Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates, ELM-HOM
Some insects are so displeasing to humans that the word bug has come to be used as a verb meaning to bother or annoy. 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
elm bark beetle, any of several species of insect pests in the subfamily Scolytinae (order Coleoptera). See bark...
emerald ash borer, (Agrilus planipennis), species of beetle (order Coleoptera, family Buprestidae) that is native......
Elysia chlorotica, species of sea slug belonging to the family Elysiidae (order Sacoglossa) and known for its ability......
ensign wasp, (family Evaniidae), any of a group of wasps (order Hymenoptera) that are so named because the small,......
entoproct, any member of the phylum Entoprocta, a group of aquatic invertebrate animals composed of about 150 species......
Eospirifer, genus of extinct brachiopods, or lamp shells, found as fossils in Middle Silurian to Lower Devonian......
ermine moth, any of several species of insects belonging to the family Yponomeutidae (order Lepidoptera). Ermine......
euglossine bee, (tribe Euglossini), any of a large group of brightly coloured bees important to the ecology of......
Euphemites, extinct genus of gastropods (snails) abundant during the Late Carboniferous Period (between 320 and......
Exogyra, extinct molluscan genus common in shallow-water marine deposits of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods......
eye worm, (species Loa loa), common parasite of humans and other primates in central and western Africa, a member......
fairy shrimp, any of the crustaceans of the order Anostraca, so called because of their graceful movements and......
false scorpion, any of the 1,700 species of the order Pseudoscorpiones (sometimes Chelonethida) of the arthropod......
Favosites, extinct genus of corals found as fossils in marine rocks from the Ordovician to the Permian periods......
feather star, any of the 550 living species of crinoid marine invertebrates (class Crinoidea) of the phylum Echinodermata......
feather-duster worm, any large, segmented marine worm of the family Sabellidae (class Polychaeta, phylum Annelida).......
feather-winged beetle, (family Ptiliidae), any of more than 400 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) characterized......
Fenestella, genus of extinct bryozoans, small colonial animals, especially characteristic of the Early Carboniferous......
fiddler crab, any of the approximately 65 species of the genus Uca (order Decapoda of the subphylum Crustacea).......
filarial worm, any of a group of parasitic worms of the family Filariidae (phylum Nematoda) that usually require......
fire ant, (genus Solenopsis), genus of nearly 200 species of ants that occur in tropical regions of the world,......
firebrat, (Thermobia domestica), stout-bodied quick-moving wingless insect. The firebrat is worldwide in distribution......
firefly, (family Lampyridae), any of some 2,000 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) found in most tropical......
fireworm, any of certain segmented marine worms of the class Polychaeta (phylum Annelida), including species of......
fish louse, any member of the crustacean subclass Branchiura, a group of parasites of migratory marine and freshwater......
flat bark beetle, (family Cucujidae), any of approximately 500 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) that......
flat bug, (family Aradidae), any of about 1,000 species of small, flat, dark-coloured insects (order Heteroptera)......
flat grain beetle, any member of the insect family Silvanidae (order Coleoptera), closely related to and sometimes......
flatworm, any of the phylum Platyhelminthes, a group of soft-bodied, usually much flattened invertebrates. A number......
flea, (order Siphonaptera), any of a group of bloodsucking insects that are important carriers of disease and can......
flea beetle, any member of the insect subfamily Alticinae (Halticinae) belonging to the leaf beetle family Chrysomelidae......
flour moth, (Ephestia kuehniella), species of moth in the subfamily Phycitinae (family Pyralidae, order Lepidoptera)......
flower bug, (family Anthocoridae), any of at least 400 species of small insects in the true bug order, Heteroptera,......
flower chafer, (subfamily Cetoniinae), any of a group of beetles in the family Scarabaeidae (insect order Coleoptera)......
fluke, any member of the invertebrate class Trematoda (phylum Platyhelminthes), a group of parasitic flatworms......
fly, (order Diptera), any of a large number of insects characterized by the use of only one pair of wings for flight......
footman moth, (subfamily Lithosiinae), any of a group of insects in the tiger moth family, Arctiidae (order Lepidoptera),......
forester moth, (genus Procris or Ino), any of a group of moths in the family Zygaenidae (order Lepidoptera) that......
freshwater jellyfish, any medusa, or free-swimming form, of the genus Craspedacusta, class Hydrozoa (phylum Cnidaria).......
freshwater snail, any of the approximately 5,000 snail species that live in lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.......
freshwater sponge, any of about 20 species of the genus Spongilla (class Demospongiae, siliceous sponges), a common,......
fritillary, name applied to butterflies in several genera (family Nymphalidae). Large fritillaries, or silverspots,......
froghopper, (family Cercopidae), any of numerous species of small (less than 1.5 cm [0.6 inch] long) hopping insects......
fruitworm beetle, any of a few genera of insects in the family Byfuridae (order Coleoptera) whose larvae feed on......
fungus weevil, (family Anthribidae), any of approximately 3,000 species of weevils (insect order Coleoptera) whose......
funnel weaver, any of certain members of the spider family Agelenidae (order Araneida). Agelenids are notable for......
funnel-web spider, (family Dipluridae), member of a family of spiders in the order Araneida that are named for......
gall fly, any of several different species of insects that cause swelling (galls) in the tissues of the plants......
gall midge, (family Cecidomyiidae, or Itonididae), any minute, delicate insect (order Diptera) characterized by......
gall wasp, (subfamily Cynipinae), any of a group of wasps in the family Cynipidae (order Hymenoptera) that are......
gammarid, any member of the family Gammaridae, the largest of 80 or so families that make up the crustacean order......
gaper clam, (Tresus nuttallii and Tresus capax), either of two species of bivalve mollusks of the family Mactridae.......
garden spider, (Araneus diadematus), a member of the orb weaver family Araneidae (order Araneida) characterized......
