The metathorax is the posterior of the three segments in the
thorax of an
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, ...
, and bears the third pair of
legs. Its principal
sclerites (
exoskeletal plates) are the metanotum (
dorsal
Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to:
* Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism
* Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage
The fus ...
), the metasternum (
ventral), and the metapleuron (
lateral
Lateral is a geometric term of location which may also refer to:
Biology and healthcare
* Lateral (anatomy), a term of location meaning "towards the side"
* Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle, an intrinsic muscle of the larynx
* Lateral release ( ...
) on each side. The metathorax is the segment that bears the
hindwings in most winged insects, though sometimes these may be reduced or modified, as in the flies (
Diptera), in which they are reduced to form
halteres, or flightless, as in beetles (
Coleoptera), in which they may be completely absent even though forewings are still present. All adult insects possess legs on the metathorax. In most groups of insects, the metanotum is reduced relative to the
mesonotum. In the suborder
Apocrita of the
Hymenoptera, the first abdominal segment is fused to the metathorax, and is then called the
propodeum.
See also
*
Glossary of entomology terms
*
Insect morphology
*
Mesothorax
*
Prothorax
*
Thorax (insect anatomy)
References
Insect anatomy
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