verb
- to remove wings from (an insect, especially a termite or ant)
Usage: technical; entomology
Examples
- The queen termite dealates after finding a suitable nesting site.
- Worker ants dealate the winged reproductives to prevent them from leaving the colony.
- In laboratory studies, researchers dealate insects to observe their behavior without flight.
- The alate form dealates naturally once it has established a new colony.