
The clypeus is one of the
sclerites that make up the face of an
arthropod
Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...
. In
insect
Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...
s, the clypeus delimits the lower margin of the face, with the
labrum articulated along the ventral margin of the clypeus. The
mandibles bracket the labrum, but do not touch the clypeus. The dorsal margin of the clypeus is below the
antennal sockets. The clypeus is often well-defined by
sulci ("grooves") along its lateral and dorsal margins, and is most commonly rectangular or trapezoidal in overall shape.
The post-clypeus is a large nose-like structure that lies between the eyes and makes up much of the front of the head in
cicada
The cicadas () are a superfamily, the Cicadoidea, of insects in the order Hemiptera (true bugs). They are in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, along with smaller jumping bugs such as leafhoppers and froghoppers. The superfamily is divided into two ...
s.
In
spider
Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...
s, the clypeus is generally the area between the anterior edge of the
carapace and the anterior eyes.
References
Bugguide.net. clypeus, clypeal, clypeate{{Arthropod-anatomy-stub
Spider anatomy
Insect anatomy