GLOSSARY
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Select the first letter of the word from the list above to jump to appropriate section of the glossary. Bold within the text of an entry indicates a cross-reference to another headword. The following abbreviations are used for:
Third, hind major division of an insect body, for reproduction, digestion and excretion (show figure)
Inanimate environmental factors such as climate, temperature, etc., that do not derive directly from the presence of other organisms; see biotic
abundance (=population density)
Number of individuals of a species in a particular area
Mites, ticks; order of the class Arachnida
Any agent suitable for the control or eradication of mites and ticks
In applied entomology, any chemical added to a pesticide to increase its toxicity
See active ingredient
Actual toxic agent present in pesticide formulations
Poisoning which occurs when a large amount of a pesticide is incorporated in a single go; the effect of the poisoning is seen quickly; see chronic poisoning
See adjuvant
In applied entomology, any material added to increase pesticide retention; different commercial preparations of methyl cellulose are used for this purpose
Spray additive to improve either physical or chemical properties of a pesticide; see also adhesive, emulsifier, sticker, supplement, wetter
Suspension of solid or liquid particles in air with droplets smaller than 50 µm
Science and study of the factors causing disease
Mechanical device in the spray tank to ensure uniform distribution of toxicant and to prevent sedimentation
Possessing wings; in the context of termites, winged reproductives (show figure)
Volatile messengers for communication between individuals of different species; see kairomone, allomone, pheromone and synomone
Communication chemical that benefits the producer by the effect it invokes in the receiver; see allelochemicals
The other species of plant that is necessary for the completion of the life cycle of some insects and plant-disease producing organisms
Organism which acts as one of several hosts to a pest or pathogen
Development of primitive, wingless insects without metamorphosis; there are no marked changes in body form between the immature and adult insects; during their development the insects undergo more than 10 moults and continue to moult after sexual maturity
Series of organic compounds similar in function but not identical in structure to the original compound
(adj. antagonistic) (1) Organism interfering or inhibiting growth or presence of another; (2) chemical such as a drug, hormone, etc. producing opposite physiological effects; (3) muscles producing opposite movements so that contraction of one must be accompanied by relaxation of the other; opposite synergist
(pl. antennae) Paired, segmented sensory appendages on an insect’s head; commonly called ‘feelers’ (show figure)
Situated at or towards the front (show figure)
Medicine that is given to cancel out the effect of a poison
Chemical of bitter taste or unpleasant scent disliked by some insects
In plant resistance, unsuitability of a plant to a feeding insect
Plant lice (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Area at or adjacent to the tip of the wing or other structure (show figure)
A larva without legs
Warning coloration; usually refers to the bright, often contrasting colours of distasteful or toxic species, but applies equally to alerting odours, audible signals or other similar features
Communication system based on warning signals
applied entomology (=economic entomology)
Study of both beneficial and injurious insects and related organisms like ticks, mites and spiders
Wingless
Watery; made from or of water
Class of spider-like animals like true spiders, harvestmen, scorpions, mites, ticks, etc.
