This is a glossary of terms used in the description of arthropod cuticle, including that of insects such as ants. These animals can have surface textures spanning and combining cracks, excavations, imbrications, mealiness, punctures, reticulations, roughness, scratches, spots, wrinkles, and more (generically, 'sculpturing' or 'microsculpture'). As such, hundreds of technical terms have been adapted for use in description of individual specimens from which taxa are defined.

a-

wanting or without

ab-

off; away from

aciculate

see also rastrate, scarified

appearing as if irregularly scratched with a needle^[1]

acinose

see also colliculate, granulate, papillate

continuously set with granulations like those on a blackberry

adsperse

rare; see also atomarius, irrorate, maculate

marked with closely crowded, small spots

alutaceous

rare; see also coriaceous, coriarious

rather pale leather-brown; covered with minute cracks like human skin and leathery in texture

alveolate

see also areolate, goffered, reticulate

honeycombed; with regular, deep, angular cavities (alveoli) separated by thin partitions; furnished with cells or alveoli

areate

see also areolate

furnished with open areas or with areas defined on the surface

areolate

see also alveolate, areate, goffered, reticulate

divided into a number of small, irregular, impressed spaces^[1]

asperous

see also salebrose, scabrous, squarrose

rough and uneven

atomarius

rare; see also adsperse, irrorate, maculate.

with minute dots or points

caelate

with superficial plane elevations of varying form

canaliculate

rare; see also porcate, sulcate

channelled or furrowed; longitudinally grooved (sensu lato); in general body form, long and concave so as to resemble a gutter or channel (sensu stricto)

cancellate

rare; see also clathrate, reticulate

a latticework or grid; a series of enclosed cells or chambers

carinate

antonym: ecarinate; diminutive: carinulate; see also costate, cristate, porcate

keeled; having keels or carinae; with one, or several, but usually few longitudinal narrow raised ribs or ridges

carinulate

see also costulate, cristulate

with several small, elevated longitudinal ridges or carinae; less prominent than carinate

cariose

see also vermicular, vermiculate

corroded; appearing worm-eaten; with cavities or ulcerations

cataphracted

see also imbricate, scutate squamate

clad in closely set scales

catenate

diminutive: catenulate; see also consute

with longitudinal, connected elevations like links in a chain

catenate

chain-like, with smaller links than catenate

channelled

rare; see also canaliculate, fluted, striate, strigate

having deep grooves or channels

cicatrose

rare; see also impressed, lacunose, variolate

a surface having scars with elevated margins like those of small pox

clathrate

see also cancellate, reticulate

latticed; elevated ridges decussing at right angles

colliculate

see also acinose, granulate, papillate

continuously covered with low, rounded elevations, not as pronounced as acinose

conflected

antonym: sparse

crowded; thickly clustered

confused

see also intricate, obscure

markings with indefinite outlines or run together as lines or spots without definite pattern

connected

antonyms: dispersed, sparse; see also conflected

scattered; spread irregularly and some distance apart; thin; eg., pile or hairs

consute

see also catenate

with very minute elevations in series, some distance apart, and of a different color from the general surface, which resemble stitching somewhat

coriaceous

rare; see also alutaceous, coriarious

leather-like in texture, with minute cracks like human skin

coriarious

rare; see also alutaceous, coriaceous

leather-like in sculpture; with minute cracks like human skin

corrugated

rare

wrinkled into furrows; with alternate ridges and channels

corticinus

rare; see also fatiscent, fissate, rimose

bark-like sculpturing or texture

costate

diminutive: costulate; see also carinate, cristate, porcate

furnished with longitudinal raised ribs or ridges (costae), much coarser than carinate

costulate

with longitudinal, coarse raised ribs or ridges; much coarser and more extensive than carinulate; less prominent ribs or ridges than costate

crenate

diminutive: crenulate

having the margin evenly notched with rounded teeth

crenulate

having the margin finely notched with small, rounded teeth

cristate

diminutive: cristulate; see also carinate, costate, porcate

with a prominent carina or crest on the upper surface; crested

cristulate

see also carinulate

with several, small, crescent-like ridges or crests

denudate

rare; see also glabrous, immaculate, investitus, nude

without hairs or scales (sensu stricto); without vestiture of any kind (sensu lato)

