Retrolateral tibial apophysis

Pronunciation: /reh-troh-LA-ter-uhl TIB-ee-ul uh-PAH-fuh-sis/

Category: Anatomy

Singular: Retrolateral tibial apophysis

Plural: Retrolateral tibial apophyses

Definition

A sclerotized projection found on the tibia of the palp in male spiders, generally used for mating and transferring sperm to females.

Etymology

From Latin 'retro-', meaning 'backward' or 'behind', 'lateralis' meaning 'side', 'tibia' referring to the larger bone of the leg, and 'apophysis' from Greek 'apophysis', meaning 'offshoot' or 'projection'.

Example

The retrolateral tibial apophysis is a crucial structure for identification in many spider species due to its unique morphology.

Synonyms

Related Terms

Palp
Sclerotized
Mating
Tibia

Usage Notes

The structure of the retrolateral tibial apophysis is often species-specific and is used in taxonomic keys for accurate spider identification.