Descriptionary

Lincoln English breed, white with or without black spots, polled, the largest of all sheep breeds with rams weighing as much as 375 pounds; produces heavy fleece.

montadale U.S. breed, white, polled, head free of wool, produces medium wool.

oxford English breed, gray to brown, polled, large.

Panama U.S. breed, white, polled, long wool.

shropshire English breed, dark-faced, polled, dense wool on head.

southdown English breed, light or dark brown, polled, produces medium wool.

suffolk English breed, black head and legs, polled, no wool around head or ears, produces medium wool.

Targhee U.S. breed, white, polled, open-faced.

Tunis North African breed, reddish brown to light tan, polled, long drooping ears, no wool on head, produces medium wool.

MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES

abdomen the hind body portion, consisting of 10 segments.

androconia special scales on the abdomen, legs, or wings of males that release sex pheromones.

antennae the sensory appendages on the head.

birdwing the largest of all butterflies, with wing- spans as long as 12 inches in some species.

chorion the shell of an insect egg.

chrysalis the pupa of a butterfly, the form reached between the larval or caterpillar stage and the winged butterfly stage.

cocoon the silky protective casing made by a moth caterpillar, in which it passes the pupa stage.

cocoon cutter a ridgelike growth on the head of some species that enables them to cut their way out of a cocoon when they're ready to emerge.

compound eye similar to other insects, each eye consisting of several individual units or facets.

cremaster at the tip of the abdomen of a pupa, an extension used to attach the pupa to the place of pupation.

crepuscular active or flying during the twilight, as some species of moths and butterflies.

dagger moth a family of moths recognized by black daggers or dashes on their gray brown forewings.

dash a sharp, short black line on the forewing of many species; also known as a dagger.

diapause a period of suspended growth or develop­ment during the life cycle.

diurnal flying or active during the day, as most but­terflies.

epiphysis the leaflike appendage on the foreleg, thought to be used for cleaning mouthparts and antennae.

eyespot an eyelike spot found on the wings of some species, thought to frighten birds away. Also known as ocellus (pl., ocelli).

forewing the front wing, attached to the mesotho- rax.

frass the excrement pellets of caterpillars.

frons the front of the head, between the eyes and above the mouthparts.

geometer the second largest family of moths, rec­ognized by their slender bodies and small to medium overall size. The larvae are inchworms.

gossamer wing a family of butterflies recognized for their small size and bright wings with metallic or iridescent hues.

hawk moth a family of medium to very large moths with robust bodies, narrow wings without ocelli, long probosci, and a hovering flight similar to a bird. Also known as sphinx moths or hummingbird moths.

Hesperiidae the butterfly family of skippers.

hind wing the back wing, attached to the meta- thorax.

instar in the larval stage, the period between molts.

larva the caterpillar stage.

Lepidoptera the order of moths and butterflies.

lepidopterist an entomologist specializing in moths and butterflies.

Lycaenidae the butterfly family of gossamer wings.

mandible the chewing mouthpart of a caterpillar.

Megathymidae the butterfly family of giant skippers.

mesothorax the midportion of a thorax on which the forewings and middle legs are attached.

metamorphosis a transformation of the structure or nature of an organism resulting in a radically different organism; the transformation of a caterpillar to a but­terfly, for example; the transformation of Lepidoptera from an egg to a larva to a pupa to a butterfly.

Microlepidoptera a family of medium to small moths recognized by long, slender legs and T-shaped appearance when at rest (its rolled wings are kept folded at right angles to the body).

moths and butterflies 21

nectaring the act of gathering nectar by butterflies.

nocturnal active or flying at night, as most moths.

Nymphalidae the large family of brushfooted but­terflies, with forelegs reduced to useless brushes.

ocelli collective term for all eyelike spots found on a wing.

orbicular spot a round or elliptical spot resembling an eye in the middle of a forewing in some species.

owlet (noctuid) moth the largest family (Noctuidae) of moths, with some 20,000 species worldwide, recog­nized by gray brown coloring with a complex pattern of lines and spots and obscured orbicular spots.