Lepidoptera

[lep-i-dop-ter-uh]

noun

1. the order comprising the lepidopterous insects.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Lepidoptera¹

1725–35; < New Latin; plural of lepidopteron

Example Sentences

Butterflies and moths -- collectively called Lepidoptera -- represent 10 per cent of all described animal species and are hugely important pollinators and herbivores in many ecosystems.

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The moth, named Mirlatia arcuata, by a research team from Germany, Austria, and the United Kingdom, is one of the most remarkable discoveries in Lepidoptera of recent decades.

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So in the interest of helping everyone survive, Cosma has created a website to help people choose the best native plants for the Lepidoptera that live in their ZIP Codes.

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Moths and butterflies belong to the same group of flying insects - called Lepidoptera, or "scale wings" in Greek, but likely emerged at different times in the geological past.

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However, studying diversity and abundance of night-flying Lepidoptera, the "moths," revealed the ongoing trends over the next decades.

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