Insect Communication and Special Topics in Entomology

Vocabulary flashcards derived from lecture notes on insect communication and special topics in entomology.

Monarch Butterfly Migration

A multigenerational journey of monarch butterflies from Southern Canada to Mexico, covering distances over 3,000 miles.

Invasive Species

Non-native organisms that outcompete endemic species, causing harm to the environment and human economy.

Schmidt Sting Pain Index

A pain scale created by Justin Schmidt to rank the pain from insect stings, featuring various insect species.

Cordyceps Fungus

A parasitic fungus that infects insects, manipulating their behavior to grow and disperse its spores.

Overwintering

The state where organisms, such as the monarch butterfly, survive winter in a dormant state.

Reproductive Diapause

A period during which an organism suspends its reproductive development to conserve energy.

Polyphenism

The phenomenon where a single genotype produces multiple distinct phenotypes based on environmental cues.

Emerald Ash Borer Beetle

An invasive beetle from Asia that targets ash trees, disrupting their physiology and causing widespread tree death.

Spotted Lanternfly

An invasive sap-sucking insect originally from Asia that feeds on various plant species, causing significant agricultural damage.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

An invasive bug from East Asia that feeds on a variety of crops, causing economic losses in agriculture.

Africanized Bees

Hybrid bees known for their aggressiveness and ability to outcompete European honeybees, originally bred in Brazil.

Indirect Flight Muscles

Specialized flight muscles that allow for more efficient flight in insects by using a click mechanism to store energy.

Biological Transmission

A mode of pathogen transmission where the pathogen develops internally within an insect vector before spreading to a new host.

Disease Vectors

Organisms that transmit pathogens to other animals, significantly impacting human health.

Sporozites

The infective form of the Plasmodium parasite transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, leading to malaria.

Malaria Life Cycle

A complex life cycle involving stages in both mosquitoes and human hosts, crucial for the reproduction of the malaria parasite.