noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   Part of the spermalege, derived from the ectoderm and consisting of a groove in the right-handed posterior margin of the fifth sclerite, overlying a pleural membrane. In order to access the female's haemocoel during traumatic insemination, male bedbugs insert their needle-like penis into the groove and pierce the pleural membrane.

Etymology

From ecto- + spermalege.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.