subimago
subimago noun: a stage in the development of certain insects, intermediate between pupa and imago, during which the insect can fly but must shed a skin before becoming mature.
Noun
subimago (plural subimagos or subimagoes or subimagines)
- A stage in the development of certain insects, intermediate between pupa and imago, during which the insect can fly but must shed a skin before becoming mature.
- Subimago, Fem.—Dull piceous: antennæ black: abdomen more than twice the length of the thorax: setæ brownish testaceous, mutilated: legs dull testaceous; fore-legs brown: wings gray; veins black, not strongly marked.1853, Francis Walker, Catalogue of the Specimens of Neuropterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, page 538
- The subimago (a winged, but usually sexually immature stage) in the life cycle of mayflies is unique among living insect orders. The Ephemeroptera have two winged-instars, the subimago and the adult (or imago).1996, Richard W. Merritt, An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America, page 126
- Synonyms:
- pseudimago, dun
Synonyms of subimago
Forms of subimago
| plural | subimagos |
|---|---|
| plural | subimagoes |
| plural | subimagines |
Origin of subimago
From sub- + imago, after German Subimago.
Questions about subimago
- What does subimago mean?
- Subimago means a stage in the development of certain insects, intermediate between pupa and imago, during which the insect can fly but must shed a skin before becoming mature.
- What part of speech is subimago?
- Subimago is a noun.
- What is the plural of subimago?
- The plural of subimago is subimagos.
Words near subimago in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: subimago (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “subimago.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/subimago. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.