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.

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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

I greatly fear," he continued, "that the omission to which I have reluctantly adverted is to a certain extent typically characteristic of the entire political and social economy of the lepidopterous order.

From The Twilight of the Gods, and Other Tales by Garnett, Richard

That his exquisite brochure on lepidopterous insects was in nearly all the public libraries of the world only gratified, but added nothing to his vanity.

From A Splendid Hazard by MacGrath, Harold

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

Its most deadly enemy in the insect world is a small insect of the lepidopterous variety, which is known as the coffee-leaf miner.

From All About Coffee by Ukers, William H. (William Harrison)

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