Class of the Arachnida, the true spiders
Referring to a tree, situated on a tree; eg. a termite nest attached to a branch of a tree (show figure)
Device for breaking up a liquid stream into fine droplets by a stream of air or centrifugal force
In applied entomology, any material with an odour that attracts certain insects; lure
Use of organisms for biological control by means of periodic liberation of organisms that are already present or that are less persistent but will be effective for some time after the release. Augmentation aims at an increase of the natural enemy’s population to an effective level of control and can be achieved by inoculation and inundative release
Lethal substance produced within an organism which kills it. In applied entomology, the use of a pest causing its own destruction
Disease control measures which rely on crops being grown in localities or seasons where or when a pest or disease is not active
Any substance that destroys bacteria
Foodstuff used for attracting animals. In applied entomology, baits are usually mixed with a poison to form a poison bait
Of a kind disposition, not malign
Substance capable of killing a wide range of unrelated organisms
biological control (=biocontrol)
Human use of selective living organisms or viruses to control populations of pest species (plants or animals)
Progressive build-up of a pesticide residue in the bodies of organisms of a food chain
Animate features of the environment of organisms arising from the activities of other living organisms; as distinct from abiotic
Potential for reproduction in an optimum environment without limiting factors; see environmental resistance, reproductive potential
Black stains on leaves caused by particular fungi growing on sweet excretions (honeydew) of aphids
Discoloured patch or blister on a leaf caused by a minute insect larva mining or burrowing between the upper and lower epidermis; see mine (show figure)
Horizontal or vertical light frame carrying several spray nozzles
Organisms that tunnel or bore into wood and other materials like pin- and shot-hole borers, wood-boring weevils, longicorn beetles and Hymenoptera; termites, strictly speaking, are not borers
Clutch of individuals that hatch at the same time from the eggs produced by one set of parents
See outbreak
Class of synthetic insecticides
In applied entomology, any material serving as diluent and vehicle for the active ingredient of a pesticide; usually in dusts
Structurally and functionally specialised, distinct groups in social insects, usually differing in behaviour, eg. reproductives, workers, soldiers (more info)
Worm-like, larval stage of moths and butterflies
Chemical used to render an insect sterile without killing it
A rigid nitrogenous polysaccharide or proteoglycan found in many arthropod exoskeletons and hyphal walls of fungi
A class of insecticides that prevents chitin formation
Poisoning which occurs when small amounts of a pesticide are taken into the body over a long period of time.; the small doses eventually add up to enough poison to cause the symptoms of poisoning to appear; see acute poisoning
chronic toxicity (=cumulative toxicity)
Capability of a pesticide to be injurious after repeated exposures
Protective silken covering which encloses the pupa of several endopterygote insect groups, usually spun by their larvae; also used for any kind of enclosure of immature stages eg. eggs, larvae or pupae (show figure)
Beetles and weevils
Beetle-like
Group of individuals, other than a single mated pair, which constructs nests and rears offspring in a cooperative manner; see social insects (more info)
In applied entomology, term referring to chemical materials that can be mixed together without changing their effects adversely on pests or plants
Metamorphosis in holometabolous insects which in general has four stages - egg, larva, pupa, adult - each entirely different from the others; see gradual and incomplete metamorphosis
Direct application of an active ingredient without dilution
Chemical that kills when it contacts some external parts of a pest
In applied entomology, prevention or reduction of losses from pests by any method; see eradication
Chemical insecticides
Basal segment of the insect leg
Successive growing of different crops on the same area of land
Capability of a pesticide to be injurious after repeated exposures; see chronic toxicity
In applied entomology, the application of a pesticide during severe infestation of crop
The non-cellular skin or integument of insects consisting of chitin, structural proteins and pigments; in larvae it is shed at intervals to allow growth
Referring to or made from the cuticle
Reproductive termite that has lost wings (show figure)
Made from or related to skin
Poisoning through the skin
Chemical of bitter taste or unpleasant scent disliked by some insects
Identification of a specimen or the cause of a disease
Progressive death of twigs or leaves beginning at the tips
Any liquid or powdered material that is used to reduce the concentration of a chemical for spraying or dusting purposes
True flies, mosquitoes, gnats, midges, sandflies, punkies, etc.
