aculea
9.9
Small sharp points that grow on the wings of some insects
- noun
- Specialized
:
aculeo
- Under the microscope, the aculea appeared as fine, sharp projections.
Examples
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The butterfly's wings are covered with tiny aculea that aid in camouflage.
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Insects with aculea often deter predators.
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Scientists observed distinct patterns of aculea on the beetle's wing membranes.
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The tiny aculea were hardly noticeable.
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Scientists observed distinct patterns of aculea on the wings of certain beetles.
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The butterfly's wings are covered with tiny aculea that help it blend into its environment.
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Under the microscope, the aculea looked like sharp, spiny structures enhancing the insect's features.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Aculea comes from the Latin word aculeus, which means 'small thorn' or 'prickle' and comes from an old word for 'needle'. Think of the same sharp idea in acupuncture, so aculea are the tiny, sharp outgrowths on some insect wings.
