Insect Terminology

adjective describing someone with eyes that are large, round, and protruding

• The bug eyed child stared in wonder at the colorful display.
• She looked bug eyed when she saw the surprise party waiting for her.
• He was bug eyed when he saw the price tag on the designer shoes.
• The politician's bug eyed expression revealed his shock at the unexpected question.

noun a clumsy or awkward movement or action

verb to move or act in an awkward or confused manner

• The bumble bee is an important pollinator in our ecosystem.
• I saw a cute bumble bee buzzing around the flowers.
• I accidentally bumbled my way through the presentation.
• She tends to bumble through life without a clear plan.

noun a slang term for food, especially simple or unappealing food

verb to dig or search for food, typically in the ground

• The workers gathered for a hearty grub at the end of the long day.
• Let's grab some grub before heading home.
• I'm starving, let's go get some grub at that new burger joint.
• She had to dig deep to find the emotional grub to get through the tough situation.

noun a form of an insect or other invertebrate that hatches from an egg and undergoes metamorphosis

• The larva of the butterfly eventually transforms into a pupa before emerging as an adult.
• Have you ever seen a larva up close? They're pretty fascinating creatures.
• Ew, there's a larva crawling on that leaf!
• The idea for the new product was just a larva in the CEO's mind before it became a reality.

noun a sugary fluid secreted by plants, especially within flowers to encourage pollination by insects and other animals

• The bees collect nectar from flowers to make honey.
• I love the sweet taste of nectar in my morning smoothie.
• That drink was nectar, dude!
• Her voice was like nectar to my ears, soothing and comforting.

verb to irritate or provoke someone

adjective feeling or showing irritation or annoyance

• The professor was nettled by the student's constant interruptions during the lecture.
• She was really nettled when he kept making jokes about her cooking.
• I could tell he was really nettled when he started throwing shade at her.
• The constant criticism from her boss nettled her confidence.

adjective causing annoyance or nuisance; harmful or destructive

• The pestiferous insects were causing damage to the crops.
• Those pestiferous bugs are really annoying.
• I can't stand those pestiferous critters!
• The pestiferous rumors spread like wildfire throughout the town.

noun a long, thin braid of hair that resembles the tail of a rat

• The young boy sported a neatly tied rattail hairstyle.
• I can't believe he still has a rattail in 2021!
• That dude's rattail is so retro.
• Her words had a sharp sting, like a rattail whip.

noun a type of insect that is typically considered a pest

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• The exterminator was called in to deal with a roach infestation in the restaurant.
• Eww, there's a roach crawling on the kitchen counter!
• I saw a huge roach in the bathroom last night, it was gross.
• The corrupt politician was like a roach, always finding a way to survive despite the scandals.

noun a small, round, segmented creature, such as a pill bug or sow bug

adjective describing something that is round and chubby in shape

• The children observed a roly poly bug rolling up into a ball.
• Look at that cute little roly poly bug over there!
• I accidentally squished a roly poly bug on the sidewalk.
• The project went through many roly poly changes before reaching its final form.

noun an acronym for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, referring to a person of white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant descent

• The WASP population in this region has seen a steady decline over the past decade.
• I heard there's a huge WASP nest in the backyard, we should be careful.
• Those WASPs at the country club can be so snobbish sometimes.
• The CEO was like a WASP, always buzzing around and micromanaging everything.

noun a type of sports jersey or jacket that is yellow in color

• The yellow jacket is a type of wasp commonly found in North America.
• I saw a yellow jacket buzzing around the picnic area.
• Watch out for those yellow jackets, they can pack a painful sting!
• The team's new striker is like a yellow jacket on the field, always buzzing around the goal.

noun a colloquial term for an insect larva, especially the larvae of antlions or lacewings

• The entomologist studied the behavior of the doodlebug in its natural habitat.
• I found a cute doodlebug crawling in my garden yesterday.
• Hey, did you see that doodlebug scurrying across the sidewalk?
• The project was like trying to catch a doodlebug - constantly moving and hard to pin down.

noun a common name for a type of dragonfly, particularly in the southern United States

• The snake doctor, also known as a herpetologist, specializes in studying and treating reptiles.
• I heard that the snake doctor will be giving a talk at the nature center next week.
• My cousin thinks he's a real snake doctor because he caught a garter snake in the backyard.
• She's like a snake doctor when it comes to untangling complicated situations at work.

noun a small, jumping insect known for its chirping sound

• The sound of crickets chirping in the night is a common occurrence in rural areas.
• I heard crickets outside my window last night, it was so peaceful.
• When I asked for volunteers, all I heard was crickets.
• After his joke fell flat, there was nothing but crickets in the room.

noun a small, round beetle larva

adjective round and chubby in shape

• The roly-poly child giggled as he rolled down the hill.
• I love watching roly-polies curl up into a ball.
• Check out that cute little roly-poly bug over there!
• Her personality is like a roly-poly, always bouncing back from setbacks.

noun a specific phobia of spiders

• Arachnophobia is a common fear of spiders that can cause anxiety and panic in some individuals.
• I can't even watch a movie with spiders in it because of my arachnophobia.
• My arachnophobia kicks in whenever I see a spider crawling around.
• Her arachnophobia towards public speaking is preventing her from pursuing her dream job.

noun a colloquial term for a mosquito

• The mozzie population has significantly increased in the wetlands.
• I got bitten by a mozzie while camping last night.
• I hate those pesky mozzies buzzing around.
• The constant buzzing of mozzies in my ears is driving me crazy.

noun a small arachnid belonging to the Acaridae family, commonly known as a mite

• The acarid mites were found in the carpets of the old library.
• I heard there were acarid mites in the old rug at grandma's house.
• Those acarid critters are causing havoc in the basement.
• The acarid of doubt had infested his mind, causing him to second-guess every decision.

noun a person who studies or specializes in the study of grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets

• The acridologist carefully studied the chemical composition of the noxious fumes.
• The acridologist was all about sniffing out bad smells.
• That acridologist dude is like a professional stink detective.
• As an acridologist of human behavior, she could detect the underlying toxicity in relationships.