C2 · 50 words
Entomology in Spanish
How an insect is built, how it develops, and how it is counted.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
Insects are built to a plan that repeats with small changes across more species than all other animals put together, and the vocabulary follows the plan rather than the species. The eleventh entry is el ala anterior endurecida, the hardened forewing of a beetle, and el ala is worth unpacking. It is the wing of a bird, a bee or an aeroplane. It is the brim of a hat — un sombrero de ala ancha is a wide-brimmed hat, and the same word did service two lists ago for the edge of a mushroom cap. It is a wing of a building, el ala este del hospital. And it is a wing of a party, el ala moderada. English keeps « wing » for the first, third and fourth and changes to « brim » for the second — the only one of the four where nothing flies.
The words
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Phrase (45)
la quitina de la cutículathe chitin of the cuticlePhraseC2
La quitina de la cutícula es ligera y muy resistente.The chitin of the cuticle is light, hard and cannot stretch.
el tórax con tres segmentosthe thorax in three segmentsPhraseC2
El tórax con tres segmentos lleva las patas y las alas.The thorax in three segments carries the legs and the wings.
el abdomen segmentadothe segmented abdomenPhraseC2
El abdomen segmentado alberga casi todos los órganos.The segmented abdomen holds almost everything else.
el ojo compuestothe compound eyePhraseC2
El ojo compuesto detecta el movimiento antes que la forma.A compound eye sees movement better than shape.
el aparato bucal masticadorthe chewing mouthpartsPhraseC2
El aparato bucal masticador identifica al grupo de un vistazo.Chewing mouthparts tell you what an insect eats before you watch it.
el estigma respiratoriothe breathing spiraclePhraseC2
El estigma respiratorio se abre y se cierra sin músculo pulmonar.A breathing spiracle opens and closes without any lung behind it.
la tráquea del insectothe trachea of the insectPhraseC2
La tráquea del insecto lleva el aire directo a la célula.The trachea of the insect carries air straight to the tissue.
el ala anterior endurecidathe hardened forewingPhraseC2
El ala anterior endurecida protege la membranosa de abajo.A hardened forewing protects the one that actually flies.
la nervadura del alathe venation of the wingPhraseC2
La nervadura del ala es un carácter de primer orden.The venation of the wing names the family.
la metamorfosis completathe complete metamorphosisPhraseC2
La metamorfosis completa pasa por una fase de pupa.Complete metamorphosis puts a pupa between the larva and the adult.
la metamorfosis incompletathe incomplete metamorphosisPhraseC2
La metamorfosis incompleta produce ninfas parecidas al adulto.Incomplete metamorphosis makes each stage look like a smaller adult.
el estadio larvariothe larval stagePhraseC2
Cada estadio larvario termina con una muda.A larval stage is counted by moults, not by days.
la muda del exoesqueletothe moulting of the exoskeletonPhraseC2
La muda del exoesqueleto deja al animal indefenso unas horas.The moulting of the exoskeleton is the most dangerous hour of an insect's life.
la diapausa invernalthe winter dormancyPhraseC2
La diapausa invernal se rompe con horas de frío acumuladas.Winter dormancy is triggered by day length rather than by cold.
la puesta de huevosthe laying of the eggsPhraseC2
La puesta de huevos ocurre siempre sobre la planta correcta.The laying of the eggs decides what the larva will find to eat.
la planta nutricia de la larvathe plant the larva feeds onPhraseC2
La planta nutricia de la larva puede ser una sola especie.The plant the larva feeds on can be a single species.
el ciclo de generaciones al añothe number of generations in a yearPhraseC2
El ciclo de generaciones al año aumenta con el calor.The number of generations in a year rises with the temperature.
el insecto socialthe social insectPhraseC2
El insecto social reparte tareas por castas.A social insect has offspring that stay.
la casta obrerathe worker castePhraseC2
La casta obrera no se reproduce y sostiene la colonia.The worker caste is female in almost every case.
la feromona de rastrothe trail pheromonePhraseC2
La feromona de rastro marca el camino a la fuente.A trail pheromone fades unless it is walked on again.
la feromona sexualthe sex pheromonePhraseC2
La feromona sexual actúa a kilómetros de distancia.A sex pheromone works at a distance no eye could cover.
la trampa de feromonasthe pheromone trapPhraseC2
La trampa de feromonas sirve para vigilar, no para exterminar.A pheromone trap counts one sex of one species.
la trampa de luzthe light trapPhraseC2
La trampa de luz captura sobre todo nocturnos.A light trap catches what flies at night and nothing else.
la manga entomológicathe sweep netPhraseC2
La manga entomológica barre la vegetación baja.A sweep net samples the grass rather than the air.
