Glossary - Agromyzidae

Glossary of terms used within this website can be found below:

A

abdomen : hind part of an insect, mostly responsible for the digestion of food and reproduction.
acrostichal setulae [acr] : small hairs between the dorso-central bristles on the mesonotum.
aedeagal apodeme : rod-like structure which expands and retracts the aedeagus.
aedeagal hood : part of the ejaculatory duct just before aedeagus.
aedeagus : phallus of male insects.
aestivation : prolonged dormancy during the summer.
anal vein [A₁] : a vein of the wing.
anepisternum : [= mesopleuron] a part of the thorax.
antenna : sensory appendages of the head, usually consisting of three segments.
anterior : positioned at or towards the front [opposed to posterior].
apical : relating to or denoting an apex, tip of something.
arista : slender, hair-like part of the third antennal segment.

B

basal : near the base of a structure.
basiphallus : basal part of the aedeagus, sometimes distinction between basiphallus and distiphallus is difficult.
bivoltine : having two generations per year.

C

cambium : dividing cell layer of a growing stem, being responsible for secondary thickening.
caudal : at the posterior [hind] part of the body.
cell : part of the wing surrounded by veins.
cephalopharyngeal skeleton : modified mouthparts of cyclorrhaphan Diptera.
cercus : pair of appendages, part of the epandrium.
chaetotaxy : the arrangement and nomenclature of bristles, hairs or setae on the surface on an insect.
compound eye : typical eyes of arthropods, consisting of many small lenses.
costa : first [anterior] wing vein, usually simultaneously the upper wing margin and noticeably thickened.
costal break : an interruption of the costa.
coxa : basal segment of the leg.

D

diapause : a period of dormancy during the insect development, in which the metabolic activity is reduced.
dimorphism : two different morphological features within the same species.
discal cell : an area of the wing.
distal : located away from the centre of the body or point of attachment.
distiphallus : distal part of the aedeagus.
dorsal : relating to the upper surface.
dorso-central bristles [dc] : strong paired bristles on the dorsal side of the thorax, with the strongest at the rear considered the first.

E

ejaculatory apodeme : unpaired sclerotized process of the sperm pump [ejaculator].
epandrium : the ninth segment of the male fly.
epidermis : [botany] the upper cell layer of a leaf or stem.
exuviae : larval or pupal cuticle left after moult.

F

face : area from just above antenna to margin of mouth.
facial keel : a raised ridge dividing the bases of antennae, often strongly developed in many Ophiomyia spp.
feeding puncture : often yellow or brownish spots on the surface of the leaf, caused by the female ovipositor.
femur : the third segment of the leg.
first cross-vein : vein of the wing.
fourth costal section : a part of the wing.
frass : excrement of the larva.
frons : area between eyes, above the lunule.

G

gall : growth of plant tissue triggered by another organism.
genae : the ‘cheeks’, located laterally just below the eyes.
gonite : a part of the male genitalia

H

halter : operating as pendula during flight.
humerus : a part of the thorax ^{[second example]}
hypandrium : the ninth sternite of the abdomen, modified as an element of the male genitalia.
hypophallus : a part of the aedeagus.

I

imago : the adult insect.
inner vertical bristle : bristles of the head [= vti].
instar : growth stage between two successive moults.
intra-alar bristle : a bristle on the thorax.

J

jowl : see genae.

K

katepisternum : [= sternopleuron] a section of the thorax.

L

labellum : tip of the proboscis.
lateral : on the side.
lunule : usually a semi-circular structure above the antennae and below the ptilinal fissure.

M

mandible : the jaws of the insect.
mesonotum : the second tergite of the thorax, the predominant part of the thorax in flies as it belongs to the only segment bearing a pair of wings.
mesophallus : area of the aedeagus, between basiphallus and distiphallus.
mesopleuron : large, rectangular area below the notopleural area.
microtrichium : hair-like subcellular cuticular extensions, mostly called setulae or hairs.
M₁₊₂ : a vein of the wing.
M₃₊₄ : a vein of the wing.

