histamine one of the main components of the poison injected by the sting of a wasp.
honeydew the sugary excretion of aphids and some other insects.
insectivore any animal or insect that eats insects.
instar any single stage of insect development in which the insect is transformed from one form to another; some insects have more than a half dozen such instars or stages.
larva the wormlike form of a newly hatched insect before metamorphosis.
leg segments from top to bottom these are the coxa, the trochanter, the femur, the tibia, and the footlike tarsus.
mandible the upper jaw of an insect, used in chewing.
mesothorax the middle segment of the thorax from which are attached the second pair of legs.
metamorphosis the transformation process that changes one form of an insect into another, such as a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.
metathorax the third or last segment of the thorax from which the third pair of legs are attached.
mimicry imitation of shape, colorization, or size of an insect (usually poisonous) by an insect of another species for the purpose of deceiving predators. (For example, a nonpoisonous insect with the exact appearance of a poisonous insect.)
mine a shaft dug by ants or caterpillars.
molt the shedding of skin to allow for metamorphosis or growth.
mouthparts a vast array of tiny mouth instruments, depending on the species, from a sucking proboscis to tools for boring, sawing, cutting, clamping, injecting, and piercing.
nymph the young of insects that undergo incomplete metamorphosis.
ocelli tiny simple eyes (usually three) between the compound eyes.
omnivore an animal or insect that eats plants and animals.
ovipositor a long, tubelike organ on the abdomen of females for depositing eggs.
palp an elongated sensory organ associated with the mouthparts.
parthenogenesis reproduction by unfertilized females with the unfertilized eggs usually developing into one-sex young.
pedipalp on the cephalothorax of a spider, a leglike appendage used for guiding food to the mouth, but also used by the male to transfer sperm.
pheromones scents discharged by some insects to attract members of the opposite sex.
prehensile adapted for grabbing and holding, as the legs of a praying mantis.
proboscis a slender, tubular feeding instrument.
prothorax the first of the three thoracic segments, from which the head and first set of legs are attached.
pulvillus the adhesive foot lobe moistened by secretion that allows insects to cling to smooth surfaces.
pupa the inactive stage of metamorphosis following the larval stage and preceding the adult stage.
pupate to become a pupa.
spinneret one of the two to four pairs of nozzlelike outgrowths in the rear of a spider through which silk is extruded for the construction of webs.
spiracles respiratory holes in the sides of the abdomen and thorax. Also known as stigmata.
stridulation insect chirping sounds, especially that of crickets and grasshoppers.
thorax the segment of the body between the head and abdomen, which in itself consists of three subdivisions (prothorax, mesothorax, metathorax).
ultrasounds whistles, tones, and other insect noises pitched too high for humans to hear.
venation the arrangement of veins in the wings that help distinguish orders, families, and genera of insects.
warning coloration conspicuous colors of some insects that warn predators of the presence of poison or other hazard.
LIVESTOCK
abomasum the fourth or true stomach of a ruminant, where most digestion takes place.
anthrax a frequently fatal blood poisoning disease of cattle, sheep, and goats (pigs to a lesser degree) that is highly contagious and characterized by dark, bloody discharges from mouth, nose, and rectum.
barn itch see mange.
boar a male hog or pig.
buck a male goat.
bummer an orphaned lamb.
cloven-footed having feet that are divided by clefts.
crossbreed a cross between two different breeds; a hybrid.
crutching trimming the wool around a ewe's udder and flanks.
cud regurgitated food chewed a second time and then reswallowed, part of the natural digestive process of ruminants.
cull to remove an undesirable animal from a herd.
dam the mother of a pig, cow, sheep, or goat.
dewlap a loose fold of skin hanging from the neck of some breeds of cattle.
disbud to dehorn. Also known as to poll.
dock to bob or cut off the end of a tail, usually of lambs for health reasons.
double-muscled of some breeds of cattle, having bulging muscles and a rounded rump, supplying greater meat than other breeds.
elastration livestock castration method in which a rubber band is wound tightly around the scrotum to cut off blood supply, ultimately resulting in the death, drying up, and falling off of the testicles.
estrus the period when the female is sexually receptive to the male, or in heat.
ewe a female sheep.
facing trimming the wool around a ewe's face.
farrow a litter of pigs; to give birth to such a litter.
flock book a register of purebred sheep.
flushing a method of increasing fertility in animals by increasing their feed a few weeks prior to breeding.
fodder various coarse foods for livestock, including cornstalks, hay, and straw.
foot-and-mouth disease a long-lasting, highly contagious disease of cloven-footed animals characterized by fever and blisters in the mouth and around the hooves and teats.
gilt a young sow who has not yet produced a litter.
grade an animal with one purebred parent and one grade or scrub.
heat the period of sexual arousal in animals, especially the estrus of females.
heifer a young cow yet to produce young.
herdbook a register of cattle or hog breeds.
hircine like a goat; pertaining to goats.
kid a young goat.
listeriosis a brain inflammation disease in cattle, sheep, and goats associated with corn silage feeding and characterized by facial paralysis, a "depressed" look, and aimless wandering or walking in tight circles. Also known as circling disease.
mad cow disease a disease of cattle, caused by proteins called prions, which clog brain cells. The prions are spread through the ingestion of infected tissue from a cow's nervous system and are not destroyed by cooking the meat after slaughter.
mange dermatitis caused by mite infestation, characterized by itching and wrinkling of the skin. Also known as barn itch.
mastitis a common disease of sows, dairy goats, and dairy cattle, characterized by reduced milk flow, fever, lack of appetite, and a hot, swollen udder.
omasum the third stomach of a ruminant.