el aspirador entomológicothe entomological aspiratorPhraseC2
El aspirador entomológico recoge sin dañar al animal.An entomological aspirator picks up what fingers would crush.
la colección de referencia montadathe mounted reference collectionPhraseC2
La colección de referencia montada lleva etiqueta con lugar y fecha.A mounted reference collection is what a new specimen is compared with.
la etiqueta con localidad y fechathe label with place and datePhraseC2
La etiqueta con localidad y fecha convierte un bicho en un dato.A label with place and date turns a specimen into data.
la genitalia como carácterthe genitalia as a characterPhraseC2
La genitalia como carácter separa especies idénticas por fuera.The genitalia as a character separate species that look identical.
el complejo de especies crípticasthe complex of cryptic speciesPhraseC2
El complejo de especies crípticas solo se resuelve con genética.A complex of cryptic species was one species until somebody looked closer.
el código de barras genéticothe genetic barcodePhraseC2
El código de barras genético identifica una larva sin criarla.A genetic barcode sorts specimens that no key can sort.
el polinizador silvestrethe wild pollinatorPhraseC2
El polinizador silvestre rinde más que la abeja de colmena.A wild pollinator visits flowers no hive is kept for.
el aporte de los insectos al cultivothe contribution of insects to a cropPhraseC2
El aporte de los insectos al cultivo sostiene buena parte de la cosecha.The contribution of insects to a crop is measured by excluding them.
el enemigo natural de la plagathe natural enemy of the pestPhraseC2
El enemigo natural de la plaga trabaja gratis todo el año.A natural enemy of the pest is already in the field before anything is bought.
el control biológico por sueltathe biological control by releasePhraseC2
El control biológico por suelta necesita el momento exacto.Biological control by release is judged years afterwards.
el nivel a partir del cual se actúathe level at which action is takenPhraseC2
El nivel a partir del cual se actúa evita tratar por costumbre.The level at which action is taken is a number, not a feeling.
la resistencia al insecticidathe resistance to the insecticidePhraseC2
La resistencia al insecticida aparece en pocas generaciones.Resistance to the insecticide is selected for by the insecticide.
el efecto subletal del tratamientothe sublethal effect of the treatmentPhraseC2
El efecto subletal del tratamiento desorienta sin matar.A sublethal effect of the treatment leaves the insect alive and changed.
el arrastre del producto por el vientothe drift of the product on the windPhraseC2
El arrastre del producto por el viento alcanza al margen no tratado.Drift of the product on the wind reaches fields nobody sprayed.
la pérdida de hábitat en el bordethe loss of habitat at the field edgePhraseC2
La pérdida de hábitat en el borde explica buena parte del declive.Loss of habitat at the field edge removes what was never counted.
la contaminación lumínica nocturnathe light pollution at nightPhraseC2
La contaminación lumínica nocturna agota a los insectos hasta el amanecer.Light pollution at night keeps nocturnal insects from finishing anything.
el declive de la biomasa de insectosthe decline in insect biomassPhraseC2
El declive de la biomasa de insectos se midió con trampas iguales durante años.A decline in insect biomass is noticed only where somebody weighed it before.
la serie de datos de muchos añosthe run of data over many yearsPhraseC2
La serie de datos de muchos años es lo único que detecta una tendencia.A run of data over many years is worth more than any single study.
la ciencia participativathe citizen sciencePhraseC2
La ciencia participativa multiplica los ojos en el campo.Citizen science multiplies the eyes and needs the same care with labels.
el corredor de vegetaciónthe strip of vegetationPhraseC2
El corredor de vegetación conecta poblaciones aisladas.A strip of vegetation joins two places that were already good.
la siega escalonada del margenthe staggered mowing of the marginPhraseC2
La siega escalonada del margen deja siempre refugio.Staggered mowing of the margin leaves somewhere to go.
Noun (m) (2)
Grammar for these: Masculine or feminine · The plural
el exoesqueletothe exoskeletonNoun (m)C2
El exoesqueleto limita el tamaño que puede alcanzarse.The exoskeleton is the reason an insect has to moult to grow.
el parasitoidethe parasitoidNoun (m)C2
El parasitoide mata al huésped al terminar su desarrollo.A parasitoid kills its host at the end and not at the start.
Noun (f) (3)
Grammar for these: Masculine or feminine · The plural
la antenathe antennaNoun (f)C2
La antena huele, toca y a veces oye.An antenna smells and touches at the same time.
la probóscidethe proboscisNoun (f)C2
La probóscide se enrolla cuando no se usa.A proboscis reaches nectar that nothing else can reach.
la pupathe pupaNoun (f)C2
La pupa parece inmóvil y por dentro se reorganiza entera.Inside the pupa the animal is taken apart and rebuilt.
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This list belongs to Nature and natural sciences — 31 lists and 1 550 words that can also be practised as a whole.