Substance that removes contaminant organisms from surfaces
In applied entomology, to kill or inactivate pests present on the surface of plants or plant parts or in the immediate vicinity, eg. in soil
Movement of an individual or population away from its birth site
Substance that facilitates the production of suspensions or emulsions in chemical sprays
Active during the day
To, near or belonging to the back (show figure)
In applied entomology, the quantity of a pesticide applied per individual, or per unit area or per unit volume or per unit weight
In applied entomology, spray or dust carried by natural air currents beyond the target area
In applied entomology, equipment suitable for the application of pesticide dusts to a target
Shedding of the larval or pupal cuticle
Injury done to a crop that will justify the cost of artificial control measures
See applied entomology
Pest density at which the damage caused by a pest equals the costs of its control (show figure)
Economic Threshold Level (ETL)
Pest density at which control must be applied to prevent the Economic Injury Level being reached (show figure)
Zone of transition between clearly demarcated groups of organisms or communities of two different habitats; see edge effect (show figure)
Liquid that will form an emulsion when it is mixed with water
Spray additive which permits formation of a stable suspension of oil droplets in aqueous solutions or aqueous solution in oil
Dispersion of one liquid in another in the form of tiny droplets
(adj. endemic) Confined to certain localities. For instance a species native to a particular place and found only there or a disease occurring in certain individuals or areas
Study of insects and their allies
(adj. entomopathogenic) Pathogen that particularly attacks insects
Total of limiting environmental factors, working against the biotic potential of reproduction in an optimum environment, thus restricting populations from growing indefinitely and getting out of control
Shoot growing from the trunk of a plant
(adj. epidemic) Referring to the spread of a disease from its endemic area or from its normal host
Substance which eradicates a pathogen from the tissues of a host
Complete removal or elimination; see control
(pl. erinea) Abnormal development of epidermal plant cells or a deformation of the plant hairs caused by gall, rust and blister mites; erinea appear as brightly coloured patches on the foliage and might be mistaken for fungal growth
Social behaviour exhibiting cooperation in reproduction and division of labour, with overlapping generations
Control of pests or diseases achieved by excluding them from an area or country, often as a result of phytosanitation or quarantine legislation
(used only in the plural) Cast off cuticle of the larva or pupa after a moult
Spotting in timber caused by termites applying faecal pellets to their gallery walls
(adj. faecal) Solid excretions of the alimentary channel
(pl. femora) Third segment of the insect leg, between the trochanter and the tibia
Ability to reproduce; reproductive rate of a female
In applied entomology, the inert component of pesticide dust or granule formulation
Fluorescent material added to a pesticide to aid the assessment of spray deposits on plants
Components and proportions of additional substances that accompany an insecticide when prepared for application
Solid faecal material and discarded waste produced by insects, eg. sawdust of wood boring beetles
Any material that when in the form of gas or vapour destroys organisms
Application of gases or vapour to infiltrate soil, or stored products to kill pests
Any agent that kills or inhibits fungi
Aberrant growth (tumor) of plant tissues eg. leaves, stem, petiole, etc., caused by the activity of another organism, often by oviposition or piercing-sucking action of some mites, Homoptera and gall wasps (Hymenoptera) (show figure)
Enclosed tunnels and chambers made by insects
Interval between the production of eggs in one generation and the production of eggs in the next generation
Simple metamorphosis of exopterygote insects in which the nymphs are terrestrial and resemble the adults in general form and mode of life except for the absence of functional wings and reproductive organs; see complete and incomplete metamorphosis
Coarse particle of inert material such as pumice or rice husks, that is impregnated or mixed with a pesticide mainly for soil application
Device able to apply measured quantities of granules
Adhesive material such as resin, applied as a band around a tree to trap or repel ascending wingless insects
Larva of a beetle
(adj. hazardous) In applied entomology, the chance that harm will come to beneficial forms of life from the use of a pesticide
(adj. hemimetabolous) Insect orders with incomplete or gradual metamorphosis
Hemipteran suborders Heteroptera, Stenorrhyncha and Auchenorrhyncha, comprising true bugs, cicadas, aphids, scale insects, mealy bugs, tree, plant and leaf hoppers, jassids, spittlebugs, lerps, psyllids, etc.
