apterous

[ ap-ter-uh s ]

/ ˈæp tər əs /

Zoology. wingless, as some insects.

Botany. without membranous expansions, as a stem.

Origin of apterous

First recorded in 1765–75, apterous is from the Greek word ápteros wingless. See a-⁶, -pterous

It is an apterous genus, and of eminently sluggish habits; and what is the consequence?

On the Variation of Species, with Especial Reference to the Insecta ; Followed by an Inquiry into the Nature of Genera |Thomas Vernon Wollaston
It appears to be apterous, and is said in scent and colour to resemble the bed-bug.

An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. I (of 4) |William Kirby
In the autumn, however, the eggs which are laid give rise in part to winged forms and in part to apterous forms.

The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume II (of 4) |Francis Maitland Balfour
Those which resemble the perfect insect, except that they are apterous, or not yet furnished with organs of flight.

An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. III (of 4) |William Kirby

That of the glowworm (Lampyridæ) is not unlike the apterous female.

On the Origin and Metamorphoses of Insects |Sir John Lubbock

apterous

/ (ˈæptərəs) /

(of insects) without wings, as silverfish and springtails

without winglike expansions, as some plant stems, seeds, and fruits

apterism, noun

C18: from Greek apteros wingless, from a- 1 + pteron wing