Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates, MEA-PLE
Yet, in addition to being critically important—because they naturally recycle decaying matter—in maintaining balance within the food chain, bugs can also be fascinating creatures, whether in regard to the water strider's ability to run across the surface of water or the assassin bugs' varied and creative means of catching and killing their prey. Mollusks, another group of invertebrates, get less of a bad rap. Their ranks include nearly 100,000 described species of soft-bodied animals that are usually wholly or partly enclosed in a calcium carbonate shell; examples include snails, clams, oysters, squids, and octopuses.
Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates Encyclopedia Articles By Title
meadow grasshopper, (subfamily Conocephalinae), any of a group of grasshoppers in the family Tettigoniidae (order......
mealybug, (family Pseudococcidae), any of a group of small sap-sucking insects (order Homoptera) that are worldwide......
measuring worm, (family Geometridae), the larva of any of a large group of moths in the order Lepidoptera. Because......
medicinal leech, any of certain leech species (phylum Annelida), particularly Hirudo medicinalis, H. verbana, and......
medusa, in zoology, one of two principal body types occurring in members of the invertebrate animal phylum Cnidaria.......
mesozoan, any of approximately 50 species of small, ciliated, multicellular animals that parasitize other marine......
metallic wood-boring beetle, (family Buprestidae), any of some 15,000 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera),......
metalmark, (subfamily Riodininae), any of a group of small, principally South American insects in the gossamer-winged......
Mexican jumping bean, the seed of certain Mexican shrubs, especially those of the genus Sebastiania, of the spurge......
midget moth, any member of the approximately 300 species in the cosmopolitan family Nepticulidae (sometimes called......
milkweed butterfly, (subfamily Danainae), any of a group of butterflies in the brush-footed butterfly (q.v.) family,......
millepore, (Millepora), any of a genus of invertebrate marine animals comprising the order Milleporina (phylum......
millipede, (class Diplopoda), any member of the arthropod class Diplopoda, distributed worldwide and commonly grouped......
mining bee, (family Andrenidae), any of a group of bees (order Hymenoptera), particularly the genus Andrena. Many......
mite, any of numerous species of tiny arthropods, members of the mite and tick subclass Acari (class Arachnida),......
mitre shell, any of several marine snails constituting the family Mitridae (subclass Prosobranchia of the class......
Modiolopsis, extinct genus of pelecypods (clams) found as fossils in Ordovician rocks (about 488 million to 444......
mole crab, (Emerita, or Hippa, talpoida), crab of the Atlantic beaches from New England to Mexico. It is so named......
mole cricket, (family Gryllotalpidae), any of about 65 species of insects (order Orthoptera) that are sometimes......
mollusk, any soft-bodied invertebrate of the phylum Mollusca, usually wholly or partly enclosed in a calcium carbonate......
monarch butterfly, (Danaus plexippus), familiar member of the milkweed butterfly group (subfamily Danainae, order......
Monograptus, extinct genus of graptolites (small aquatic colonial animals related to primitive chordates) found......
monoplacophoran, (class Tryblidia), any of a group of primitive marine mollusks characterized by a single, cap-shaped......
Monopleura, genus of extinct and unusual bivalves (clams) found as fossils dated to the Cretaceous Period (145.5......
moon jelly, (genus Aurelia), genus of marine jellyfish of the order Semaeostomeae (class Scyphozoa, phylum Cnidaria)......
morpho, (family Morphidae), any of numerous very large tropical American butterfly species with dazzling iridescent......
moss animal, any member of the phylum Bryozoa (also called Polyzoa or Ectoprocta), in which there are about 5,000......
moth, (order Lepidoptera), any of about 160,000 species of overwhelmingly nocturnal flying insects that, along......