Any agent or chemical used in the destruction or control of weeds
(adj. herbivorous) Eater on plants
Suborder of the order Hemiptera, comprising the true bugs
(adj. holometabolous) Insect orders having complete metamorphosis with pupal stage
Series of organic compounds with similar properties but differing from each other by some radical
The two Hemipteran suborders Stenorrhyncha (aphids, plant lice, scale insects, psyllids, mealy bugs, etc.) and Auchenorrhyncha (cicadas, spittle bugs, tree, leaf and plant hoppers)
Sweet secretions of water and carbohydrates released by aphids and other Homoptera as liquid faeces; honeydew dripping onto leaves is often stained black by mould, called black sooty mould
Molecules that are secreted directly into the haemolymph (or blood of higher animals) by ductless glands and carried to specific target cells or organs by whose response they bring about a specific and adaptive physiological response. Hormones are sometimes incorrectly referred to as chemical messengers
Organism that harbours another, especially a parasite or parasitoid, either internally or externally
Host specifity, host selectivity, to prefer one host over another
Sawflies, wasps, ants, bees, bumblebees
(pl. imagines, imagos) Adult insect
(adj. immune) Ability of animals or plants to resist infection by parasites and effects of other harmful agents; essential requirement for survival, since most organisms are continuously menaced by viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasitic animals
Not compatible; not able to live together; in applied entomology, incapable of forming a stable mixture with another chemical
Development in which the immature aquatic stages (naiads) differ significantly from the adults, and which lacks a pupal stage; see complete and gradual metamorphosis
Insecticide with fumigant action
Without active biological or chemical properties
To enter and establish a pathogenic relationship with a host; to enter and persist in a carrier organism
(adj. infected) Process of, or state arising from, being infected with a protozoan, fungal or bacterial pathogen or parasite
To occupy and cause injury to either plants, animals, soils or products valuable to man
(adj. infested) Process of, or state arising from, being infested with a metazoan pathogen or parasite
Device for positioning a pesticide into soil or below the surface or into the transport system of a plant
In biocontrol, the periodic release of a natural enemy, which breeds so that the progeny provide control
Part or quantity of a pathogenic organism which can infect a host
Class of Arthropoda whose members have a body with distinct head, thorax and abdomen; the head bears one pair of antennae and paired mouthparts; the thorax bears three pairs of legs and one or two pairs of wings in winged insects (Pterygota) and none in primarily wingless insects (Apterygota); the abdomen bears no legs but other appendages might be present; insects are the most diverse class of organisms
Any agent effective against insects
Period between the hatching of the egg and the first larval moults (ecdysis), and the period between two successive ecdyses; synonym for stadium
integrated pest management (IPM)
Integration of chemical means of pest control with other methods, notably biological control and habitat manipulation
Mixed planting of crops; see polyculture
In biocontrol, swamping a pest with large numbers of control agents, with control deriving from the released organisms rather than any of their progeny
Termites
Liquid emitted from a nozzle
Immature, not yet fully developed
Insect hormone involved in moulting process, suppressing the final moult
Communication chemical that benefits the receiver and is disadvantageous to the producer; see allelochemicals
Male primary reproductive in termites and ants (show figure)
(pl. larvae) The feeding, wingless, sexually immature, developmental stage of an insect after emerging from the egg, eg. caterpillar, maggot, grub; often restricted to holometabolous insects, but sometimes used for any immature insect that differs strongly from the adult; in mites, the first immature instar followed by the protonymph; see nymph, naiad
Any agent effective against insect larvae
Present, but inactive, not apparent
Lethal concentration of a poison in air or liquid, causing the death of 50 % of a large group of test animals of the same species by inhalation or otherwise; measured in mg active ingredient (a.i.) per kg body weight
Lethal dose of a poison, orally or dermally, causing the death of 50 % of a large group of test animals of the same species; measured in mg active ingredient (a.i.) per kg body weight
Feeder on the mesophyll layer between the upper and lower epidermis of a leaf
Moths and butterflies
In nymphal Psyllidae (Hemiptera) a delicate and complex shelter produced from a carbohydrate secretion from the anus (show figure); see scale
Disruption and necrosis of host tissue caused by a pathogen, or the toxic saliva of certain Heteroptera
