Meanings
- The phase of a two-phase circadian rhythm associated with dark and relaxation or regeneration.
Under short-day conditions the scotophil occurs entirely during the scotophase, and a short-day response (e.g., diapause) is induced.
2012, Stanley D. Beck, Insect Photoperiodism, →ISBN, page 2192 more examples
Glucose caused some inhibition of flowering when applied for only the initial scotophil phase of darkness (0 to 9 hr), but there was no comparable effect of sucrose even though its equivalent molarity (0.6 M) represented a higher percentage concentration.
1985, Abraham H. Halevy, CRC Handbook of Flowering - Volume 2, →ISBN, page 217Short-day effects were seen to result when light was restricted to the photophil, while long-day effects were produced when light encroached into scotophil (figure 1.2).
2010, Randy J. Nelson, David L. Denlinger, David E. Somers, Photoperiodism: The Biological Calendar, →ISBN, page 12
Cite this entry
scotophil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scotophil
“scotophil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scotophil. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scotophil,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scotophil.
Source: scotophil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.