Glossary terms beginning with W
- Walking stick
- cf. Phasmatodea - the Stick and Leaf insects (Order Phasmatodea) are insects well known for their camouflage. They are commonly kept as pets.
- Warm-blooded
- cf. Endothermic - animals that maintain their body temperature above the ambient temperature of the environment.
- Wasp
- cf. Vespoidea - the superfamily that contains solitary and social wasps as well as ants.
- Water net
- cf. Pond net - a common piece of equipment used by a biologist. The pond net is used to catch animals within water bodies such as ponds, rivers and streams.
- Wax
- cf. Beeswax - a substance secreted by worker honey bees and used to build honey combs.
- Web-spinners
- cf. Embioptera - the Embioptera/Web-spinners are an Order of insects capable of producing silk from glands in their front legs.
- Weevil
- beetles in the Superfamily Curculionoidea. The group includes several pests of economic importance.
Read more on: Weevil - Weta
- a group of around 70 species of large insects that are endemic to New Zealand.
Read more on: Weta - Wine rope
- a way of attracting moths. An absorbent rope or piece of fabric is soaked in a sugar and wine solution that attracts moths.
Read more on: Wine rope - Wing bud
- flattened structures possessed by nymphs from which the wings will develop in the adult insect.
Read more on: Wing bud - Wing pad
- cf. Wing bud - flattened structures possessed by nymphs from which the wings will develop in the adult insect.
- Winged insects
- cf. Pterygota - the name given to the Subclass of insects that possess wings.
- Wingless insects
- cf. Apterygota - a subclass of the Class Insecta. This subclass contains the Orders of wingless insects.
- Wireworm
- cf. Click beetle - a family of beetles known for their ability to fling themselves into the air. Their larvae are called wireworms.
- Wood borer
- insects that feed on wood by boring holes into it.
Read more on: Wood borer - Woodworm
- the common name of the larvae of a variety of wood boring insects but is most commonly used for larvae of the furniture beetle.
Read more on: Woodworm - Woolly bear
- a common name given to the larvae of various insects due to the dense hair covering their bodies.
Read more on: Woolly bear - Woolly worm
- cf. Woolly bear - a common name given to the larvae of various insects due to the dense hair covering their bodies.
- Worker
- females within social insect colonies that are not able to reproduce.
Read more on: Worker - Worm
- cf. Earthworm - the common name given to annelids within the Class Oligocheata. Earthworms are very important for introducing organic matter to soil.
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