Fatal
In applied entomology, the release of organisms for biological control
Time it takes for an insect to develop from egg to adult; during its life cycle an insect undergoes a progressive series of changes; sometimes considered as lineal succession of organisms from fertilisation to death
‘Earth measuring worm’; caterpillar of the moth family Geometridae with only one pair of abdominal prolegs and which moves by looping its body
Legless larval insect, usually with a reduced head, frequently the larva of a fly
See mating disruption
Malicious, evil, spiteful, not benign
(adj. mandibulate) Sclerotized, sometimes dentate (toothed) jaw of mandibulate insects
Possessing mandibles
Form of insect control in which synthetic sex pheromones, usually of the female are maintained artificially at a higher level than the background, interfering with mate location; sometimes also referred to as male confusion
Relatively abrupt change in body form between the end of immature development and the onset of the adult phase; see incomplete, gradual and complete metamorphosis
Gallery or burrow, visible beneath the epidermis of plant tissue made by a larva. A leaf mine for instance is a gallery in the mesophyll layer between the upper and lower epidermis of a leaf (show figure)
Having the property to mix well
Formulation of pesticide in which the technical product is dissolved in an organic solvent, which on dilution, is dissolved in the water carrier
Spraying device that produces a fine air-carried spray
See acaricide
See mould
See moult
Observation for a particular purpose as to keep track of crop development and insect infestation
Extensive cultivation of only one crop species resulting in very low species diversity and high susceptibility of the crop to pest attack (more info); see polyculture
(adj. monophagous) Eater of only one kind of food, used particularly by specialised phytophages
Death rate
Microfungus, often visible as black or dark stains on surfaces
In insects, the formation of a new cuticle followed by shedding of the old cuticle (ecdysis)
Concurrent existence of two or more ‘defence’ mechanisms against an insecticide in a single pest population
Immature stage of aquatic hemimetaolous insects; see nymph, larva
With a pronounced snout; in termites, soldiers possessing a snout (show figure)
Death of cells or tissues, especially through disease
Reproductive termite assisting the queen in laying eggs (show figure)
Active during the night
See target organism
Harmful; opposite of innocuous
Mating flight of winged queens and males of Hymenoptera and termites
Larval instar of hemimetabolous insects; see larva, naiad
Compulsory, exclusive
Blocking, shutting or closing; eg. the closing of the bark around an injury
(no plural) Descendant from an ancestor; sons, daughters, grandchildren, etc.
Referring to the mouth
Class of insecticides containing chlorine
Class of insecticides containing phosphorous
Locusts, grasshoppers, crickets, katydids, etc.
Temporary condition that is characterised by excessive insect numbers and - if it is a pest species - injury to valuable materials or products; sporadic calamities occur suddenly in a small, restricted area and vanish after a short period of time; periodic outbreaks happen at more or less regular intervals
Any factor or chemical that destroys eggs
Act of laying or depositing eggs
Modified hollow or sheath-like, paired abdominal appendages of female insects for laying eggs
(adj. parasitic) Organism that lives at the expense of another (host) which it does not necessarily kill; parasites that live externally on the host are called ectoparasites, those that live inside the host are termed endoparasites; see parasitoid
Symbiotic relationship between two species in which one species, the parasite benefits to the detriment of the other, the host but usually without causing its death
Internal or external parasite that ultimately causes the death of its host
Measurement of concentration, eg. the proportion of a toxicant present in relation to that of plant material on which it has been deposited; usually used in connection with the edible proportion of a crop and its suitability for consumption
Disease-causing parasite, often microorganisms
Disease-producing
Regular release of biocontrol agents that are effective in control but unable to establish permanently
Property of some pesticides that can remain unaltered in the environment for a considerable long period of time
Any organism that is judged by man to cause harm to himself, his crops, livestock or his property in general
Rapid increase in numbers of a pest following cessation of control measures or resulting from development of resistance and/or elimination of natural enemies
Toxic or poisonous chemical used to control or kill pest organisms; a term of wide application which includes all the more specific applications, eg. insecticide, acaricide, fungicide, herbicide, etc.
