Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates, SLI-VIN

Yet, in addition to being critically important—because they naturally recycle decaying matter—in maintaining balance within the food chain, bugs can also be fascinating creatures, whether in regard to the water strider's ability to run across the surface of water or the assassin bugs' varied and creative means of catching and killing their prey. Mollusks, another group of invertebrates, get less of a bad rap. Their ranks include nearly 100,000 described species of soft-bodied animals that are usually wholly or partly enclosed in a calcium carbonate shell; examples include snails, clams, oysters, squids, and octopuses.
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Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates Encyclopedia Articles By Title

slipper shell
slipper shell, (genus Crepidula), any marine snail belonging to the family Calyptraeidae (subclass Prosobranchia,......
slug
slug, any mollusk of the class Gastropoda in which the shell is reduced to an internal plate or a series of granules......
slug caterpillar moth
slug caterpillar moth, (family Limacodidae), any of approximately 1,000 species of insects (order Lepidoptera)......
smaller water strider
smaller water strider, (the latter name derives from the fact that the body, widest at the middle or hind legs,......
snail
snail, a gastropod, especially one having an enclosing shell, into which it may retract completely for protection.......
snakefly
snakefly, (order Raphidiodea or Raphidioptera), any of more than 175 species of insects that are easily recognized......
social insect
social insect, any of numerous species of insects that live in colonies and manifest three characteristics: group......
soldier beetle
soldier beetle, any member of the approximately 3,500 species of the widely distributed insect family Cantharidae......
solenogaster
solenogaster, small, wormlike, marine mollusk of the class Aplacophora (subclass Neomeniomorpha). Unlike most other......
sow bug
sow bug, any of certain small, terrestrial crustaceans of the order Isopoda, especially members of the genus Oniscus.......
spider beetle
spider beetle, any member of about 500 species of insects sometimes considered a part of the family Anobiidae (order......
spider crab
spider crab, any species of the decapod family Majidae (or Maiidae; class Crustacea). Spider crabs, which have......
spiny-headed worm
spiny-headed worm, any animal of the invertebrate phylum Acanthocephala. A proboscis, or snout, which bears hooks,......
spitting spider
spitting spider, any member of the family Scytodidae (order Araneida). Most species have six pearly-white eyes......
spongillafly
spongillafly, (family Sisyridae), any of a group of insects (order Neuroptera) that are smoky brown in colour and......
spongy moth
spongy moth, (Lymantria dispar), lepidopteran that is a serious pest of both deciduous and evergreen trees. The......
spoonworm
spoonworm, any member of the invertebrate phylum Echiura, also known as Echiuroidea, or Echiurida. Nearly all spoonworms......
spotted lanternfly
spotted lanternfly, (Lycorma delicatula), visually striking species of plant hopper (order Homoptera) that feeds......
springtail
springtail, (order Collembola), any of approximately 6,000 small, primitive, wingless insects that range in length......
spruce budworm
spruce budworm, Larva of a leaf roller moth (Choristoneura fumiferana), one of the most destructive North American......
squid
squid, any of more than 300 species of 10-armed cephalopods classified within the order Teuthoidea (or Teuthida)......
stag beetle
stag beetle, (family Lucanidae), any of some 900 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) in which the mandibles......
stenolaemate
stenolaemate, any member of the class Stenolaemata, a group of colonial marine animals within the invertebrate......
stilt bug
stilt bug, (family Berytidae), any of about 100 species of delicate, slender-bodied, slow moving, long-legged insects......
stingless bee
stingless bee, (tribe Meliponini), tribe of more than 600 species of social honey-making bees with highly reduced......
stinkbug
stinkbug, (family Pentatomidae), any of about 5,000 species of insects in the true bug order, Heteroptera, that......
stonefly
stonefly, (order Plecoptera), any of about 2,000 species of insects, the adults of which have long antennae, weak,......
strepsipteran
strepsipteran, (order Strepsiptera), any of about 600 species of small insects that are notable for their bizarre......
Streptelasma
Streptelasma, extinct genus of corals, existing as single animals rather than colonial forms and found as fossils......
Stringocephalus
Stringocephalus, extinct genus of large brachiopods, or lamp shells, found as fossils in Devonian marine rocks......
