- Abdomen – The third, and last, major division of an insect body
- Annual – A plant that germinates from seed, flowers, and dies within the same year
- Auricle – A structure that occurs in pairs at the sheath of some grasses
- Biennial – A plant which lives for two years; typically forms a basal rosette during the first year and flowers and dies in the second year
- Blade – The un-rolled or un-folded upper portion of a leaf that is held in place by the sheath
- Bulb – An underground stem surrounded by layers of thick, fleshy modified leaves
- Capsule – A dry, dehiscent fruit composed of more than one carpal
- Collar – The outer side of a grass leaf at the junction of the blade and sheath. It is found on the abaxial side of the leaf blade on the opposite side of the ligule
- Complete Metamorphosis – The abrupt change in an insects form. Stages include egg, larva (immature), pupa, and adult.
- Corolla – The collective name for all of the petals of a flower
- Cotyledon – The first leaf to emerge from a germinating seed
- Cyathia – An inflorescence in the genus Euphorbia that consists of a cup-like involucre
- Decumbent – Reclined on the ground but with a tip ascending
- Dicot – A plant embryo with two cotyledons
- Digitate – Branches of an inflorescence originating from a single point, as in the fingers of a hand
- Elliptic – Broadest at the middle and narrow towards each end
- Elytra – The modified, hardened, first pair of wings of a beetle that protects the second pair of wings
- Entire leaf – A leaf with continuous margins; margins not divided, toothed, or notched
- Floret – The basic unit of the grass spikelet, a reduced flower
- Forelegs – The first pair of legs on an insect
- Glabrous – Smooth, hairless
- Incomplete Metamorphosis – The gradual change in an insects form. Stages include egg, nymph (immature), and adult.
- Inflorescence – The flowering portion of a plant
- Instar – The growth stage between two successive molts
- Involucre – A whorl of bracts subtending a flower or flower cluster
- Lanceolate – Lance-shaped; much longer than wide
- Larva – An immature insect after emerging from the egg. Usually restricted to insects that go through complete metamorphosis
- Leaf axil – The upper portion of where the leaf connects to the stem
- Leaf margin – The edge of a leaf
- Light Trap – A monitoring technique used for May/June beetle and southern masked chafer adults that involves a black light and a bucket. The adult beetles are attracted to the light and get trapped in the bucket.
- Ligule – A membranous or hairy appendage on the adaxial surface of the grass leaf at the junction of the sheath and blade
- Linear Pitfall Trap – A monitoring technique used for any crawling arthropod, but mainly mole cricket nymphs and adults that involves removing a long linear portion of turfgrass and replacing it with a PVC pipe modified with a slit down one side to allow insects to fall into the trap. If the insect crosses paths with the trap as they are active on the turfgrass surface, they will fall into the container and be easily identified.
- Middorsal – The middle of the insects back (top portion)
- Molt – The formation of new external skeletal material followed by casting off the old cuticle
- Monocot – A plant embryo with a single cotyledon
- Morphological – Characteristics of an plant or insect’s form and structure
- Nymph – An immature insect after emerging from the egg. Usually restricted to insects that go through incomplete metamorphosis.
- Obovate – A leaf that is attached at the narrow end and widens towards the tip
- Ovate – A leaf that is attached at the broad end and narrows towards the tip
- Overwinter – How the insect (what life stage) passes the winter season
- Oviposition – The term for egg-laying by insects
- Palmate – Divided from a common point, like the fingers of a hand
- Panicle – An inflorescence where the flowering bodies are not sessile or individually pedicled to the central axis of the inflorescence
- Perennial – A plant that lives for three or more years
- Perfect – A spikelet or flower that has pistillate and staminate reproductive structures
- Petal – An individual segment of the corolla
- Pinnately compound – A compound leaf with more than 3 leaflets individual arranged on opposite sides of an elongated axis
- Pistillate – Having a pistil but not stamens
- Pitfall Traps – A monitoring technique used for hunting billbugs that involves removing a core of turfgrass and replacing it with a plastic container that is the same diameter as the hole, being careful that the lip of the container is flush with the soil surface. If the insect crosses paths with the trap as they are active on the turfgrass surface, they will fall into the container and be easily identified.
- Pronotum – The upper plate of the prothroax (the first segment of the thorax)
- Prostrate – Lying flat on the ground
- Prothorax – The first segment of the thorax
- Pubescent – Covered with short, soft hairs
- Pupa – The inactive stage between the larva and the adult in insects that go through complete metamorphosis. Pupae is plural.
- Raceme – An inflorescence where the flowering bodies are individually pedicled to the central axis of the inflorescence
- Raster Pattern – The pattern of hairs on the rear-end of the white grub
- Rhizomatous – A growth habit that consists of below – ground lateral stems called rhizomes
- Rhizomes – Below-ground lateral stems that are able to produce new shoots and roots allowing many turfgrass species to spread laterally
- Rosette – A cluster of leaves radiating outward at or near ground level
- Sheath – The tubular, basal portion of a leaf that encloses the stem
- Simple leaf – A leaf blade which is not separated into leaflets
- Soapy – Water Flush – A monitoring technique used for armyworms, cutworms, and mole crickets that involves mixing two tablespoons of lemon-scented dish detergent in two gallons of water and pouring the solution over a square yard area. If insects are present they will emerge to the turfgrass surface within a few minutes of applying the solution.
- Social Insects – Insects that interact in any way with other members of their species. Interaction can include division of reproductive effort, division of labor, cooperation among colony members in tending the young, and overlap of generations.
- Soil Sampling – A monitoring technique used for white grubs and any soil dwelling arthropods that involves using a cup-cutter, sod-cutter, or shovel to remove the turfgrass and reveal the soil surface. The soil might need to be sampled for insects that occur beyond the root zone.
- Spicate – Spike-like
- Spike – An inflorescence where the spikelets are individually and directly attached to the central axis of the inflorescence
- Spikelet – The flowering body in grasses and the basic unit of the grass inflorescence
- Staminate – Having a stamen but not pistils
- Striations – Deep ridges, typically length-wise
- Stoloniferous – A growth habit that consists of above – ground lateral stems called stolons
- Stolons – Above-ground lateral stems that are able to produce new shoots and roots allowing many turfgrass species to spread laterally
- Thorax – The middle of the three major divisions of an insect body
- Tillers – Aerial shoots that emerge upward from the crown and grow within the sheaths of older leaves
- Tuber – A short, fleshy underground stem modified for food storage
- Umbel – An inflorescence in which the pedicels arise as from the structure of an umbrella
- Vacuum Sampling – A monitoring technique used for chinch bugs that involves a leaf blower modified for reverse suction flow and a cloth bag attached to the vacuum to catch what is drawn – up by the vacuum.
- Vernation – The manner in which the newest leaf blade is arranged in the shoot; it can be either rolled or folded
- Whorled – Arranged in a circular pattern; as in multiple leaves whorled around a stem
- Wing Pads – Wings that are developing, but are not functional