“apterous”

[gramrgednangel@beige.party]

@futurebird another example of how knowing some basic root words helps with learning!

[xarvos@outerheaven.club]

@futurebird@sauropods.win so hemiptera — half-wing?

[jmax@mastodon.social]

@futurebird Not sure about NYC rules, but you might now be required to stand up on the subway, speak the word clearly, spell it, and use it in a sentence.

[greenskyoverme@ohai.social]

@futurebird Oh, that’s why Pterodactyl

[jirikiha@raphus.social]

@futurebird ahh, so when I describe the Aptera car looking like an airplane without wings, that's a far more accurate description than I thought!

[oscarcunningham@mathstodon.xyz]

@futurebird The most common "pter" word is "helico-pter", but people don't see it because they tend to break it down as "heli-copter".

[futurebird@sauropods.win]

Then of course you have the hymenopterans — (the order of ants, sawflies bees and other wasps)

hymen here means something like “hinge” or “latch” because when these insects have wings they always have two pairs that can be latched together by a little spur so they work as a single pair.

The name means “latch-wing creature”

And you look at the average ant and ask “ma’am where are your wings?” then she gets mad and stomps off since that’s like asking if someone is pregnant— rude!

[ranjit@friend.camp]

@futurebird Now I'm wondering if ants can stomp! Or maybe I'm wondering if they can ever not stomp!

[jwcph@helvede.net]

@futurebird So it's a-pterus - that would have taken me a few moments, too it looks more like a word where the first syllable or two is missing.

[futurebird@sauropods.win]

@ranjit

Larger ants almost always stomp, their lower legs are kind of floppy and they get better traction that way. Ant queens stomp and waddle with little in between.

[david_chisnall@infosec.exchange]

@futurebird

then I remember “Hemiptera”

Impressed that you got there before 'helicopter'.