Stromatoporida
Stromatoporida, extinct order of corals found as fossils in marine rocks of Cambrian to Cretaceous age (542 million......
Stropheodonta
Stropheodonta, genus of small, extinct brachiopods (lamp shells) found as fossils in Devonian marine rocks (those......
Strophomena
Strophomena, genus of extinct brachiopods (lamp shells) found as fossils in Middle and Upper Ordovician marine......
sucking louse
sucking louse, (suborder Anoplura), any of some 500 species of small, wingless, flat lice (order Phthiraptera)......
sulfur butterfly
sulfur butterfly, (subfamily Coliadinae), any of a group of butterflies in the family Pieridae (order Lepidoptera)......
sunspider
sunspider, (order Solifugae), any of more than 1,000 species of the arthropod class Arachnida whose common name......
swallowtail butterfly
swallowtail butterfly, (subfamily Papilioninae), any of a group of butterflies in the family Papilionidae (order......
sweat bee
sweat bee, (family Halictidae), large family of nearly 4,500 species of solitary bees known for their attraction......
swift
swift, (family Hepialidae), any of approximately 500 species of insects in the order Lepidoptera that are some......
swimming crab
swimming crab, any member of the family Portunidae (order Decapoda of the class Crustacea, phylum Arthropoda).......
symphylan
symphylan, (class Symphyla), any of a group of insects that are often included with the centipedes (Chilopoda)......
Tabulata
Tabulata, major division of extinct coral animals found as fossils in Ordovician to Jurassic marine rocks (488......
tadpole shrimp
tadpole shrimp, (order Notostraca), any member of a small group of crustaceans (subclass Branchiopoda, phylum Arthropoda),......
Taenia
Taenia, genus of tapeworms parasitic in mammals. See...
tailless whip scorpion
tailless whip scorpion, (order Amblypygi, sometimes Phrynichida), any of 70 species of the arthropod class Arachnida......
tanaid
tanaid, any of more than 550 species of small, bottom-dwelling marine and brackish-water crustaceans constituting......
tapeworm
tapeworm, any member of the invertebrate class Cestoda (phylum Platyhelminthes), a group of parasitic flatworms......
tarantula
tarantula, (family Theraphosidae), any of numerous hairy and generally large spiders found in the southwestern......
tardigrade
tardigrade, (phylum Tardigrada), any of more than 1,100 species of free-living tiny invertebrates belonging to......
tent caterpillar moth
tent caterpillar moth, (genus Malacosoma), any of a group of moths in the family Lasiocampidae (order Lepidoptera)......
tentacle worm
tentacle worm, (Thelepus), any of a genus of tube-dwelling segmented worms of the class Polychaeta (phylum Annelida).......
termite
termite, (order Isoptera), any of a group of cellulose-eating insects, the social system of which shows remarkable......
Tetractinella
Tetractinella, genus of extinct brachiopods (lamp shells) found as fossils in Triassic marine rocks (the Triassic......
Tetragraptus
Tetragraptus, genus of extinct graptolites (colonial animals related to the chordates) that occur as fossils in......
Theodossia
Theodossia, genus of extinct brachiopods (lamp shells) the fossils of which are restricted to Early Devonian marine......
threadworm
threadworm, (Strongyloides stercoralis), worm of the phylum Nematoda that is parasitic in the human intestine but......
thrips
thrips, (order Thysanoptera), any of approximately 5,000 species of insects that are among the smallest of the......
tick
tick, (suborder Ixodida), any of about 825 species of invertebrates in the order Parasitiformes (subclass Acari).......
tiger beetle
tiger beetle, (subfamily Cicindelinae), any of more than 2,600 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) named......
tiger moth
tiger moth, (family Arctiidae), any of about 11,000 species of moths (order Lepidoptera), the common name of which......
tiger swallowtail
tiger swallowtail, any of several North American species of black-and-yellow swallowtail butterflies. The eastern......
tineid moth
tineid moth, (family Tineidae), any of a group of moths (order Lepidoptera) that includes several economically......
toad bug
toad bug, (family Gelastocoridae), any of some 100 species of insects in the true bug order, Heteroptera, that......
top shell
top shell, any marine snail of the family Trochidae (subclass Prosobranchia, class Gastropoda), characterized by......
