Glossary terms beginning with N
- Nanitic
- small workers in a eusocial insect colony; usually these workers are from the first brood.
Read more on: Nanitic - Naphthalene
- a strong smelling crystalline hydrocarbon used in mothballs.
Read more on: Naphthalene - Native
- cf. Indigenous - an organism that is naturally occurring in a specific area.
- Natural history
- the study of the natural world.
Read more on: Natural history - Necrophagous
- a feeding behaviour where an organism feeds on carrion from an organism they did not kill.
Read more on: Necrophagous - Neo-darwinism
- cf. 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.
- Neotype
- cf. Type specimen - a specimen that acts as the name bearer for a species.
- Net
- a item of collecting equipment used by biologists. Nets have a 'bag' attached to a frame at the end of a handle.
Read more on: Net - 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.
Read more on: Neuroptera - No-see-ums
- cf. Midge - the name given to a number of species of, often biting, fly in the suborder Nematocera.
- Noctuid
- moths within the family Noctuidae.
Read more on: Noctuid - Nocturnal
- nocturnal animals are those that are active during the night.
Read more on: Nocturnal - Non-insect hexapods
- the grouping of three classes of six-legged invertebrates that are not insects.
Read more on: Non-insect hexapods - Nuptial flight
- the mating flight of some insects such as social bees and ants.
Read more on: Nuptial flight - Nuptial gift
- items provided by a male invertebrate to a female prior to mating.
Read more on: Nuptial gift - Nymph
- cf. Larva - the juvenile form of an insect.
- Nymphalidae
- cf. Browns - the collective name given to butterflies within the family Nymphalidae that have brown wings.
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