lepidopterology

American  

[lep-i-dop-tuh-rol-uh-jee] / ˌlɛp ɪˌdɒp təˈrɒl ə dʒi /

Also lepidoptery

noun

1. the branch of zoology dealing with butterflies and moths.

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Other Word Forms

• lepidopterist noun
• lepidopterological adjective

Etymology

Origin of lepidopterology

First recorded in 1895–1900; Lepidopter(a) + -o- + -logy

Explanation

Lepidopterology is the study of butterflies and moths. If you plan to study lepidopterology, you might go to college and major in zoology or biology. People who study insects call their specialty entomology, and when an entomologist focuses specifically on insects with scaly wings that hatch from caterpillars, she calls her field lepidopterology. One of the most famous amateur lepidopterology enthusiasts was the writer Vladimir Nabokov, who collected butterfly specimens throughout his life. The word itself comes from the Greek roots lepido, "scale," and pteron, "wing or feather."