microlepidopteranadj.n.
/ˌmʌɪkrə(ʊ)lɛpᵻˈdɒpt(ə)rən/, U.S. /ˈˌmaɪkroʊˌlɛpəˈdɑpt(ə)rən/ Entomology.
A. adj.
Of or relating to the microlepidoptera.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Lepidoptera or butterflies and moths > [adjective] > of or relating to Micro-lepidoptera
microlepidopterous1861
microlepidopteran1890
1890 Cent. Dict. Microlepidopteran a., microlepidopterous.
1939 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 25 14 The same has been found in skin transplants in the Micro-Lepidopteran Galleria.
1973 Ecology 54 351 Sawfly larvae and microlepidopteran larvae were also prominent elements of the high-density coniferous arthropod faunas.
1995 Jrnl. Chem. Ecol. 21 13 It is suggested that pheromones with similar structures may be specific to Nepticulidae and other related microlepidopteran families.
B. n.
A moth regarded as belonging to the microlepidoptera.
ΚΠ
1890 Cent. Dict. Microlepidopteran n., a microlepidopter.
1968 Jrnl. Ecol. 56 896 The microlepidopteran Glyphipteryx schoenicolella Stainton is the only species..restricted to Schoenus nigricans.
1995 Ecol. Monogr. 65 483 In Belize, red mangrove hosts four undescribed species of microlepidopterans.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.1890