Tornoceras
Tornoceras, extinct genus of cephalopods, forms related to the modern pearly nautilus. Tornoceras is a form that......
tortoise beetle
tortoise beetle, (subfamily Cassidinae), any member of more than 3,000 beetle species that resemble a turtle because......
trap-door spider
trap-door spider, any member of the spider family Ctenizidae and certain members of the families Antrodiaetidae,......
treehopper
treehopper, (family Membracidae), any of approximately 3,200 species of insects (order Homoptera) that are easily......
Trepostomata
Trepostomata, extinct order of bryozoans (moss animals) found as fossils in marine rocks of Ordovician to Triassic......
Trichinella spiralis
Trichinella spiralis, parasitic worm of the phylum Nematoda that causes trichinosis, a serious disease in humans......
Trigonia
Trigonia, genus of mollusks that first appeared during the Jurassic period, which began about 208 million years......
trilobite
trilobite, any member of a group of extinct fossil arthropods easily recognized by their distinctive three-lobed,......
triton shell
triton shell, any of several marine snails constituting the family Cymatiidae (subclass Prosobranchia of the class......
Trochonema
Trochonema, genus of extinct gastropods (snails) found as fossils in rocks dating from the Ordovician Period to......
trochophore
trochophore, small, translucent, free-swimming larva characteristic of marine annelids and most groups of mollusks.......
Tropidoleptus
Tropidoleptus, genus of extinct brachiopods (lamp shells) found as fossils only in marine rocks of the Devonian......
Tropites
Tropites, genus of extinct cephalopods (animals similar to the modern squid and octopus but with an external shell)......
trumpet
trumpet, in zoology, any of certain snail species, including members of the conch (q.v.) and triton groups (see......
tube anemone
tube anemone, (genus Cerianthus), any of a group of invertebrate marine animals of the class Anthozoa (phylum Cnidaria)......
tube worm
tube worm, any of a number of tube-dwelling marine worms belonging to the annelid class Polychaeta (see polychaete;......
tumbling flower beetle
tumbling flower beetle, (family Mordellidae), any of about 1,500 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) named......
tunicate
tunicate, any member of the subphylum Tunicata (Urochordata) of the phylum Chordata. Small marine animals, they......
turban shell
turban shell, any marine snail of the family Turbinidae (subclass Prosobranchia of the class Gastropoda) that has......
turritellid
turritellid, (genus Turritella), any of several species of gastropods (snails) abundantly represented in fossil......
tusk shell
tusk shell, any of several marine mollusks of the class Scaphopoda. There are four genera of tusk shells (Dentalium......
tussock moth
tussock moth, (family Lymantriidae), any of a group of moths (order Lepidoptera), the common name for which is......
unique-headed bug
unique-headed bug, (family Enicocephalidae), any of about 130 species of bugs (order Heteroptera) that have an......
urchin
urchin, any of several marine invertebrates of the class Echinoidea (phylum Echinodermata), including the cake......
velvet ant
velvet ant, (family Mutillidae), any of a group of about 3,000 species of wasps that are named for their fuzzy,......
velvet crab
velvet crab, any of certain species in the swimming crab (q.v.)...
velvet water bug
velvet water bug, (family Hebridae), any of approximately 120 species of insects in the true bug order, Heteroptera,......
velvet worm
velvet worm, (phylum Onychophora), any of about 70 wormlike species of ancient, terrestrial invertebrates with......
velvety shore bug
velvety shore bug, any insect of the family Ochteridae (order Heteroptera), which numbers about 25 species. These......
Venericardia
Venericardia, genus of pelecypods (clams) abundant during the Eocene Epoch (the Eocene Epoch began 57.8 million......
Venus comb
Venus comb, marine snail, a species of murex...
Venus’s flower basket
Venus’s flower basket, any of several sponges of the genus Euplectella, especially E. aspergillum (class Hexactinellida,......
Venus’s girdle
Venus’s girdle, (Cestum veneris) ribbon-shaped comb jelly of the order Cestida (phylum Ctenophora) found in the......
vinegarroon
vinegarroon, species of whip scorpion...

Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates Encyclopedia Articles By Title