ectospermalege

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noun

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.

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Meanings

nounectospermalege (plural ectospermaleges)

plural ectospermaleges

  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.

Origin

From ecto- + spermalege.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ectospermalege. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ectospermalege

MLA

“ectospermalege.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ectospermalege. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ectospermalege,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ectospermalege.

Source: ectospermalege on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.