noun
- Plural of hypostome; a small, tooth-like or pointed structure located on the underside of the mouth in certain arthropods, especially ticks and mites, used for anchoring to a host.
Usage: technical; zoology; parasitology
Examples
- The tick's hypostomes help it remain firmly attached to the skin of its host.
- Researchers examined the hypostomes of various mite species under a microscope.
- The barbed hypostomes of parasitic arthropods make them difficult to remove.
- Veterinarians study hypostomes to better understand tick feeding mechanisms.