Mucrospirifer, genus of extinct brachiopods (lamp shells) found as fossils in Middle and Upper Devonian marine......
murex, any of the marine snails constituting the family Muricidae (subclass Prosobranchia of the class Gastropoda).......
mussel, any of numerous bivalve mollusks belonging to the marine family Mytilidae and to the freshwater family......
mussel shrimp, any of a widely distributed group of crustaceans belonging to the subclass Ostracoda (class Crustacea)......
mustache shrimp, any member of the crustacean subclass Mystacocarida, a small group of primitive, free-living marine......
Myalina, extinct genus of clams found in rocks of Early Carboniferous to Late Permian age (dating from 359 million......
Myophoria, genus of extinct clams found as fossils in Triassic rocks. It is readily identified by its distinctive......
myriapod, any member of several closely related groups of the invertebrate phylum Arthropoda, including the extinct......
nautilus, either of two genera of cephalopod mollusks: the pearly, or chambered, nautilus (Nautilus), to which......
nematocyst, minute, elongated, or spherical capsule produced exclusively by members of the phylum Cnidaria (e.g.,......
nematode, any worm of the phylum Nematoda. Nematodes are among the most abundant animals on Earth. They occur as......
Neospirifer, genus of extinct brachiopods (lamp shells) found as fossils in Late Carboniferous to Permian marine......
nephridium, unit of the excretory system in many primitive invertebrates and also in the amphioxus; it expels wastes......
net-winged beetle, (family Lycidae), any of some 2,800 species of soft-bodied, brightly coloured, predominately......
neuropteran, (order Neuroptera), any of a group of insects commonly called lacewings because of the complex vein......
Nuculana, very long-lived genus of mollusks (clams) that first appeared during the Silurian Period (443.7 million......
Nuculopsis, extinct genus of clams found as fossils in rocks of the Pennsylvanian Subperiod (318 million to 299......
nudibranch, any of the marine gastropods that constitute the order Nudibranchia (subclass Opisthobranchia of the......
nursery-web spider, (family Pisauridae), any member of a family of spiders (order Araneida) noted for the female......
Obelia, genus of invertebrate marine animals of the class Hydrozoa (phylum Cnidaria). The genus, widely distributed......
Obolus, genus of extinct brachiopod, or lamp shell, of the Cambrian Period (from 542 million to 488 million years......
octopus, in general, any eight-armed cephalopod (octopod) mollusk of the order Octopoda. The true octopuses are......
Odonata, insect order comprising the dragonflies (suborder Anisoptera) and the damselflies (suborder Zygoptera).......
oedemerid beetle, (family Oedemeridae), any of approximately 1,500 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera)......
ogre-faced spider, any member of the family Deinopidae (order Araneida). One pair of eyes is unusually large, producing......
Olenellus, genus of trilobites (extinct arthropods) common in but restricted to Early Cambrian rocks (542 million......
olethreutid moth, (subfamily Olethreutinae), any of a group of moths in the family Tortricidae (order Lepidoptera)......
oligochaete, any worm of the subclass Oligochaeta (class Clitellata, phylum Annelida). About 3,500 living species......
olive shell, any of the marine snails that constitute the family Olividae (subclass Prosobranchia of the class......
opisthobranch, any marine gastropod of the approximately 2,000 species of the subclass Opisthobranchia. These gastropods,......
opossum shrimp, any member of the crustacean order Mysidacea. Most of the nearly 1,000 known species live in the......
orange-tip butterfly, (genus Anthocharis), any of a group of butterflies in the subfamily Pierinae (family Pieridae,......
orb weaver, any spider of the family Araneidae (Argiopidae or Epeiridae) of the order Araneida, a large and widely......
organ-pipe coral, (genus Tubipora), any of a genus of marine animals of the class Anthozoa (phylum Cnidaria). The......
orthonectid, any of a class (Orthonectida) of rare wormlike parasites of various marine invertebrates, including......
orthopteran, broadly, any member of one of four insect orders. Orthopteran has come to be regarded as the common......
owlet moth, (family Noctuidae), large worldwide group of more than 20,000 species of triangular, stout-bodied nocturnal......
