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

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

Tortrix, tor′triks, n. the typical genus of Tortricid�, a family of small lepidopterous insects.

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

Darwin was well aware of the power of individual colour adjustment, now known to be possessed by large numbers of lepidopterous pupae and larvae.

From Darwin and Modern Science by Seward, A. C. (Albert Charles)

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)

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.