insectoid
Resembling a beetle
Insectoid describes something resembling or characteristic of an insect—having qualities like segmented bodies, compound eyes, antennae, or chitinous exoskeletons.
The term appears most often in science fiction for alien creatures with bug-like features: The insectoid aliens communicated through clicking sounds.
As a noun, an insectoid is such a creature.
The word carries connotations of the alien, mechanical, or unsettling.
Broadcast signal receiver
- mandibleLower facial bone
- thoraxCentral body cavity
- abdomenTorso's lower cavity
- carapaceProtective dorsal exoskeleton
chitin · exoskeleton · segmented · jointed · hexapod · ovipositor · proboscis · spiracles
Disturbingly strange
- skitteringMoving with quick, light steps
- chitteringRapid high-pitched sounds
- swarmingGathering in large numbers
- crawlingMoving on hands, knees
scuttling · heebie-jeebies · repulsion · phobia · shudder · unease · grotesque · alien
Design imitating natural systems
- swarmMass of moving insects
- microdronesVery small unmanned aircraft
- hexapodSix-legged arthropod
- actuatorsMovement-producing mechanisms
sensors · locomotion · nanobots · autonomous · artificial · mechanical · cybernetic · drone
Science of categorical arrangement
- metamorphosisProfound biological restructuring
- larvaeImmature metamorphosing creatures
- pupaInsect's resting stage
- instarArthropod developmental stage
Lepidoptera · Hymenoptera · Hemiptera · pollination · pheromones · arthropod · arachnid · myriapod
Foreign biological entity
- extraterrestrialBeing from outer space
- sci-fiFuturistic fiction, abbreviated
- creatureLiving, sentient entity
- mandiblesPaired arthropod mouthparts
chitinous · swarm · Starship Troopers · bug-eyed · otherworldly · invasion · colony · drone
antenna
Broadcast signal receiver
carapace · chitin · exoskeleton · segmented · jointed · hexapod · ovipositor · proboscis · spiracles · tarsus
creepy
Disturbingly strange
- skitteringMoving with quick, light steps
- chitteringRapid high-pitched sounds
- swarmingGathering in large numbers
crawling · scuttling · heebie-jeebies · repulsion · phobia · shudder · unease · grotesque · alien · writhing
biomimicry
Design imitating natural systems
- swarmMass of moving insects
- microdronesVery small unmanned aircraft
- hexapodSix-legged arthropod
actuators · sensors · locomotion · nanobots · autonomous · artificial · mechanical · cybernetic · drone · crawling
taxonomy
Science of categorical arrangement
- metamorphosisProfound biological restructuring
- larvaeImmature metamorphosing creatures
- pupaInsect's resting stage
instar · Lepidoptera · Hymenoptera · Hemiptera · pollination · pheromones · arthropod · arachnid · myriapod · crustacean
xenomorph
Foreign biological entity
- extraterrestrialBeing from outer space
- sci-fiFuturistic fiction, abbreviated
- creatureLiving, sentient entity
mandibles · chitinous · swarm · Starship Troopers · bug-eyed · otherworldly · invasion · colony · drone · warrior
- animal-likeapish, apelike, avian, beastly, birdlike
- Insect Traitssix-legged, winged, antennae, exoskeleton, segmented
- sentient beingshuman, person, adult, child, infant
- sci-fiscience fiction, Star Wars, sci-fi, Blade Runner 2049, aliens
insectoidmammalian
Of the nursing class
humanoid · vertebrate · soft-bodied · mammal-like · apelike
insect, insects, insecticide, entomology, entomologist, insectivorous, entomological, insectarium