Sphragis

Quick meaning: Sphragis is a noun meaning Synonym of sphragide.

Meaning

Synonym of sphragide.

More Meanings

1. (zoology, especially entomology) A mating plug in the genital opening of a female, formed from a waxy secretion deposited by a male during mating.

Example Sentences

The best Siopic red ochre is found on the island of Lemnos, and is called sphragis.

Bert first began studying sphragides in the Australian Big Greasy. The male, patterned in red, white, and black, is larger than the female and violent in his mating.

Mated females of many acraeine species bear an unusual structure around their genital opening. Such structures are called sphragides (singular: sphragis), or more rarely spermatophragma (Ehrlich & Ehrlich, 1978; Orr, 1995).

The plastic mass begins to harden quite rapidly, probably within a few minutes but, as largely hollow sphragides have been dissected from pairs killed in copula, possibly more than one ejaculation may be required to complete the body of the sphragis.

Word Forms

• sphragides

Synonyms for sphragis

Depending on context, synonyms include sphragide.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include sphagnid, phallapodeme, spermatophylax, spermatophore, gonapophysis, sporange.

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