owlfly, (family Ascalaphidae), any of a group of insects (order Neuroptera) that are frequently mistaken for dragonflies......
oyster, any member of the families Ostreidae (true oysters) or Aviculidae (pearl oysters), bivalve mollusks found......
oystershell scale, (Lepidosaphes ulmi), a species of insect in the armoured scale family, Diaspididae (order Homoptera),......
painted lady, (Vanessa cardui), species of butterfly in the brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae (order Lepidoptera),......
palolo worm, any of various segmented marine worms of the families Eunicidae and Nereidae (class Polychaeta, phylum......
Paradoxides, genus of trilobites (an extinct group of arthropods) found as fossils in Middle Cambrian rocks of......
parchment worm, (genus Chaetopterus), any of several species of segmented worms of the class Polychaeta (phylum......
parnassian butterfly, any member of the insect subfamily Parnassiinae of the cosmopolitan family Papilionidae (order......
pauropod, any member of the class Pauropoda (phylum Arthropoda), a group of small, terrestrial invertebrates that......
pea crab, any member of a genus (Pinnotheres) of crabs (order Decapoda) living in the mantle cavity of certain......
peacock worm, (Sabella), any of a genus of segmented marine worms of the class Polychaeta (phylum Annelida). This......
peanut worm, any member of the invertebrate phylum Sipuncula, a group of unsegmented marine worms. The head bears......
pentastomid, any of about 100 species of tiny parasites belonging to the Pentastomida, now generally considered......
Pentremites, extinct genus of stemmed, immobile echinoderms (forms related to the starfish) abundant as marine......
peppered moth, (Biston betularia), species of European moth in the family Geometridae (order Lepidoptera) that......
periodical cicada, (genus Magicicada), genus of seven species of cicadas known for their unusual highly synchronized......
periwinkle, in zoology, any small marine snail belonging to the family Littorinidae (class Gastropoda, phylum Mollusca).......
Phacops, genus of trilobites (an extinct group of aquatic arthropods) found as fossils in Silurian and Devonian......
Phillipsia, genus of trilobites (an extinct group of aquatic arthropods) uncommonly found as fossils in Carboniferous......
Phyllograptus, genus of graptolites, an extinct group of small colonial marine animals related to the primitive......
phylloxera, Any of numerous, chiefly North American, insect species (genus Phylloxera, order Homoptera), many of......
piddock, any of the marine bivalve mollusks of the family Pholadidae (Adesmoidea). Worldwide in distribution, they......
pill bug, any of the terrestrial crustaceans of the families Armadillididae and Armadillidae (order Isopoda). When......
pine weevil, any wood-boring beetle of the insect family Curculionidae (order Coleoptera). Their most unusual physical......
pinworm, worm belonging to the family Oxyuridae in the order Ascaridida (phylum Nematoda). Pinworms are common......
pirate spider, any member of the family Mimetidae (order Araneida), noted for its habit of eating other spiders.......
planarian, (class Turbellaria), any of a group of widely distributed, mostly free-living flatworms of the class......
plant bug, any member of two families of the insect order Heteroptera. The family Lygaeidae (see lygaeid bug) contains......
plant hopper, any member of several insect families of the order Homoptera, easily recognized because of the hollow,......
planula, free-swimming or crawling larval type common in many species of the phylum Cnidaria (e.g., jellyfish,......
plasterer bee, (family Colletidae), large family of bees with more than 2,500 species found worldwide. Their common......
Platyceras, genus of extinct gastropods (snails) that occurs as fossils in rocks of Silurian to Permian age (about......
Platycrinites, genus of extinct crinoids, or sea lilies, especially characteristic as fossils of Early Carboniferous......
Platystrophia, genus of extinct brachiopods (lamp shells) occurring as fossils in marine rocks of the Middle Ordovician......
pleasing fungus beetle, (family Erotylidae), any of more than 3,500 species of widely distributed, mostly tropical......