noun
- hardened plates or segments that form part of the external skeleton of arthropods such as insects and crustaceans
Usage: biology; entomology
Examples
- The beetle’s sclerites provide protection and structural support.
- Entomologists study the arrangement of sclerites to identify insect species.
- The crab’s sclerites allow for flexibility while maintaining a hard shell.
- Each sclerite is connected by flexible membranes that permit movement.
- The sclerites on the insect’s thorax are clearly visible under the microscope.
- Fossil sclerites help paleontologists understand ancient arthropod anatomy.