Labium

The labium is often called an insect's lower lip. The labium is positioned towards the back of the head and helps hold food in place when the insect feeds.

The labium actually represents the fused pair of ancestral second maxillae. The labium has a pair of three-segmented palps which are also sensory.

Related terms

• Clypeus
• Head
• Labrum
• Mandibles
• Maxilla
• Subesophageal ganglion

Related groups of terms

• Invertebrate body structure

Related pages on this web site

• Insect mouthparts

See other words beginning with L