Result of a selection of individuals that are genetically predisposed to survive a pesticide; see multiple resistance, pesticide tolerance
Ability of an individual to survive an insecticide not necessarily due to genetic predisposition
Volatile substance secreted by an individual, that produces a certain response in other individuals of the same species; pheromones can act as sex attractants, or can be engaged in communication, courtship, identification of individuals of the same nest and warning of danger
Chemicals that are applied to suffocate target insects by means of dust or to disrupt the cuticle by using petroleum oil, detergents or organic solvents
(phytophagous) Eater of plants or materials of plant origin
Measures requiring the removal or destruction of diseased or infested plant material likely to form a source of re-infection or re-infestation
Smaller hole in wood of a living or dead tree made by wood boring beetles; see shot-hole
Range of inherited mechanisms by which plants resist insect and, in general, pest attack; see antixenosis, tolerance
See bait
Cultivation of several crops in the same area, resulting in higher species diversity and lower pest susceptibility (more info); see monoculture, intercropping
(adj. polyphagous) Eater of several species of plants or of a variety of different foods
Group of conspecific individuals (of the same species), commonly forming a breeding unit and sharing a particular habitat at a given time
population density (=abundance)
Number of individuals per area or volume
Beetles of the subfamily Lyctinae (Bostrichidae) and the closely related furniture beetles (Anobiidae) that bore seasoned and unseasoned timber causing structural damage (more info)
(adj. predacious, predatory) Preying on other organisms; see predator, prey
Animal that uses in its life two or more other individual animals (prey) as food
In termites, an intervening stage between soldier and worker
(adj. preventive) In applied entomology, the protectant application of a pesticide before a predicted infestation of a crop
Food item for a predator
In termites, the queen and king, founders of a colony (show figure)
Tubular organ of insects used to suck in liquid food (show figure)
Offspring, descendants, young
In applied entomology, measures that are continuously applied for the prevention of outbreaks
In applied entomology, the preventive application of a pesticide before a predicted infestation of a crop
Variety of defined geographic origin
In ‘lower’ termites the equivalent of the worker caste, comprising immature nymphs or undifferentiated larvae that have the ability to change into other castes
(pl. pupae) Resting stage between the last larval instar and the adult in the life cycle of holometabolous insects; also termed chrysalis in Lepidoptera
Hardened skin of the final instar larva in which the pupa forms
Becoming a pupa
One of the insecticidal chemicals of pyrethrum Taneacetum cinerariaefolium (Compositae)
Class of insecticides with structural similarity to pyrethrin
Examination, observation, treatment and/or isolation of organisms or particular products for a certain period of time in order to prevent the spread of pests and diseases. Quarantine is one of the most important pest management tools for islands nations
Female belonging to the reproductive caste in eusocial or semisocial insects (show figure)
Substance disliked by particular insects, driving them back
Potential of reproduction limited by environmental factors; the result of reduced biotic potential depending on fertility, length of the life cycle and sex ratio; see environmental resistance
reproductives, reproductive caste
In social insects, individuals that are responsible for the production of offspring; see queen, king, neotenic, alate, de-alate (show figures)
Poison remaining in the pest’s body for some time after the application and being still capable of harming the pest
In applied entomology, the amount of pesticide remaining in or on plant tissue or in soil after a given time, especially at harvest time
(adj. resistant) Ability of an organism to withstand, suppress or retard the injurious effects, eg. of pesticides or pathogens; see environmental resistance, pesticide resistance, plant resistance, multiple resistance
Disease symptom in which plant tissues are destroyed
Chemical derived eg. from Derris spp. (Leguminosae) with insecticidal and other toxic effects
Type of disease characterised by the production of pustules on the surface of the host caused eg. by fungi or mites
Removal and/or destruction of diseased material in order to reduce inoculum; phytosanitation refers to plant material
(1). Flattened and modified hair of moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera); (2). in most scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) a covering made of waxy substances for the protection of eggs, nymphs and adults; the scale is called lerp in Psyllidae (Hemiptera) and test in Diaspididae (Hemiptera)
Member of the superfamily Coccoidea (Hemiptera); see scale
Previously harmless insect or other organism becoming a pest following a primary pest attack or pesticide treatment against a primary pest
Pesticide that destroys certain species of pests and leaves others relatively unharmed
Any chemical used in intra- and interspecific communication, classified as pheromones and allelochemicals
Social behaviour in which individuals of the same generation cooperate and nest-share with some divisions of reproductive labour
Mine that is curved or coiled, becoming gradually larger to a head-like end (show figure)
Distinct sets of phenotypic secondary sexual characteristics for females and males of a species; in other words: a male looks different from a female; males and females might differ in body size, coloration of body or wings, patterns of songs, presence and shape of wings and appendages like antlers, feelers, etc.
