Glossary of Anatomical Terms

Glossary of Terms

This page is meant as a guide to some of the anatomical terms used in this website. It is by no means a complete or finalised list and will be added to in time.

Please click on the thumbnails above to enlarge the images.

Hopefully a few of the anatomical terms used in this website will be defined below: -

Anal Appendages - Located at the tip of the abdomen. They are also known as "claspers". They are used in the course of copulation, the male using them to clasp onto the female behind the head.

Antehumeral Stripes - Bands of colour on the upper surface of the thorax. They can be a key aid to species identifiaction.

Antenna - Sensory organs on the top of the dragonflies head.

Compound Eye - The dragonflies eyes are made up of many thousands of lenses.

Costa - A vein in the front edge of the wings. In some species this may be coloured.

Coxa - The equivalent to the human hip joint.

Ephemeral - Applies to bodies of water that dry up from time to time.

Exuvia - The discarded larval skin of Odonata species. Often found abandoned halfway up a suitable piece of vegetation.

Femur - The upper and largest segment of the dragonflies leg, much the same as in human anatomy.

Frons - A large and often coloured frontal part of the face.

Labium - The lower mouth parts.

Odonata - The family to which Dragonflies and Damselflies belong, translated it means "Toothed Jaws".

Ovipositor - Located in females at the tip of the abdomen and is used for depositing eggs into plant or other suitable matter.

Pterostigma - An coloured patch on the front edge of each wing. This can be elongated or fairly short and can range from black through various shades of brown to red.

Tarsi - Two smaller lower segments of the dragonflies legs.

Thoracic Spiracle - Used for ventillating the wing muscles.

Tibia - The middle segment of the leg.