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Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology · John Bernhard Smith — chapter 87 of 164 · ~359 words · public domain

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Median space: in Lepidoptera, is the area between the median lines: in Odonata, the cubital cell (Comst.); the space at base between submedian (radius) and postcosta (st anal); by Selys in 1896 and later used in the sense of medial cell of Comst.

Median vein: in Odonata and Lepidoptera, = radius (Comst.): in Lepidoptera, it runs from base to about middle, nearly through centre, and is four or five branched: in Hymenoptera, it is the 3d from costal margin.

Mediastinal: relating to the longitudinal median line or area.

Mediastinal area: in Orthoptera, the area between median or mediastinal vein and the costal or front margin: = marginal area.

Mediastinal vein: in Orthoptera and Diptera, = suhcosta (Comst.): also, in Diptera, = auxiliary vein (Meigen).

Medio-eubital cross-vein: between media 4 and cubitus, connecting the two series (Comst.).

Medio-ventral line: in caterpillars, extends along middle of under side.

Medipectus: the under side of meta-thorax: the mesosternum.

Mediproboscis: the middle third of the flexed proboscis of muscid flies.

Medi-thorax: =mesothorax; q.v.

Medius: middle.

Mega- Megalo-: large.

Melanic: with a blackish suffusion.

Melanism: an abnormal or unusual darkening: a suffusion with blackish.

Mellifera: honey-makers: applied to bees as a whole.

Melliferous: honey-producing, or producers of honey.

Mellisugous: honey-sucking: a feeder on honey.

Member: any one of the external appendages.

Membranaceous: thin, skin-like, semi-transparent, like parchment: of a thin, pliable texture.

Membrana retinens: the stretched part of the membrane around the rectum of butterfly larvae, used in the change to the chrysalis.

Membrane -ana: any thin, transparent, flexible body tissue: specifically the wing tissue between the veins: in Heteroptera, the thin membranous tip of the hemelytra.

Membranous or eous: composed of membrane or skin-like tissue.

Membranule: the small opaque expansion at base of wings in Odonata.

Meniscoidal: with one side concave the other convex, like a round segment from a hollow sphere.

Menognatha: insects in which both young and adults feed by mandibles; e.g. the Orthoptera: see menorhyncha and metagnatha.

Menorhyncha: forms in which both young and adult take food by suction e.g. Hemiptera: see metognatha and metagnatha.

Mental suture: in Coleoptera, the line between mentum and gula.

Mentigerous: bearing or having a mentum.

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