Gastrioceras, genus of extinct cephalopods (animals related to the modern squid, octopus, and nautilus), found......
gastropod, any member of more than 65,000 animal species belonging to the class Gastropoda, the largest group in......
gastrotrich, any of about 500 species of the phylum Gastrotricha, a group of microscopic aquatic invertebrates......
gelechiid moth, (family Gelechiidae), any of more than 4,500 species of moths (order Lepidoptera), some of which......
geoduck, (species Panopea generosa), marine invertebrate of the class Bivalvia (phylum Mollusca) that inhabits......
geometrid moth, (family Geometridae), any member of a group of moths (order Lepidoptera) that includes the species......
ghost crab, (genus Ocypode), any of approximately 20 species of shore crabs (order Decapoda of the class Crustacea).......
giant crab, (Macrocheira kaempferi), species of spider crab (q.v.) native to Pacific waters near Japan. It occurs......
giant squid, (genus Architeuthis), any member of a genus of large, elusive cephalopods inhabiting deep regions......
giant water bug, any wide and flat-bodied aquatic insect of the family Belostomatidae (order Heteroptera). This......
giant water scorpion, any member of the extinct subclass Eurypterida of the arthropod group Merostomata, a lineage......
gladiator bug, (order Mantophasmatodea), any of approximately 15 species of insects found only in certain regions......
Glans, genus of small pelecypods (clams) especially characteristic of the Miocene Epoch (between 23.7 and 5.3 million......
glass sponge, any of a class (Hexactinellida, also called Hyalospongiae, or Triaxonia) of sponges characterized......
glowworm, any crawling, luminous insect that emits light either continuously or in prolonged glows rather than......
Gonionemus, genus of small marine hydrozoans (order Limnomedusae, phylum Cnidaria). The conspicuous jellyfish stage......
Goniophora, extinct genus of clams found in Silurian to Devonian rocks (the Silurian Period began 444 million years......
gossamer-winged butterfly, (family Lycaenidae), any of a group of small, often brightly coloured butterflies (order......
grain weevil, (species Sitophilus granarius), insect of the family Curculionidae (order Coleoptera), a common pest......
grape phylloxera, (Phylloxera vitifoliae), a small greenish-yellow insect (order Homoptera), highly destructive......
graptolite, any member of an extinct group of small, aquatic colonial animals that first became apparent during......
grasshopper, any of a group of jumping insects (suborder Caelifera) that are found in a variety of habitats. Grasshoppers......
Greenops, genus of trilobites (extinct arthropods) found as fossils in Middle and Upper Devonian deposits (the......
gribble, any of the approximately 20 species of wood-boring, marine crustaceans constituting the genus Limnoria,......
ground beetle, (family Carabidae), any member of more than 40,000 insect species in one of the largest families......
ground pearl, (genus Margarodes), any of a group of scale insects in the family Margarodidae (order Homoptera)......
Gryphaea, extinct molluskan genus found as fossils in rocks from the Jurassic Period to the Eocene Epoch (between......
guinea worm, (Dracunculus medinensis), member of the phylum Nematoda. The guinea worm, a parasite of humans, is......
hairstreak, (subfamily Theclinae), any of a group of insects in the gossamer-winged butterfly family, Lycaenidae......
hairy fungus beetle, (family Mycetophagidae), any of approximately 200 described species of beetles (insect order......
Hallopora, genus of extinct bryozoans (moss animals) found as fossils in Ordovician to Silurian marine rocks (from......
Halysites, extinct genus of corals found as fossils in marine rocks from the Late Ordovician Period to the end......
harlequin beetle, (Acrocinus longimanus), large tropical American beetle with an elaborate variegated pattern of......
harlequin cabbage bug, (Murgantia histrionica), a species of insect in the stinkbug family, Pentatomidae (order......
harvester, (subfamily Miletinae), any of a group of predatory insects in the gossamer-winged butterfly family,......
harvester ant, any of several different genera of ants (e.g., Messor, Atta, Pheidole, Pogonomyrmex) that gather......
hawk moth, (family Sphingidae), any of a group of sleek-looking moths (order Lepidoptera) that are named for their......
heart urchin, any echinoid marine invertebrate of the order Spatangoidea (phylum Echinodermata), in which the body......
Heliophyllum, genus of extinct coral found as fossils in Devonian marine rocks (the Devonian Period began 416 million......
helmet shell, any marine snail of the family Cassidae (subclass Prosobranchia, class Gastropoda), characterized......
hemichordate, any of a group of wormlike marine invertebrates closely related to both chordates and echinoderms......
hermit crab, any crab of the families Paguridae and Coenobitidae (order Decapoda of the class Crustacea). These......
Hesperorthis, extinct genus of brachiopods, or lamp shells, which as fossils are especially characteristic of Ordovician......
heteropteran, any member of the insect order Heteroptera, which comprises the so-called true bugs. (Some authorities......
hister beetle, (family Histeridae), any of approximately 3,900 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) that......
Holectypus, genus of extinct echinoids, animals much like the modern sea urchins and sand dollars, found as fossils......
homopteran, (order Homoptera), any of more than 32,000 species of sucking insects, the members of which exhibit......