Meconium

Definition

A mass of material found in the intestines of certain insects just before they undergo metamorphosis into their adult form; also used to describe the waste material expelled by the larvae or pupae upon eclosion.

Etymology

From Latin 'meconium', meaning 'poppy juice', originally referring to a substance resembling that of the opium poppy's excretions.

Example

The butterfly expelled its meconium shortly after emerging from the chrysalis.

Related Terms

• Metamorphosis
• Eclosion
• Larva
• Pupa

Usage Notes

Not to be confused with meconium in a medical context referring to the first stool of a newborn human.