Mandibulate

Definition

Possessing mandibles—paired, usually sclerotized mouthpart appendages used for biting, cutting, or grinding food. In arthropods, mandibulates contrast with chelicerates, which lack true mandibles and instead use chelicerae for feeding. The condition is characteristic of myriapods, crustaceans, and hexapods (including insects), and serves as a major diagnostic feature in higher-level arthropod systematics.

Etymology

From Latin mandibula (jaw, mandible) + -ate (possessing)

Example

Beetles are mandibulate insects whose robust, asymmetrical mandibles can crush seeds or slice through wood; by contrast, spiders are non-mandibulate arachnids that rely on cheliceral fangs to subdue prey.

Synonyms

• jawed (arthropods)

Related Terms

• Mandible
• chelicerate
• mouthparts
• mandibulata
• maxillate
• ectognathous

Usage Notes

Used both as an adjective (mandibulate mouthparts) and as a noun denoting mandibulate organisms collectively. Not all mandibulate arthropods use mandibles for feeding—some, like certain parasitic crustaceans, have mandibles modified for attachment. The term Mandibulata (capitalized) refers to the clade containing all mandibulate arthropods.