Glossary

This glossary, extracted from Larochelle & Larivière (2007, Fauna of New Zealand 60), contains terms mostly associated with the morphology of carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and is included here to provide additional support for users of the Lucid Phoenix identification key to genera included on this website.

SEARCH OPTIONS: Click on the alphabetical links below or use the "Find (on this page)" option available in the menu bar of most web-browsers.

A

adhesive setae (of male tarsi) - ventral setae fit to adhere to surfaces.

adventive - not native; an organism carried into a new habitat by natural means, or by man.

aedeagus - the tubular intromittent structure of the male genitalia, analogous to the mammalian penis and usually containing an eversible internal sac.

aeneous - with a copper or brass appearance.

allopatric - of or pertaining to taxa occupying different and disjunct geographical areas.

ambulatory setae (of abdomen) - specialised pairs of setae occurring ventrally on the abdomen.

anisochaetous (of protibia) - with one apical and one subapical spur.

antennal cleaner (of protibia) - comb-like structure situated on the inner side of the protibia and used to clean an antenna.

antennal grooves (of head) - pair of grooves situated ventrally on each side of the head, each used to receive an antenna.

antennal scape - see scape.

antennal socket - cavity in which each antenna is set.

antennomere - each antennal segment.

anterior bead (of pronotum) - raised transverse border situated at the apex of the pronotum, close to the head.

anterolateral angles (of pronotum) - angles situated at the front of and on each side of the pronotum.

apex - end or extremity of a structure or organ.

apical - related to the apex.

appendages - the antennae, palpi, and legs together.

apterous - without membranous wings.

armed - displaying scales, spines, or teeth.

attenuate - gradually tapering toward the apex.

auxiliary - additional.

B

basal - related to the base.

base - the beginning or point of attachment of a structure or organ.

bead - a raised border.

bidentate - with two teeth.

bifid - cleft or divided into two parts.

bilobed - divided in two lobes.

biostatus - status of an organism based on its geographic origin relative to its occurrence in a particular region, e.g. , endemic, native, adventive.

biseriately - disposed in two rows.

bisetose - with two setae.

buccal fissure - a lateral mouth opening beneath the eye area.

C

carina (plural, carinae) - a keel or ridge.

carinate - keeled; ridged.

catenulate - shaped like a fine chain.

cavernicolous - living in caves.

circular foveae (of mentum) - paired eye-like foveae situated on the mentum.

cleft - divided longitudinally.

closed (of procoxal cavities or procoxae) - completely surrounded by the prosternum posteriorly.

clypeo-ocular prolongations - deep lines situated between the clypeus and the eyes.

coalescent - united; combined.

compressed - flattened as though subjected to lateral pressure.

constricted - narrowed.

contiguous - next to each other or touching each other.

convergent - approaching each other.

cordate - shaped like a heart.

crenulate - finely scalloped; with fine rounded teeth.

D

deflected - turned abruptly downward.

dentate - toothed.

depigmented - with weak pigmentation (appearing pale in colour).

depressed - flattened as though subjected to dorsal pressure.

diagnosis - the most important characters separating a taxon from other taxa.

digitate - shaped like a finger.

dilated - widened; expanded.

disc - the dorsal central area of a body part.

discal - related to the disc.

discal setiferous punctures (of elytron) - seta-bearing punctures usually inserted on interval or stria 3, rarely on 2, 5, 7.

diurnal - active during the day.

dorsal - pertaining to the upperside of a part or structure.

E

elliptical - with the ends equally rounded.

elytral - related to the elytron.

emarginate - having a notched or concave (inwardly curved) edge.

emargination - notched edge; sharp cut.

endemic - restricted to a geographic area.

entire - with an unbroken margin; without emargination, excision, or projection.

epigean - living on the surface of the ground.

epilittoral - living on the sea shore, over the high tide line.

epipleuron (plural, epipleura) - recurved ventral outer side of each elytron.

equidistant - equally distant.

excavated - with a cavity or depression.

explanate - spread and flattened.

F

facet - lens-like division of each compound segment.

family - a category in the taxonomic hierarchy, that includes one or more genera or tribes of common phylogenetic origin, separated from other such groups by a decided gap.

filiform - shaped like a thread.

forebody - the head and thorax together.

fovea - small pit or depression.

foveate - with fovea(e).

free - not fused; mobile.

frontal furrows (of head) - longitudinal deep lines, often paired, situated on the frons, between the eyes.

furrow - see groove, sulcus.

furrowed - see grooved, sulcate.

fusiform - shaped like a spindle.

