mermithergate
English
Etymology
From New Latin from Ancient Greek μέρμις (mérmis, “cord, string”) + ἐργάτης (ergátēs, “worker”).
Noun
mermithergate (plural mermithergates)
- (entomology) A worker ant that is deformed by parasitic nematodes.
- 2003, Edward O. Wilson, Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Ant Genus:
- The normal worker castes of Pheidole gouldi are depicted in comparison with a mermithergate: side view of the body of a mermithergate, with the Mermis nematode visible through the intersegmental membranes of its gaster […]
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