ovipositor

/,ouvi'pɔzitə/

Thân thiện

A female cricket uses her long ovipositor to lay eggs in the soft soil.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Egg-laying tubular structure: A specialized, often tube-like organ located at the end of the abdomen in many female insects and some fish, used for depositing eggs.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The female cricket uses her long ovipositor to insert eggs into the soil.
  • Scientists studied the ovipositor's structure to understand the insect's reproductive behavior.

Advanced Usage

• In Entomology: The term is used to describe and compare the egg-laying apparatus across different insect orders, noting variations in length, shape, and mechanism.
  • The ichneumon wasp has an exceptionally long ovipositor that can drill into wood to reach host larvae.

Variants and Related Words

• Oviposit (verb): To lay or deposit eggs, especially via an ovipositor.
  • The butterfly will oviposit on the underside of a leaf.

Synonyms

• Egg-laying organ: A general descriptive synonym.
• Egg-depositor: Another descriptive term for the structure.

Related Phrases

• To extend the ovipositor: A phrase used to describe the action of an insect preparing to lay eggs.
  • The sawfly extended its ovipositor to cut into the plant stem.

Học thuật

Noun

1. egg-laying tubular structure at the end of the abdomen in many female insects and some fishes