Definition of ovipositor
: a specialized organ (as of an insect) for depositing eggs — see insect illustration
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Recent Examples of ovipositor from the Web
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Research already demonstrates that the differences in ovipositor length and body size in the yucca moths’ genomes are more pronounced, suggesting that natural selection has driven the discrepancy.
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In turn, the moth lays her eggs with its thin, blade-like ovipositor on the flowers’ seeds.
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When the styles are too short, the moths can damage the flowers with their ovipositor.
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Stinger and ovipositors are now separate in all insects except parasitic wasps, which often inject their eggs into a host with just a splash of paralyzing venom.
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Once the plant surface is covered, insects have a really difficult time inserting either their mouthparts or ovipositors into the plants to do damage.
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Stingers evolved from ovipositors, the tubes through which eggs are laid, which are, of course, found only in females.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ovipositor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of ovipositor
Medical Dictionary
medical Definition of ovipositor
: a specialized organ (as of an insect) for depositing eggs
Learn More about ovipositor
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ovipositor
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