Semelparous
- Pronunciation
- /se-MEL-par-us/
- Category
- Behavior
- Singular
- Semelparous
- Plural
- Semelparous
Definition
Describing organisms that produce all of their offspring in a single reproductive event or over a short period.
Etymology
From Latin 'semel', meaning 'once', and 'parus', meaning 'bearing'.
Example
Many species of insects, such as some mosquitoes, are semelparous, meaning they reproduce only once in their lifetime.