The scutellum is the posterior portion of either the mesonotum or the

metanotum The metathorax is the posterior of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the third pair of legs. Its principal sclerites ( exoskeletal plates) are the metanotum (dorsal), the metasternum ( ventral), and the metapleuron (late ...

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, ...

thorax The thorax (: thoraces or thoraxes) or chest is a part of the anatomy of mammals and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main di ...

; however, it is used almost exclusively in the former context, as the metanotum is rather reduced in most insect groups. In the

Hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising more than 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from ...

, and some Coleoptera, the scutellum is a small triangular plate behind the pronotum and between the forewing bases. In Diptera and

Hymenoptera Hymenoptera is a large order of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are parasitic. Females typi ...

, the scutellum is nearly always distinct, but much smaller than (and immediately posterior to) the mesoscutum. File:Heteroptera morphology-d.svg, 26 = Heteroptera scutellum File:Housefly anatomy-key.svg, 6 = Diptera scutellum File:Coléoptère schématique.jpg, 9 = Coleoptera scutellum File:Scheme ant worker anatomy-numbered.svg, 10 = Formicidae scutellum

References

{{Reflist Insect anatomy

See also

References