destitute

lacking or devoid of something specified; being entirely without (used to contrast)

dispersed

see also sparse

with scattered markings or small sculptures

e-

without

ecarinate

antonym: carinate

without or deprived of a keel or a carina (used to contrast carinate)

echinate

diminutive: echinulate

thickly set or armed with short, stout spines or prickles; spiny like a hedgehog

echinulate

with very small prickles; minutely echinate

elute

with scarcely distinct markings

embossed

see also sculptured

ornamented with raised sculpturing

ex-

out of; proceeding from

exarate

rare; see also impressed

ploughed; sculpted; furrowed; sulcated; an excavated surface in general

excavated

rare; see also lacunose

with a scooped out depression; superficially, with a hollowed out area

explicate

antonym: plicate

unfolded or open; also, without folds or plicae

exsculptate

rare; see also fossulate, scrobiculate

with irregular, more or less longitudinal depressions, as if carved or scooped out

farinaceous

see also farinose, pollinose, pruinose, pulverulent, rorulent

mealy or powdery looking; applied to surfaces or wings

farinose

see also farinaceous, pollinose, pruinose, pulverulent, rorulent

dotted with many single flour-like spots; mealy

fatiscent

see also corticinus, fissate, rimose

with superficial cracks, crevices, or similar openings

fenestrate

rare

with transparent areas or window-like openings (fenestrae) as in the wings of some Lepidoptera

fissate

see also corticinus, fatiscent, rimose

with fissures or cracks (sensu lato); divided or cleft (sensu stricto)

fluted

rare; see also canaliculate, channelled

having parallel grooves or flutes; channelled

fossulate

see also exsculptate, lacunose, scrobiculate

with oblong depressions (fossulae); more elongate or furrow-like than scrobiculate

foveate

diminutive: foveolate; see also lacunose, punctate

pitted; with numerous, regular, depressions or pits (foveae)

foveolate

diminutive: punctate; see also foveolate

with small deep pits; finely pitted

glabrate

almost glabrous

glabrous

see also denudate, immaculate, investitus, nude

smooth, devoid of pubescence (sensu stricto); devoid of any sculpturing (sensu lato)

goffered

rare; see also alveolate, areolate, cancellate, clathrate, reticulate

with regular impressions, closely set, and separated by narrow ridges; waffling or honeycombs

granulate

see also acinose, farinose

covered with or made up of very small grains or granules; minutely and densely verrucose or minutely farinose

hatched

rare; see also strigate

closely marked with numerous short, transverse lines

imbricate

see also cataphracted, scutate, squamate

partly overlapping and appearing like shingles on a roof or scales on a fish

immaculate

antonym: maculate; see also denudate, glabrous, investitus, nude

destitute of spots, marks, or sculpturing (sensu lato); destitute of spots or marks (sensu stricto)

impressed

rare; see also cicatrose, lacunose, variolate

having shallow, depressed areas or markings

impunctate

antonym: punctate

not punctate or marked with punctures (used to contrast punctate)

inermis

antonym: munite; see also mutic

unarmed; without striae, spines, or any other sharp processes

innotate

rare; antonym: notate

without markings

institia

striae or furrows of equal width throughout

interstice

see also interval

a space between two lines, whether striate or punctate

interval

see also interstice

a space between two structures or sculptures

intricate

see also confused, obscure

confused; markings, whether elevated or depressed, so run into each other as to be difficult to see

investitus

see also denudate, glabrous, immaculate, nude

unclothed; without scales or hair

irrorate

see also adsperse, atomarius, farinose, maculate

freckled or speckled; covered with minute spots or granules

lacunose

see also excavated, foveate, impressed, variolate

full of hollows or cavities; with scattered and irregular broad, shallow cavities

levigate

rare; see also glabrous, micans, nitid, politus

a smooth surface, sometimes somewhat shiny or polished; without elevations or depressions

