Paraglossa

Pronunciation
/par-a-gloss-uh/
Category
Anatomy
Singular
Paraglossa
Plural
Paraglossae

Definition

One of the four apical lobes on the labium of a holometabolous insect, located laterally to the glossae. They are involved in feeding and manipulating food.

Etymology

From Greek 'para', meaning 'beside' or 'near', and 'glossa', meaning 'tongue'.

Example

The paraglossae of a dragonfly are used to manipulate food particles.

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