in the foot of vertebrates, situated between the tibia and the metatarsus

• The tarsus is the cluster of small bones in the foot between the ankle and the metatarsus.
• I sprained my tarsus playing basketball last week.
• My tarsus is killing me after standing all day at work.
• The tarsus of the city, the bustling downtown area, never sleeps.

noun A part of the body of a human or an animal that is between the neck and the abdomen, or the front part of this part

• The thorax is the middle section of an insect's body, where the legs and wings are attached.
• I accidentally hit my thorax on the corner of the table and it really hurt.
• I need to work out more to get a toned thorax.
• Her thorax felt heavy with the weight of all her responsibilities.

noun a structure extending from the side of an object, such as an aircraft or building

verb to travel through the air by using wings

• The bird's left wing was injured in the collision.
• I saw a huge bird with a massive wing flying overhead.
• That car has some serious horsepower under the hood, it's like having wings.
• With her creativity as her wing, she soared to new heights in her career.

noun a cocktail made with brandy, white crème de menthe, and white crème de cacao

• The bee's stinger is a modified ovipositor used for self-defense.
• Ouch! I just got stung by a bee's stinger!
• Watch out for that bee, it's got a mean stinger!
• Her words had a stinger to them, leaving him feeling hurt and betrayed.

noun A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'abdominal pore' is a noun as it refers to a small opening or hole in the abdomen.

• The abdominal pore is a small opening in the abdominal wall through which blood vessels and nerves pass.
• I noticed a tiny abdominal pore on my stomach while I was examining it in the mirror.
• I can't believe how much lint gets stuck in my belly button's abdominal pore.
• Her creativity flowed from her mind like water from an abdominal pore, endless and unstoppable.

noun Acanthosoma is a noun referring to a genus of shield bugs in the family Acanthosomatidae.

• The acanthosoma is a genus of shield bugs known for their distinctive spiny appearance.
• Have you ever seen those cool-looking acanthosoma bugs with the spikes on their backs?
• Check out those badass acanthosoma bugs with the spikes!
• Her personality was like an acanthosoma - prickly on the outside but soft on the inside.

noun a taxonomic genus within the family Acanthosomatidae

• Acanthosomas are a type of shield bug known for their distinctive spiny appearance.
• I saw some acanthosomas crawling on the leaves in the garden.
• Those acanthosomas look pretty cool with all their spikes.
• The acanthosomas stood out in the field like little armored warriors.

noun a small, needle-like structure

adjective having a pointed or needle-like tip

• The aciculate leaves of the pine tree are long and sharp.
• Be careful when handling the aciculate pine needles, they can prick you.
• I accidentally stepped on an aciculate pine cone and it hurt like crazy.
• His aciculate remarks cut through the tension in the room.

noun small, needle-like structures on the surface of certain plants or animals

• The scientist studied the aculeoli on the plant leaves under a microscope.
• I noticed the tiny aculeoli on the cactus while watering it.
• Be careful not to touch the aculeoli on that plant, they can be sharp!
• His words were like aculeoli, piercing through my defenses.

noun a sharp-pointed anatomical structure found in various animals, such as a spine or stinger

• The aculeus of a scorpion is used for injecting venom into its prey.
• Ouch! I just got stung by the aculeus of a bee.
• Watch out for those aculeus, they can really pack a punch!
• His words were like aculeus, piercing through her heart.

adjective relating to the aedeagus, the copulatory organ of male insects

• The aedeagal structure in insects is used for transferring sperm during mating.
• I read an interesting article about the aedeagal anatomy of beetles.
• I never knew bugs had a thing called aedeagal, it's kind of weird.
• His aedeagal prowess in the dating scene was unmatched, according to his friends.