noun
- specialized organs used by female insects and some other animals to deposit eggs
Usage: biological term; plural of ovipositor
Examples
- The wasp’s ovipositors allow it to insert eggs deep into tree bark.
- Female crickets use their ovipositors to place eggs in soil.
- Scientists studied the different shapes of ovipositors across insect species.
- The dragonfly’s ovipositors help it deposit eggs directly into water.
- Researchers examined how ovipositors evolved in various beetle families.
- The parasitic wasp’s ovipositors can penetrate the host’s protective shell.