What is a defining characteristic of Lepidoptera?

The scientific name of the order, Lepidoptera, is derived from one of their main characteristics, namely their having wings covered in tiny scales (from the Greek lepidos = scale and pteron = wing). The leg and wings are attached to the thorax. In a few species of moths, the females have evolved to become wingless.

What Lepidoptera mean?

scaly winged
The name Lepidoptera is derived from the Greek, meaning “scaly winged,” and refers to the characteristic covering of microscopic dustlike scales on the wings.

What does Lepidoptera mean in Latin?

[From New Latin Lepidoptera, order name : lepido- + Greek ptera, pl. of pteron, wing, winged creature; see -pter.]

What is the order of butterfly?

Lepidoptera
Butterflies/Order

Butterfly, (superfamily Papilionoidea), any of numerous species of insects belonging to multiple families. Butterflies, along with the moths and the skippers, make up the insect order Lepidoptera.

What is unique about Lepidoptera?

Lepidopteran species are characterized by more than three derived features. The most apparent is the presence of scales that cover the bodies, wings, and a proboscis. The scales are modified, flattened “hairs”, and give butterflies and moths their wide variety of colors and patterns.

What are the characteristics of Coleoptera?

They have threadlike antennae and long slender legs. These insects are very fast and often difficult to collect. Their agility and strong mandibles make them well-adapted for their predaceous life style.

What does Odonata mean in English?

: an order of insects containing the dragonflies and damselflies and characterized by aquatic larvae that are nymphs or naiads and by predaciousness in both adult and larval forms.

What do butterflies do at night?

Where do butterflies spend the night? At night, or during inclement weather, most butterflies perch on the underside of a leaf, crawl deep between blades of grass or into a crevice in rocks, or find some other shelter, and sleep.

What is a group of butterflies called?

A cluster of butterflies is called a roost or a bivouac. Monarchs migrate alone.

Who eats butterfly?

Some of the common predators of butterflies include but are certainly not limited to: wasps, ants, parasitic flies, birds, snakes, toads, rats, lizards, dragonflies and even monkeys! A few of the other animals that are constantly adding butterflies onto their menu list are frogs and spiders.

What do butterflies symbolize?

In its metamorphosis from the common, colorless caterpillar to the exquisite winged creature of delicate beauty, the butterfly has become a metaphor for transformation and hope; across cultures, it has become a symbol for rebirth and resurrection, for the triumph of the spirit and the soul over the physical prison, the …

What does Diptera stand for?

Diptera. True Flies / Mosquitoes / Gnats / Midges. The name Diptera, derived from the Greek words “di” meaning two and “ptera” meaning wings, refers to the fact that true flies have only a single pair of wings.