G

genus (plural, genera) - a category in the taxonomic hierarchy, that includes one or more phylogenetically related, and morphologically similar species.

geographic distribution - the distribution related to the geography, i. e. , districts, regions.

glabrous - without hair or seta(e).

globose - shaped like a sphere or ball.

gonocoxae (singular, gonocoxa) - paired terminal segments of the female genitalia.

groove - long narrow channel or depression.

grooved - with groove(s).

H

head capsule - the fused sclerites of the head.

hindwings - posterior wings.

hirsute - shaggy; with coarse, stiff long hairs or setae.

holotype or type - the single specimen designated or indicated as the type specimen of a species by the original author at the time of publication or, if no type was specified, the only existing specimen seen by the author.

I

impressed - well marked (as being produced by pressure).

indigenous - see native.

inflated - swollen; distended.

inner - situated close to the center.

inserted (of a moveable part) - attached to a point.

intertidal - living between the low and high tide levels.

interval (of elytron) - space between two striae.

iridescent - displaying a rainbow-effect colour.

isochaetous (of protibia) - with two spurs in terminal position.

L

lamina - thin flat scale-like structure.

lateral beads (of pronotum) - paired longitudinal raised beads, situated on the outer side of the pronotum.

lateral depressions (of pronotum) - paired longitudinal widened depressions situated on each side of the pronotum.

laterobasal - situated both on each side and at the base; lateral and basal together.

laterobasal foveae (of pronotum) - foveae situated both on each side and at the base of the pronotum.

lectotype - type specimen selected from the syntypes by a subsequent author in the absence of a holotype.

lobate - shaped like a lobe.

lowland - of or pertaining to land located below the montane zone and generally reaching up to the limit of rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum), e g., about 500m in central New Zealand.

M

medially - situated in the middle.

- mere (as a suffix) - segment.

metallic lustre - a reflection like polished metal (e.g. , brassy, bronze, coppery, aeneous).

micropore - microscopic hole or depression.

moniliform - shaped like a necklace composed of beads.

monophyletic - derived from the same ancestral taxon.

N

native - occurring naturally in the area in question.

neck (of head) - the narrowed part situated behind the eyes and connecting the head to the thorax.

nocturnal - active during the night.

O

obliterated - completely removed.

oblong - longer than wide; with longitudinal diameter more than twice the transverse one.

obsolete - indistinct, almost absent.

open (procoxal cavities or procoxae) - not completely surrounded by the prosternum posteriorly.

orbicular - circular or spherical.

ostium - the membranous opening of the aedeagus.

outer - situated on the outside or far from the center.

outer apical prolongation (of protibia) - prolongation situated at the tip, along the outer side.

ovate - shaped like an egg.

P

palpomere - each segment of a palp or palpus.

peduncle - stalk-like structure between the thorax and the abdomen.

pedunculate (of body) - with a peduncle between the thorax and the abdomen; taxa with a pedunculate body have the scutellum placed directly on a visible peduncle (between pronotum and elytra) or placed partly between and above elytral bases. Note: Taxa without a pedunculate body have the scutellum inserted entirely between elytral bases.

penis - see aedeagus.

penultimate - next to the last; second from the end.

phytophagous - feeding on plant material.

plica - fold.

plurisetose - with four setae or more.

polyphagous - eating many types of food.

posterior bead (of pronotum) - raised transverse border situated at the base of the pronotum, close to the elytra.

posterolateral - situated both behind and on each side; posterior and lateral together.

posterolateral angles (of pronotum) - angles situated behind and on each side of the pronotum.

posterolateral carinae (of pronotum) - carinae situated behind and on each side of the pronotum, near the posterolateral angles.

predaceous - eating live animals.

produced - prolonged.

prominent - standing out.

prosternal lobe - posterior prolongation of the prosternum between the anterior legs.

pubescence - covering of hairs or setae.

pubescent - covered with hairs or setae.

punctate - marked with punctures or points.

puncture - microscopic pit similar to that made by a needle.

Q

quadrate - square or nearly so.

