An ovipositor is best described as what?

• A. A specialized organ used by female insects to lay eggs.
• B. A mouthpart for chewing.
• C. A sensor for detecting pheromones.
• D. A wing structure for flight.

Answer: (A)

An ovipositor is a specialized reproductive organ of female insects used to lay eggs. It sits at the end of the abdomen and can be adapted to deposit eggs in just the right place—inside plant tissue, in the soil, in wood, or even inside a host organism depending on the species. This function is different from mouthparts, which are for feeding, or from antennae and other sensors that detect chemical signals like pheromones, and from wings, which enable flight. The ovipositor’s purpose is about placement and protection of eggs, not feeding, sensing, or locomotion.