Glossary of arthropod cuticle

This is a glossary of terms used in the description of arthropod cuticle, including that of insects such as ants. For reasons still under investigation,¹ these animals can have surface textures spanning and combining cracks, excavations, imbrications, mealiness, punctures, reticulations, roughness, scratches, spots, wrinkles, and more (generically, 'sculpturing' or 'microsculpture'). As such, hundreds of technical terms have been adapted for use in description of individual specimens from which taxa are defined.

a-

wanting or without

ab-

off; away from

aciculate

appearing as if irregularly scratched with a needle²

acinose

continuously set with granulations like those on a blackberry

adsperse

marked with closely crowded, small spots

alutaceous

rather pale leather-brown; covered with minute cracks like human skin and leathery in texture

alveolate

honeycombed; with regular, deep, angular cavities (alveoli) separated by thin partitions; furnished with cells or alveoli

areate

furnished with open areas or with areas defined on the surface

areolate

divided into a number of small, irregular, impressed spaces²

asperous

rough and uneven

atomarius

with minute dots or points

caelate

with superficial plane elevations of varying form

canaliculate

channelled or furrowed; longitudinally grooved (sensu lato); in general body form, long and concave so as to resemble a gutter or channel (sensu stricto)

cancellate

a latticework or grid; a series of enclosed cells or chambers

carinate

keeled; having keels or carinae; with one, or several, but usually few longitudinal narrow raised ribs or ridges

carinulate

with several small, elevated longitudinal ridges or carinae; less prominent than carinate

cariose

corroded; appearing worm-eaten; with cavities or ulcerations

cataphracted

clad in closely set scales

catenate

with longitudinal, connected elevations like links in a chain

catenate

chain-like, with smaller links than catenate

channelled

having deep grooves or channels

cicatrose

a surface having scars with elevated margins like those of small pox

clathrate

latticed; elevated ridges decussing at right angles

colliculate

continuously covered with low, rounded elevations, not as pronounced as acinose

conflected

crowded; thickly clustered

confused

markings with indefinite outlines or run together as lines or spots without definite pattern

connected

scattered; spread irregularly and some distance apart; thin; eg., pile or hairs

consute

with very minute elevations in series, some distance apart, and of a different color from the general surface, which resemble stitching somewhat

coriaceous

leather-like in texture, with minute cracks like human skin

coriarious

leather-like in sculpture; with minute cracks like human skin

corrugated

wrinkled into furrows; with alternate ridges and channels

corticinus

bark-like sculpturing or texture

costate

furnished with longitudinal raised ribs or ridges (costae), much coarser than carinate

costulate

with longitudinal, coarse raised ribs or ridges; much coarser and more extensive than carinulate; less prominent ribs or ridges than costate

crenate

having the margin evenly notched with rounded teeth

crenulate

having the margin finely notched with small, rounded teeth

cristate

with a prominent carina or crest on the upper surface; crested

cristulate

with several, small, crescent-like ridges or crests

denudate

without hairs or scales (sensu stricto); without vestiture of any kind (sensu lato)

destitute

lacking or devoid of something specified; being entirely without (used to contrast)

dispersed

with scattered markings or small sculptures

e-

without

ecarinate

without or deprived of a keel or a carina (used to contrast carinate)

echinate

thickly set or armed with short, stout spines or prickles; spiny like a hedgehog

echinulate

with very small prickles; minutely echinate

elute

with scarcely distinct markings

embossed

ornamented with raised sculpturing

ex-

out of; proceeding from

exarate

ploughed; sculpted; furrowed; sulcated; an excavated surface in general

excavated

with a scooped out depression; superficially, with a hollowed out area

explicate

unfolded or open; also, without folds or plicae

exsculptate

with irregular, more or less longitudinal depressions, as if carved or scooped out

farinaceous

mealy or powdery looking; applied to surfaces or wings

farinose

dotted with many single flour-like spots; mealy

fatiscent

with superficial cracks, crevices, or similar openings

fenestrate

with transparent areas or window-like openings (fenestrae) as in the wings of some Lepidoptera

fissate

with fissures or cracks (sensu lato); divided or cleft (sensu stricto)

fluted

having parallel grooves or flutes; channelled

fossulate

with oblong depressions (fossulae); more elongate or furrow-like than scrobiculate

foveate

pitted; with numerous, regular, depressions or pits (foveae)

foveolate

with small deep pits; finely pitted

glabrate

almost glabrous

glabrous

smooth, devoid of pubescence (sensu stricto); devoid of any sculpturing (sensu lato)

goffered

with regular impressions, closely set, and separated by narrow ridges; waffling or honeycombs

granulate

covered with or made up of very small grains or granules; minutely and densely verrucose or minutely farinose

hatched

closely marked with numerous short, transverse lines

imbricate

partly overlapping and appearing like shingles on a roof or scales on a fish

immaculate

destitute of spots, marks, or sculpturing (sensu lato); destitute of spots or marks (sensu stricto)

impressed

having shallow, depressed areas or markings

impunctate

not punctate or marked with punctures (used to contrast punctate)

inermis

unarmed; without striae, spines, or any other sharp processes

innotate

without markings

institia

striae or furrows of equal width throughout

interstice

a space between two lines, whether striate or punctate

interval

a space between two structures or sculptures

intricate

confused; markings, whether elevated or depressed, so run into each other as to be difficult to see

investitus

unclothed; without scales or hair

irrorate

freckled or speckled; covered with minute spots or granules

lacunose

full of hollows or cavities; with scattered and irregular broad, shallow cavities

levigate

a smooth surface, sometimes somewhat shiny or polished; without elevations or depressions

