The model organism Drosophila melanogaster has become a focal system for investigations of rapidly evolving genital morphology as well as the development and functions of insect reproductive structures. To follow up on a previous paper outlining unifying terminology for the structures of the male terminalia in this species, we offer here a detailed description of the female terminalia of D. melanogaster. Informative diagrams and micrographs are presented to provide a comprehensive overview of the external and internal reproductive structures of females. We propose a collection of terms and definitions to standardize the terminology associated with the female terminalia in D. melanogaster and we provide a correspondence table with the terms previously used. Unifying terminology for both males and females in this species will help to facilitate communication between various disciplines, as well as aid in synthesizing research across publications within a discipline that has historically focused principally on male features. Our efforts to refine and standardize the terminology should expand the utility of this important model system for addressing questions related to the development and evolution of animal genitalia, and morphology in general.This work was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health (R35GM14196 and GM112758 to M.R.), from the Louisiana Board of Regents (LEQSF(2017-20)-RD-A-26 to J.A.), from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (19H03276 to Y.K., and A.T.), from the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-18-CE02-0008) to A.Y., M.F.W. acknowledges support from R37-HD038921 and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development R03-HD101732, as well as from R01-HD059060 to M.F.W. and A.G. Clark. V. C.-O. acknowledges support from the CNRS as part of the MITI interdisciplinary action ‘Défi Adaptation du vivant à son environnement’ 2020. M.L.S. acknowledges support from R35GM118170. Project Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación BFU2017-86244-P funded by MICIN/AEI/10.13039/50110001033/ and ERDF A way of making Europe to E.S. Y.H. acknowledges support from Israel Science Foundation (ISF-2041/17 and ISF-2470/21)