lineate

diminutive: lineolate

longitudinally marked with raised or depressed parallel lines; with linear marks

lineolate

finely lineate, longitudinally marked with very fine raised or depressed lines

maculate

rare; antonym: immaculate; see also adsperse, atomarius, irrorate

spotted; with many superficial marks or spots

maculation

see also sculpture

the pattern of marks or spots on a surface

micans

see also glabrous, levigate, nitid, politus

shining or twinkling, in part or altogether

munite

antonym: inermis

a surface armed with spines or other excrescences

murriculate

with a covering of fine, short, sharp, thick excrescences; irregularly scabriculous

mutic

see also inermis

unarmed; lacking processes where such usually occur

nitid

see also glabrous, levigate, micans, politus

shiny or glossy; reflecting light

nodulate

see also acinose, colliculate, torulose, tuberculate, verrucose

a surface sculpturing of small knots or swellings

notate

rare; antonym: innotate; see also impressed, maculate, ordinate

marked by spots (sensu stricto); with a series of depressed marks as a sculpture (sensu lato)

nude

see also denudate, glabrous, immaculate, investitus

naked; devoid of hair, scales or other surface vestiture

obscure

see also confused, intricate

dark; not readily seen; not well defined

ordinate

see also perlate

spots or sculpturing arranged in rows or regularly arranged

papillate

see also acinose, colliculate, papillulate, pustulate

covered with small, nipple-like surface elevations, often porous at the tip

papillulate

see also papillate

beset with depressions or elevations with a small elevation in the center (a papillule)

perlate

see also ordinate

spots or sculpturing arranged in rows or regularly arranged; beaded (sensu lato); bearing relieved, rounded points in series (sensu stricto)

plica

see also plicate

fold

plicate

antonym: explicate; see also plica, striate

folded or closed; with folds or plicae; impressed with striae to produce the appearance of having been folded or pleated

politus

see also glabrous, micans, nitid

polished; smooth, shiny

pollinose

rare; see also farinaceous, farinose, pruinose, pulverulent, rorulent

covered with a loose, mealy, often yellow dust like the pollen of flowers; fine meal

porcate

see also canaliculate, carinate, costate, cristate, striate, sulcate

with several parallel, longitudinal ridges with deep, broad sulcations

porose

having pores

prominent

see also protuberance

raised or produced above the surface or beyond the margin; standing out in relief; conspicuous by position

protuberance

see also prominent

any excrescence above the surface; a prominence

pruinose

see also farinaceous, farinose, pollinose, pulverulent, rorulent

appearing covered with a fine dust or coarse powder, but which cannot be rubbed off; the brightness of the surface somewhat obscured by the appearance of a bloom like that of a plum

pulverulent

see also farinaceous, farinose, pollinose, pruinose, rorulent, squarrose

powdery or dusty. Also, covered with very minute, powder-like scales

punctate

antonym: impunctate; diminutive: puncticulate, punctulate; see also foveate, foveolate

set with fine, impressed points or punctures appearing as pin-pricks

puncticulate

see also punctulate

sparsely punctate with very fine, widely spaced punctures

punctulate

see also puncticulate

finely punctate; with numerous minute and close set punctures

pustulate

see also acinose, colliculate, papillate

covered with small, blister-like swellings larger than papillae and never with a terminal pore

rastrate

see also aciculate, scarified

covered as if with longitudinal scratches

reticulate

see also alveolate, areolate, cancellate, clathrate, goffered

superficially net-like or made up of a network of lines; meshed; netted^[1]

rimose

diminutive: rimulose; see also corticinus, fatiscent, fissate, rivose, undose

with minute, narrow and nearly parallel excavations (rimae) running into each other; chinky; resembling the cracked bark of a tree

rimulose

minutely rimose; with minute cracks or fissure-like openings with sharp edges

rivose

diminutive: rivulose; see also rimose, venose

marked with sinuate furrows, like rivulets, not running in a parallel direction

rivulose

minutely rivose; with very small or fine sinuate furrows, like rivulets, which are not parallel

rorulent

see also farinaceous, farinose, pollinose, pruinose, pulverulent, squarrose

covered with a bloom of fine dust that can be rubbed off

rugose

diminutive: rugulose; see also salebrose, scabrous

wrinkled

rugulose

see also scabriculous

minutely rugose; minutely wrinkled^[1]

