Calibrate: to set, check, or alter the output of pesticide application equipment by taking into
account such factors as number of nozzles, nozzle size, speed of movement, size of area to be
sprayed, etc.
Caterpillar: the larva of a moth, butterfly, skipper, or sawfly
Centiare: a metric unit of area equivalent to 1 square meter or 10.76 square feet; abbreviated ca
Centimeter: metric unit of length equivalent to 0.394 inch; abbreviated cm
Chitin: A complex molecule found in the skin of insects and other arthropods which is composed
of smaller units of nitrogen containing sugar
Chitinized: hardened by the presence of chitin
Cocoon: A silken or fibrous case spun by a larva to afford protection during its pupal period
Cool season grass: a cold-tolerant grass with an optimum
temperature range of 15.5° to 24°C (60° to 75°F)
Drench: to apply a liquid pesticide formulation to the soil
Frass: insect droppings, usually a combination of leaf fragments or wood borings, and excrement
Generation: a group of offspring of the same species which develop in approximately the same
time frame
Ground pearl: the pearl-like outer covering of female scale insects of the genus Margarodes; the
Margarodes female itself
Grub: typically a sluggish, C-shaped beetle larva of the family Scarabaeidae having 3 pairs of
forelegs and a fat, whitish body; also used loosely to refer to any soil-inhabiting larvae of
Coleoptera and Hymenoptera
Honeydew: a sugary liquid excreted by certain insects of the suborder Homoptera; including
aphids and scale insects
Infestation: the presence of large numbers of an animal pest species where they are likely to
cause damage or annoyance to man
Instar: the life stage of an arthropod between successive molts
Labium: in chewing insects, a compound structure forming the lower lip
Larva (pl. larvae): in reference to insects with complete metamorphosis, the immature form
occurring between the egg and pupal stages
Meter: a metric unit of length equivalent to 39.37 inches or 3.28 feet; abbreviated m
Millimeter: a metric unit of length equivalent to 0.0394 inches; abbreviated mm
Molt: the process of shedding the outer layer of skin
Moth: an adult insect (Order: Lepidoptera) with 2 pairs of scale-covered wings and variously
shaped (but never clubbed) antennae
Nectar: a sugary liquid secreted by flowers from a gland known as the nectary
Node: that part of a stem from which the leaf grows
Nymph: in reference to insects with simple or no metamorphosis, the immature form between egg
and adult
Parasite: any plant or animal which lives in or on another organism to the detriment of the host
Pupa (pl. pupae): in insects with complete metamorphosis, the life stage between larva and adult
Queen: among social insects such as ants and some bees, the actively reproducing female
Spiracle: a pore through which diffusion of gases, or respiration, takes place
Stridulate: to make a shrill, rasping or chirping sound
Thatch: an organic layer of dead and living shoots, stems, and roots that develop between the
zone of green vegetation and the soil surface
Warm season grass: a cold-intolerant grass with an optimum
temperature range of 27° to 35°C (80° to 95°F)
Worker: among social bees, ants, and wasps, a female either incapable of reproduction or capable of laying only unfertilized eggs from which males emerge