N

notopleural bristles : bristles located on the notopleuron.
notopleuron : a section of the thorax.

O

occiput : hind part of the head.
ocellar triangle : triangular plate on the dorsal part of the head.
ocellus : eyes consisting of a single lens [between the compound eyes, insects normally have three of them].
orbital setulae : small hairs situated on the orbits, adjacent to the ori and ors.
orbit : area between margin of eye and frons.
ori : bristles located on the lower part of the orbits.
ors : bristles located on the upper part of the orbits.
ovipositor : egg laying device used by females.
oviscape : the modified seventh segment of the female’s abdomen, forming part of the ovipositor.

P

palpus : paired processes adjoining mouthparts.
phallus : see aedeagus.
phenology : the life cycle of a living organism.
phytophagous : plant eating.
post-abdomen : abdominal segment from the sixth onwards.
post-alar bristle : a bristle on the thorax.
posterior : further back in position; of or nearer the rear or hind end [as opposed to anterior].
posterior spiracle : respiratory opening at rear of larva/puparium.
post-ocellar bristle : a bristle of the head.
post-sutural dorso-central bristles : the dorso-central bristles placed behind the transverse suture of the mesonotum.
pregonite : an extension of the hypandrium near the attachment site of the gonites.
pre-scutellar bristles : bristles located immediately before the scutellum.
pre-sutural dorso-central bristles : the dorso-central bristles situated before the transverse suture of the mesonotum.
proboscis : the sucking mouthparts in most flies.
proclinate : directed forwards.
proximal : situated towards the centre of body or near the point of attachment.
ptilinum : an eversible, sac-like organ which facilitates breaking open the puparium.
puparium : the hardened skin of the third instar larva, enclosing the actual pupa.

R

radius : a series of wing veins.
reclinate : directed backwards.
R₂₊₃: a vein of the wing.
R₄₊₅ : a vein of the wing.

S

sclerite : a solid plate on the body surface surrounded by weaker cuticle.
sclerotization : hardening of the cuticle by cross-linkage of protein chains.
scutellar bristles : bristles on the surface of the scutellum.
scutellum : part of the thorax.
second costal section : a part of the wing.
second cross-vein : a wing vein.
seta : larger hair on the body surface.
side sclerites : a structure of the basiphallus.
spermatheca : a receptacle, in which male sperm is stored after copulation and before fertilisation of eggs.
spiracle : respiratory openings of insects.
spiracular bulb : terminal elements of the larval spiracles, each bearing a spiracular opening.
squama : an extension of the wing base.
squamal fringe : fringe of hairs on squama.
sternite : ventral sclerite of body segment.
sternopleuron : a part of the thorax.
stridulation : sound production in insects by rubbing cuticular body parts together.
stridulation mechanism : a mechanism for producing sound [found within Agromyza and Liriomyza].
stridulatory file : field of sclerotized scales on either the first abdominal tergite [Agromyza] or just below [most Liriomyza].
stridulatory scraper : a sharp ridge on the inner sides of the hind femora, found in Agromyza and Liriomyza.
sub-costa : a vein of the wing.
supra-alar bristle : a bristle on the thorax.
surstylus : a pair of clasping organs of the epandrium.

T

tarsomere : segments of the tarsus.
tarsus : last [fifth] section of the leg [itself divided into five sections], serving as a foot.
tegula : sclerite of the wing, located at the base of the costa.
tergite : dorsal sclerite of body segment.
third antennal segment : part of the head.
thorax : section of the body bearing the legs and wings [see mesonotum].
tibia : fourth segment of the leg.
transversal suture : part of the thorax.

U

univoltine : only a single generation per year.

V

vein : sclerotized tubular structure supporting the wing.
ventral : on the lower surface.
vibrissa : usually strong bristle at lower, inner corner of jowl.
vibrissal angle : angle of the vibrissa.
vibrissal corner : the head part where the vibrissae are located.
vibrissal fasciculus : each vibrissa are modified to a vibrissal fasciculus in the genus Ophiomyia.
vte : vertical bristle [outer] of the head.
vti : vertical bristle [inner] of the head.