lineate

longitudinally marked with raised or depressed parallel lines; with linear marks

lineolate

finely lineate, longitudinally marked with very fine raised or depressed lines

maculate

spotted; with many superficial marks or spots

maculation

the pattern of marks or spots on a surface

micans

shining or twinkling, in part or altogether

munite

a surface armed with spines or other excrescences

murriculate

with a covering of fine, short, sharp, thick excrescences; irregularly scabriculous

mutic

unarmed; lacking processes where such usually occur

nitid

shiny or glossy; reflecting light

nodulate

a surface sculpturing of small knots or swellings

notate

marked by spots (sensu stricto); with a series of depressed marks as a sculpture (sensu lato)

nude

naked; devoid of hair, scales or other surface vestiture

obscure

dark; not readily seen; not well defined

ordinate

spots or sculpturing arranged in rows or regularly arranged

papillate

covered with small, nipple-like surface elevations, often porous at the tip

papillulate

beset with depressions or elevations with a small elevation in the center (a papillule)

perlate

spots or sculpturing arranged in rows or regularly arranged; beaded (sensu lato); bearing relieved, rounded points in series (sensu stricto)

plica

fold

plicate

folded or closed; with folds or plicae; impressed with striae to produce the appearance of having been folded or pleated

politus

polished; smooth, shiny

pollinose

covered with a loose, mealy, often yellow dust like the pollen of flowers; fine meal

porcate

with several parallel, longitudinal ridges with deep, broad sulcations

porose

having pores

prominent

raised or produced above the surface or beyond the margin; standing out in relief; conspicuous by position

protuberance

any excrescence above the surface; a prominence

pruinose

appearing covered with a fine dust or coarse powder, but which cannot be rubbed off; the brightness of the surface somewhat obscured by the appearance of a bloom like that of a plum

pulverulent

powdery or dusty. Also, covered with very minute, powder-like scales

punctate

set with fine, impressed points or punctures appearing as pin-pricks

puncticulate

sparsely punctate with very fine, widely spaced punctures

punctulate

finely punctate; with numerous minute and close set punctures

pustulate

covered with small, blister-like swellings larger than papillae and never with a terminal pore

rastrate

covered as if with longitudinal scratches

reticulate

superficially net-like or made up of a network of lines; meshed; netted²

rimose

with minute, narrow and nearly parallel excavations (rimae) running into each other; chinky; resembling the cracked bark of a tree

rimulose

minutely rimose; with minute cracks or fissure-like openings with sharp edges

rivose

marked with sinuate furrows, like rivulets, not running in a parallel direction

rivulose

minutely rivose; with very small or fine sinuate furrows, like rivulets, which are not parallel

rorulent

covered with a bloom of fine dust that can be rubbed off

rugose

wrinkled

rugulose

minutely rugose; minutely wrinkled²

salebrose

rough, rugged, or uneven

scabriculous

finely scabrous; with fine and regular short, sharp, wrinkles and/or projections

scabrid

sparsely scabrous

scabrous

rough; irregularly and roughly rugose; possessing short, sharp projections or wrinkles

scarified

sparsely appearing clawed or scratched; furnished with fine, irregular grooves, coarser than aciculate

scrobiculate

uniformly covered with short, oblong or trench-like hollows

sculpture

the markings or pattern of impressions or elevations on a surface

sculptured

ornamented with raised sculpturing; superficially marked with elevations or depressions or both, arranged in some definable manner

scutate

covered with large, flat, scales; having a scutum; shield-shaped; scutiform

scutellate

divided into surfaces like small plates, minutely scutate

serrations

lines arranged in parallel series, either in sculpture or in color, as in the Corixidae of the Heteroptera

shagreened

covered with a closely set roughness, like the rough-surfaced horse leather termed shagreen; like shark leather

sparse

scattered; spread irregularly and some distance apart; thin; eg., pile or hairs

spherulate

provided with one or more rows of minute tubercles

spinose

armed with thorny spines, more elongated than echinate

spinulate

set with numerous small, thorny spines; minutely spinose

squamate

scaly; covered with scales

squarrose

rough with elevations; scurfy; rough with loose scales differing in direction or not parallel in direction

striate

marked with parallel, fine, longitudinal impressed lines or furrows

strigate

having narrow, transverse lines or streaks, either raised or impressed; composed of fine, short lines

strigulate

finely or minutely strigate; with numerous short and fine transverse lines, either raised or impressed

striolate

minutely or finely striate; with numerous parallel and very fine longitudinal impressed lines or furrows

sub-

under, slightly less than, or not quite so

sulcate

deeply furrowed or grooved

taeniate

with broad, longitudinal bands or ribbon-like markings (sensu lato); shaped like a tapeworm (sensu stricto)

tesselate

made up of squares like a chess board, either in sculpturing or in color

torose

superficially swelling in knots, knobs, or protuberances; knobby (sensu lato); in general form, swollen or with a knobby or knotted shape (sensu stricto)

torulose

minutely torose; with numerous small knobs or knots (sensu lato)

tuberculate

covered or furnished with rounded, projecting lobes; more projecting than granulate, papillate, or pustulate

undose

with undulating, broad, nearly parallel depressions running more or less into each other; wavy, resembling ripple-marks on a sandy beach

variolate

pitted as if by smallpox; full of irregular indentations (varioles)

venose

furnished with veins or vein-like marking; of or pertaining to veins

vermicular

worm-shaped or worm-like in general body form

vermiculate

with superficial, tortuous markings resembling the tracks of a worm

verrucose

covered with irregularly shaped lobes or wart-like protuberances

vittate

striped; longitudinally striped or plaited