Glossary terms beginning with M

Maggots

the common name given to the larvae of some species of true fly (Diptera).
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Malaise trap

a malaise trap is an insect trap specifically designed to collect flying insects.
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Malaria

a disease caused by protozoan parasites.
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Malpighian tubules

the main excretory system of insects and some other invertebrates.
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Mandibles

a pair of mouthparts used for biting or cutting in Arthropods.
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Mantidfly

cf. Neuroptera - the Order Neuroptera are primitive insects. The Order contains about 4,000 species. Insects in the Order are known by a variety of names including Lacewings, Antlions and Mantidflies.

Mantis

cf. Mantodea - the Mantodea (or Praying mantids) are an Order of predatory insects. Praying mantids get their common name from the stance they commonly adopt.

Mantodea

the Mantodea (or Praying mantids) are an Order of predatory insects. Praying mantids get their common name from the stance they commonly adopt.
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Maple bug

cf. Boxelder bug - a true bug found in America that can gather in large numbers within houses and become a nuisance.

Maxilla

part of an insect's mouthparts. They are paired and used to hold or manipulate food.
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May bug

cf. Scarab - a family of beetles that have distinctively shaped antennae and are often metallic in colouration.

Mayflies

cf. Ephemeroptera - the Ephemeroptera/mayflies are an Order of insects with an aquatic larval stage. The adults are very short lived with some living for just one day.

Mealworms

cf. Darkling beetle - a species of beetle that is dark in colour and less than 2cm in length when adult. The larvae of the beetle are called mealworms and are captive bred for use as live food.

Mecoptera

the Mecoptera (or Scorpionflies) are an Order of insects containing around 300 species worldwide.
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Megaloptera

the Order Megaloptera are primitive insects. The Order contains about 300 species. Insects in the Order are known by a variety of names including Alderflies, Dobsonflies and Fishflies.
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Mercury vapour lamp

a type of lamp used in moth traps.
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Mesenteron

cf. Gut - the main digestive organ in insects.

Metamorphosis

the process of development of an organism that involves distinct stages with an abrupt change between them.
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Microcoryphia

an Order of insects within the Apterygota (wingless insects).
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Midge

the name given to a number of species of, often biting, fly in the suborder Nematocera.
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Millipede

cf. Diplopoda - the Diplopoda are a group of arthropods more commonly known as millipedes.

Mimicry

the circumstances whereby one species of organism resembles another.
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Minibeast

a general term, with no true biological meaning, used to describe a variety of different invertebrates.
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Mite

a group of small arachnids that have a very diverse habit ranging from parasitism to free-living organisms.
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Modern evolutionary synthesis

the process of evolution which is based on the work of Charles Darwin but also includes more recent discoveries and findings from modern scientific research and genetics.
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Mollusc

the molluscs (animals in the phylum Mollusca) are soft-bodied invertebrates including slugs, snails, squid and octopus.
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Moonlander trap

cf. Moth trap - a device used to attract and capture moths which can then be studied.

Morph

insects that belong to the same species but have a distinctly different appearance.
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Moth

cf. Lepidoptera - butterflies and Moths/Order Lepidoptera are probably the most widely studied order of invertebrates. The Order comprises some 160,000 species.

Moth trap

a device used to attract and capture moths which can then be studied.
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Moulted skin

cf. Exuvia - the cast-off outer skin of an arthropod after a moult.

Moulting

cf. Ecdysis - moulting of the arthropod cuticle.

Mud-puddling

cf. Puddling - the aggregation of some insects on wet soil or dung to obtain moisture and nutrients.

Mullerian mimicry

two or more species with a similar appearance, each has characteristics unpleasant to predators.
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Multivoltine

a species having many broods per year.
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Mutualism

symbiotic relationship between two organisms where both organisms benefit from the relationship.
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MV lamp

cf. Mercury vapour lamp - a type of lamp used in moth traps.

Myiasis

an infestation of the living tissues of a vertebrate animal by fly larvae.
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Myriapoda

a term previously used to describe the group of arthropods containing the millipedes and centipedes.
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Myrmeleontidae

the Myrmeleontidae are a Family of Neuroptera commonly called Antlions. The adults superficially resemble dragonflies. The larvae are well-known for their predatory habit.
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