Most ovipositors are sharp and some ovipositors also have a saw like or barbed structure and some ovipositors are smooth and pointed.
The sharpness of the ovipositors is dependent on the species and it's primary function, which is to either cut into plants to lay eggs or to penetrate inject them with eggs.
Female cicadas and even some wasps have serrated, saw like ovipositors that cut grooves into wood or plant tissue to deposit their eggs.
And parasitoid wasps often have sharp and pointed ovipositors to pierce and to inject eggs into their insect hosts.
Some species also have ovipositors with barbed or toothed edges to help them hold onto the host or penetrate a substrate like fruit and in contrast, some types of insects like those of cuckoo wasps are used for egg laying but are not sharp and cannot be used as a stinger to inflict pain.
Some ovipositors are retractable but not all ovipositors are retractable.
Some ovipositors are held internally and are completely retractable, and other ovipositors are extended permanently and are also often the defining characteristic of the insect like some parasitic wasps.
Many types of insects including bees, ants and some wasps, have stingers which are highly retractable, which makes them nearly invisible when they are not in use.
The stinger is basically kept retracted inside the abdomen for protection.
And some parasitic wasps don't have retractable ovipositors and instead they have their ovipositors visible constantly, which extend from their abdomen.
And some parasitic wasps have an ovipositor that is as long as their entire body.
An ovipositor looks like a tube like organ that is located on the ear or abdomen of female insects.
The actual appearance of the ovipositor can vary depending on the species of insect and range from looking like a sword like structure on some wasps and even a short, digging tool on other insects.
The ovipositor is mainly used in laying eggs and sometimes by drilling into a surface like bark soil and for many parasitic species the ovipositor can also be used for laying of eggs inside another animal and some insects have a modified ovipositor that is used as a stinger.
The ovipositor is often located at the end of the female insects abdomen and the size, shape and function of the ovipositor can also vary greatly depending on the species of insect and where the insect needs to lay it's eggs.
The ovipositor is a female organ and is mainly used by many female insects and some other animals for laying eggs.
The term ovipositor means literally "egg placer" and it's also a key characteristic that is also used to distinguish female insects from male insects.
The main purpose of an ovipositor is to lay eggs although some insects have modified ovipositors that they use as stingers or for paralyzing prey.
Ovipositors are not only for eggs although egg laying is the primary function of ovipositors.
Ovipositors can also be modified for other functions and most notably to be used as stingers or for paralyzing prey.
The ovipositors are a versatile organ that has functions that depends on the species that has the ovipositors, which can use the ovipositors to drill into plant tissue, wood or even the host insect to deposit the eggs.
Sawflies use a modified, saw like ovipositor to allow them to slit the tissues of plants to lay their eggs in.
And some wasps use their ovipositors to inject eggs and often a paralyzing agent into another host animal, like a caterpillar.
Grasshoppers use their ovipositors to burrow into the earth, and cicadas use their ovipositors to pierce twigs to lay eggs.
And in many social bees, ants and wasps, the ovipositors have been modified into a stinger for use as defense.
And some ovipositors also have sensory organs that help the insect with the ovipositors in determining the best location to lay their eggs.
And in some species of insects, the ovipositors is also used in gathering of a spermatophore during mating.
The ovipositor is a tube like organ that is used by some animals and especially insects, for the laying of eggs.
Not all insects have ovipositors, but most female insects do possess an ovipositor, but it's absent in some species, including certain termites, parasitic lice, and many mayflies and stoneflies.
Ovipositors are tube like organs which are mainly used for laying eggs but some insects like bees and wasps have modified ovipositors that they use as a stinger.