neuropteran

[noo-rop-ter-uhn, nyoo-]

adjective

1. neuropterous.

noun

1. Also neuropteron. a neuropterous insect.

neuropteran

/ njʊˈrɒptərən /

noun

1. any neuropterous insect

neuropteran

1. Any of various carnivorous insects of the order Neuroptera, having four net-veined wings and mouthparts adapted for chewing. Neuropterans include the lacewings and antlions. Formerly, the dobsonflies and alderflies, now classified as a separate order Megaloptera, and the snakeflies, now classified as the order Raphidiodea, were considered neuropterans.

Word History and Origins

Origin of neuropteran¹

1835–45; < New Latin Neuropter ( a ), neuter plural of neuropterus ( neuropterous ) + -an

Example Sentences

The campodeiform larvae of many Coleoptera are indeed far more primitive than the neuropteran larvae, and suggest to us that the Coleoptera—modified as their wing-structure has become—arose very early from the primitive metabolous stock.

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An insect which is neither a coleopter, nor a neuropteran, nor a hymenopter; which does not belong to any of the ten orders recognized by savants, and which they will be rather tempted to rank in the second section of the arachnides.

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