lepidopterous

American  

[lep-i-dop-ter-uhs] / ˌlɛp ɪˈdɒp tər əs /

Or lepidopteral

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the Lepidoptera, an order of insects comprising the butterflies, moths, and skippers, that in the adult state have four membranous wings more or less covered with small scales.

---

Other Word Forms

• nonlepidopteral
  adjective
• nonlepidopterous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of lepidopterous

First recorded in 1790–1800; Lepidopter(a) + -ous

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lepidopterous

Grape vines are subject to the attacks of many lepidopterous insects.

From American Pomology Apples by Warder, J. A.

Thus, if the lepidopterous insect sees a continuous picture of its surroundings, such a picture is produced by the overlapping and blending, at their edges, of hundreds or thousands of distinct parts.

From Butterflies and Moths (British) by Furneaux, William S.

No, child; some lepidopterous insects always leave a drop of red fluid when emerging from the pupa state.

From Bee and Butterfly A Tale of Two Cousins by Madison, Lucy Foster

Scintilla, sin-til′a, n. a spark: a glimmer: the least particle: a trace: a genus of bivalve molluscs: a genus of lepidopterous insects.—adjs.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

Paraclypeal piece: in lepidopterous pupa, occurs in some of the generalized families on each side of the maxillary palpi.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.