salebrose

rare; see also asperous, rugose, scabrous, squarrose

rough, rugged, or uneven

scabriculous

see also murriculate, shagreened

finely scabrous; with fine and regular short, sharp, wrinkles and/or projections

scabrid

sparsely scabrous

scabrous

diminutive: scabriculous; see also rugose, salebrose, squarrose

rough; irregularly and roughly rugose; possessing short, sharp projections or wrinkles

scarified

see also aciculate, rastrate

sparsely appearing clawed or scratched; furnished with fine, irregular grooves, coarser than aciculate

scrobiculate

see also exsculptate, fossulate

uniformly covered with short, oblong or trench-like hollows

sculpture

see also maculation

the markings or pattern of impressions or elevations on a surface

sculptured

see also embossed

ornamented with raised sculpturing; superficially marked with elevations or depressions or both, arranged in some definable manner

scutate

diminutive: scutellate; see also cataphracted, imbricate, squamate

covered with large, flat, scales; having a scutum; shield-shaped; scutiform

scutellate

rare; see also cataphracted, imbricate, squamate

divided into surfaces like small plates, minutely scutate

serrations

rare

lines arranged in parallel series, either in sculpture or in color, as in the Corixidae of the Heteroptera

shagreened

rare; see also scabriculous

covered with a closely set roughness, like the rough-surfaced horse leather termed shagreen; like shark leather

sparse

antonyms: conflected, connected; see also dispersed

scattered; spread irregularly and some distance apart; thin; eg., pile or hairs

spherulate

see also perlate, tuberculate

provided with one or more rows of minute tubercles

spinose

diminutive: spinulate; see also echinate

armed with thorny spines, more elongated than echinate

spinulate

see also echinulate

set with numerous small, thorny spines; minutely spinose

squamate

rare; see also cataphracted, imbricate, scutate

scaly; covered with scales

squarrose

see also pulverulent, rugose, salebrose, scabrous

rough with elevations; scurfy; rough with loose scales differing in direction or not parallel in direction

striate

diminutive: striolate; see also strigate

marked with parallel, fine, longitudinal impressed lines or furrows

strigate

diminutive: strigulate; see also hatched, striate

having narrow, transverse lines or streaks, either raised or impressed; composed of fine, short lines

strigulate

see also striolate

finely or minutely strigate; with numerous short and fine transverse lines, either raised or impressed

striolate

see also strigulate

minutely or finely striate; with numerous parallel and very fine longitudinal impressed lines or furrows

sub-

under, slightly less than, or not quite so

sulcate

see also canaliculate, porcate

deeply furrowed or grooved

taeniate

with broad, longitudinal bands or ribbon-like markings (sensu lato); shaped like a tapeworm (sensu stricto)

tesselate

see also cancellate, clathrate

made up of squares like a chess board, either in sculpturing or in color

torose

diminutive: torulose; see also nodulate, tuberculate, verrucose

superficially swelling in knots, knobs, or protuberances; knobby (sensu lato); in general form, swollen or with a knobby or knotted shape (sensu stricto)

torulose

see also torose

minutely torose; with numerous small knobs or knots (sensu lato)

tuberculate

see also nodulate, torose, verrucose

covered or furnished with rounded, projecting lobes; more projecting than granulate, papillate, or pustulate

undose

see also vermiculate

with undulating, broad, nearly parallel depressions running more or less into each other; wavy, resembling ripple-marks on a sandy beach

variolate

see also cicatrose, impressed, lacunose

pitted as if by smallpox; full of irregular indentations (varioles)

venose

furnished with veins or vein-like marking; of or pertaining to veins

vermicular

see also cariose, undose, vermiculate

worm-shaped or worm-like in general body form

vermiculate

see also cariose, undose, vermicular

with superficial, tortuous markings resembling the tracks of a worm

verrucose

see also nodulate, torose, tuberculate

covered with irregularly shaped lobes or wart-like protuberances

vittate

rare

striped; longitudinally striped or plaited

• Arthropod exoskeleton – Part of arthropods
• Glossary of entomology terms
• Glossary of scientific naming
• List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names – List of terms used in biology

• Antkey glossary
• PIAkey glossary

 This article incorporates text from a publication with contents licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 4.0: Shattuck, Steve, ed. (2011). "Surface Sculpturing II". AntWiki. Steve Shattuck.