Definitions

Preoral sting

• (Taxon-specific: Subclass Branchiura) On underside of cephalothorax, unpaired projection anterior to proboscis. Distal half of anteriorly directed preoral sting can be retracted into basal socket. Needle-like tip nears opening of poison gland. Used to puncture host.
  (syn. preoral spine) [Stachowitsch, 1992]
• (Taxon-specific: Subclass Branchiura) Retractile piercing mechanism with poison gland. [McLaughlin, 1980]

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Citing this glossary: For individual definitions, please cite the specific author(s) of the definition.
To cite the glossary as a whole, please use:
Martin, J.W., N.D. Pentcheff, D. Striley, C. Perrodin, A.R. Wall, J. Wall, and J. Zieba (editors). Crustacea Glossary. Crustacea Department, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Accessed: 8 Nov 2024. URL: https://research.nhm.org/glossary