CATEGORY 3B TURF PEST CONTROL KEY
TERMS
Insect - ANSWERS-An arthropod with three body parts. Most insects have one pair
of antennae on the head, two pairs of wings, and three pairs of legs on the thorax.
Many have complex mouthparts, adapted for special types of feeding.
Instar - ANSWERS-In insects, the growth stage between molts or shedding of the
exoskeleton.
Larva (Plural = Larvae) - ANSWERS-An immature stage in the life cycle of an insect
with complete metamorphosis. Most insect larvae look like segmented worms
with legs. They do not resemble the adult stage. As a rule, the larval stage is an
active, feeding stage. Grubs (beetles) and caterpillars (butterflies and moths) are
insect larvae. In complete metamorphosis, the larval stage occurs between the
egg and the pupal stage.
Leaf Sheath - ANSWERS-The lower part of the leaf that encloses the stem.
Lesion - ANSWERS-An area of infected (diseased, dying, or dead) tissues on a plant
part.
,Life Cycle - ANSWERS-Stages of development.
Ligule - ANSWERS-The structure which partially clasps a grass stem at the junction
of the blade and the sheath. The presence or absence of a ligule and its form, if
present (hairy or membranous, tall or short), is characteristic of a particular grass
species. To see the ligule, you must peel the leaf away from its stem and examine
the ligule with a hand lens to check its size, shape, and texture.
Metamorphosis - ANSWERS-The change in body form during the life cycle. Some
organisms hatch from eggs looking like small adults. Others change considerably
in appearance (in stages) as they develop. All insects go through some sort of
metamorphosis during their life cycle.
Complete Metamorphosis - ANSWERS-Insect development involving four different
body forms or life stages. A good example of complete metamorphosis is the life
cycle of a beetle or a moth. A beetle or moth life cycle starts with an egg. An
active feeding stage called a larva hatches from the egg. A moth larva is called a
caterpillar; a beetle larva is called a grub. When caterpillars and grubs get to a
certain size and age, they make a protective case. This signals the beginning of the
next life cycle stage, called a pupa. A pupa does not feed. Inside the case, the
pupa changes into an adult.
Gradual Metamorphosis - ANSWERS-Insect development in three stages. In
gradual metamorphosis, the egg hatches into a nymph. A nymph is a small,
immature stage resembling the adult in body form. As the nymph grows, it
develops wings and functional reproductive organs. Grasshoppers and chinch
bugs go through gradual metamorphosis.
, Midrib - ANSWERS-The central, main vein of a leaf.
Mite - ANSWERS-A type of arachnid.
Monocot - ANSWERS-A plant with one seed leaf (cotyledon). Monocots usually
have narrow leaves with parallel veins and fibrous roots.
Mycelium - ANSWERS-A mass of threadlike filaments that form the main growing
structure (the "body") of a fungus.
Necrosis - ANSWERS-Death of tissue.
Nematode - ANSWERS-A microscopic roundworm. Nematodes that are plant
parasites have stylets (hollow, sharp tubes), which they insert into plant cells for
feeding.
Node - ANSWERS-A place on a stem where a leaf is—or was—attached. A node is
an often-enlarged point on a stem where a leaf, bud, or other organ diverges
from the stem; a joint.
Nymph - ANSWERS-The immature stage of an insect with gradual metamorphosis.
Nymphs hatch from eggs and gradually develop into mature adults.