R

radial field (of elytron) - the outer area extending from the lateral margin to, and including, the interval bearing the umbilicate series of setiferous punctures (usually interval 9).

recurrent (of stria 1) - curving back like a hook at the tip of the elytron.

reinstatement - the act of restoring a taxonomic name to a previous status.

rudimentary - imperfectly developed; represented by a vestige.

S

scape - the first segment of the antenna or antennomere 1.

sclerite - a hardened plate surrounded by sutures.

scree - accumulation of loose stones on a slope.

scrobe (of mandible) - lateral longitudinal depression in the wall of the mandible.

scrubland - vegetation unit with dense cover and about 1–2 metres tall.

scutellar - related to the scutellum.

scutellar setiferous pore (of elytron) - seta-bearing pore situated next to the scutellum.

scutellar striole (of elytron) - short stria situated next to the scutellum.

scutellum - small triangular sclerite situated basally between the elytra or on a peduncle between thorax and abdomen. See peduncle.

secondary sexual characters - characters owned by one sex, not the other sex.

securiform - shaped like an axe or hatchet.

semi- (as a prefix) - half.

serrate - toothed like a saw.

seta (plural, setae) - hair-like projection surrounded basally by a small cuticular ring.

setiferous - bearing seta(e) or bristle(s).

setiferous puncture - puncture bearing seta(e) or bristle(s).

setiform - shaped like a seta or bristle.

setose - covered with setae.

shoulder (of elytron) - the outer anterior angle.

simple - not modified.

sinuation - a wavy form.

socket - opening in which something is set.

species - a taxon of the rank of species, the category below the genus in the taxonomic hierarchy; naturally occurring populations with a common heredity; groups of actually or potentially interbreeding populations which are reproductively isolated from other such groups.

spongily - in a sponge-like formation.

spur - large spine, articulated at its base.

sternum (plural, sterna) - the ventral surface of each segment of the abdomen.

stria (plural, striae) - longitudinal impressed line or row of punctures on the dorsal surface of the elytron.

striate - with stria(e).

striolate - with striole(s).

striole - a short stria.

sub- (as a prefix) - rather, almost; part of.

subapical - situated near the apex.

subapical sinuation (of elytron) - sinuation of the side, near the apex.

subequal - almost or rather equal in shape, size, or length.

suborbital - situated beneath the eye.

subulate - linear at base and attenuate at the apex; tapering to a point.

sulci (singular, sulcus) - furrows; grooves.

sulciform - shaped like a sulcus.

supraorbital - situated above the eye.

suture - line of contact between two sclerites or parts.

suture (of elytra) - line of contact between the inner sides of the elytra.

synonym - one of two or more scientific names applied to a single taxon.

T

tarsomere - each segment of a tarsus.

taxon (plural, taxa) - a taxonomic grouping of any rank (e.g. , a family, a genus, a species) including all its subordinate groups.

terminal - situated at the tip or extremity; last in a series.

testaceous - reddish brown.

transverse - wider than long; in a crosswise direction.

tribe - a category in the taxonomic hierarchy below a subfamily, that includes one or more genera of common phylogenetic origin, separated from other such groups by a decided gap.

tridentate - with three teeth.

trisetose - with three setae.

truncate - cut off rather squarely at the tip.

twisted (of epipleura) - condition of the epipleura with an inner fold near apex.

type or name-bearing type - the specimen(s), species or genus that serves as the objective standard of reference determining the application of a name to a taxon.

type locality - the precise geographical site where the type of a species or subspecies was collected.

type species - the species designated as the type of a genus or subgenus.

type specimen - a specimen (e.g. , holotype, lectotype, neotype) or one of a series of specimens (syntypes) designated as the type of a species or subspecies.

U

umbilicate - shaped like a navel.

umbilicate series (of elytron) - row of seta-bearing punctures situated along the outermost interval (usually interval 9).

unguitractor plate - ventral sclerite (usually short) arising between the claws and bearing their tendon and muscle.

unicolorous - with a single colour throughout.

V

valid name - the name for a particular taxon that is correct according to the provisions of the Code of Zoological Nomenclature.

variegated - varied in colour, with different coloured markings.

ventral - pertaining to the underside of the abdomen or of another part or structure.

vestigial - represented only by a remnant or vestige; rudimentary.

violaceous - violet-coloured, with a mixture of blue and red.