bacteraemia                                     Bacteria in the blood.

bacilluria                                          Having bacteria in the urine.

bacteriostatic                                    Preventing the growth of bacteria.

basal                                                 (basad). An adjective (or adverb) denoting position near or movement toward the base of a body part. The base of the head or pronotum is at the posterior end while that of the abdomen or an elytron is at the anterior end; on the legs or antennae, basal and proximal are synonymous.

basale                                              (of tegmen). The basal portion of a sheath-like tegmen which is divided transversely. This appears to be homologous to the phallobase. Also called basal piece.

basal lamina                                    One of two layers that form the basement membrane, a amorphous sheet which underlies epithelial cells.

basal piece                                      See Basale and Phallobase.

basicosta                                         see humeral plate. (Fig. 39.7, I of A)

basitarsus                                       First and usually the largest segment of the tarsus

bead.                                                A fine raised margin.

bedbug                                             Cimex lectularius

benthic                                             Pertaining to the bottom of the sea, lakes or pond.

bifid                                                  Forked.

bilobate aedeagus.                         Aedeagus in which the phallobase and parameres are well developed but the penis is membranous or sclerotized only at base, where there may be a pair of anterior struts. This type is characteristic of many Scarabaeoidea.

biordinal                                        Of two alternating sizes.

bipectinate                                      Concerned mainly with the antennae - feathery like extensions projecting out from two sides of a central axis.   [see picture]

biramose antenna.                        The presence of a single ramus on each antennomere.

biserial                                            In two series, often concentric.

brachelytrous                                   With shortened elytra.

brachyapterous                                With tegmina and wings shorter than the abdomen but overlapping each other dorsally.

bostrichoid aedeagus.                   Aedeagus in which the phallobase broadly overlaps the parameres, and the latter are fused basally to each other and to the base of the penis; a secondary bridge may also unite the parameres. This type of aedeagus is found in most Bostrichoidea.

buccal                                              Pertaining to the mouth.

bulb                                                 Rounded expansion of an organ.

bulla (Pl. bullae)                              A blister or blister-like structure.

buprestoid aedeagus.                     Aedeagus in which the phallobase is more or less reduced and often fused to the parameres, which form a tube surrounding the penis; the entire structure is usually somewhat flattened. This type occurs only in Buprestidae.

bursa coplatrix                                The vaginal pouch of insects; the genital chamber.

byssoid                                             To consist of fine threads.