Larger hole in wood of a living or dead tree made by wood boring beetles; see also pin-hole
All termite and all ant species as well as some bee and wasp species that form colonies and have structurally and functionally specialised, distinct groups of individuals; see caste
In social insects, an individual belonging to the soldier caste involved in colony defence (show figure)
In applied entomology, carrier solution in which the pesticide is dissolved to form the concentrate
Group of individuals sharing the same features and forming a reproductive community, producing fertile offspring; abbreviated sp. (singular) and spp. (plural)
Device for the application of pesticide sprays
spreader (=wetter, surfactant)
In applied entomology, any material added to a spray to lower the surface tension and to improve spread over a given area
Period between moults, instar duration or intermoult period
Any substance suitable for sterilisation
Devoid of living organisms, infertile
Means of controlling insects by swamping populations with large numbers of artificially sterilised males, competing with the lower number of fertile males
To make sterile by killing any microorganisms present; to render infertile
In applied entomology, material of high viscosity used to stick powdered seed dressings on to seeds
Insecticidal poison that acts after ingestion into the gut
One of the elongate parts of piercing-sucking mouthparts (see figure), a needle-like structure
Under the surface of the earth, underground (see figure)
See adjuvant, additive
In termites, a potential replacement reproductive within a nest which does not become alate; also called neotenic
See spreader
(adj. susceptible) Capability of being infected or infested, easily becoming diseased, not resistant
In physics, a liquid containing very small particles of solid material that will not dissolve
Evidence of a disease, expressed by the reaction of the plant or animal to the presence of the irritating factor or organism; see syndrome
Group of concomitant symptoms, often characteristic of a particular disease or pest attack
Enhancement of the effects of two substances that is greater than the sum of their individual effects; in applied entomology, the increased toxic effect of a pest-control chemical
(adj. synergistic) Chemical which when added to a pesticide improves its performance; very often the synergist on its own is not a pesticide
Communication chemical that benefits both receiver and producer; see kairomone and allomone
Compounded in the laboratory, as opposed to occurring naturally
Referring to insecticides incorporated by the body of a host (plant or animal) that kills insects feeding on the host; eg. an insecticide is absorbed through leaves, then spread via the vascular system to all parts; insects acquire the poison by eating any part of the plant
In applied entomology, the species of a pest organism intended to be controlled by means of chemical methods
Most distal part of the insect leg, usually containing five segments
In applied entomology, the usual form in which a pesticide is prepared and handled prior to formulation; usually at a high level of purity of 95 to 98% but not completely pure
(pl. termitaria) Termite nest (show figures)
See scale
Chemicals which have a curative action on diseases
Curative, capable of eradicating or reducing the effects of a disease
The middle of the three major divisions (tagma) of the adult insect body bearing the legs and the wings (show figure)
Minimum level of a stimulus required to initiate a response; see economic threshold level (ETL) and economic injury level (EIL) (show figure)
(pl. tibiae, adj. tibial) Fourth segment of the leg
Mass of cells which make up organs of organisms
Ability of a plant to withstand pest attack and recover from it; also used for the amount of toxic residue allowable on or in edible substances under the law
Ability to poison or to interfere adversely with the vital processes of organisms
Science dealing with the nature and effects of poisons and venoms
(adj. toxic) Poisonous or venomous substance produced by an organism
Crop, sometimes of wild plants, grown especially to attract pests or diseases and, when infested or infected, either sprayed or collected and destroyed; trap plants are usually grown between the rows of the crop plants or around the edges of the field
Small second segment of the leg, between the coxa and the femur (fig. 2-19)
Swelling caused by uncontrolled growth of cells
ultra-low-volume (ULV) spraying
Application method of sprays using very low volumes of a pesticide
Literally a bearer; specifically a host of a disease transmissible to another species
Alive, even if in a dormant state
Virus particle
(adj. virulent) Ability to overcome the body defence of a host, to invade and injure the tissues of the host and to eventually produce diseases
Minute intercellular disease agent
Able to form a gas from a liquid or solid at room temperature
See withholding period
Any plant in the ‘wrong place’, particularly used of plants away from their natural range, or invading human monocultural crops
Any agent suitable for the control of weeds
Powder that is easily wetted by water and will go into suspension
See spreader
Recommended period of time that has to be allowed between the application of an insecticide and the harvest of a crop, so that residues of the insecticide can be degraded and eliminated; the withholding period depends on the crop species, the insecticide used, the temperature and the intensity of sunlight and varies between several days and weeks
In social insects, a member of the sterile caste that assists the reproductives (show figure)
(adj. xylophagous) Eater of wood
Plant galls induced by animals such as insects, mites and nematodes, as opposed to those formed by the plant response to microorganisms
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© Michael F. Schneider, 1999