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Hylophylax naevioides

Hylophylax naevioides

9.9
A small Central American bird that follows army ants to eat insects
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Hylophylax naevioides
  • Researchers observed the Hylophylax naevioides following columns of army ants for food.

Examples

  • The plumage of the Hylophylax naevioides helps it blend into the forest understory.

  • The Hylophylax naevioides is commonly found in humid forests of Central America.

  • The Hylophylax naevioides is commonly found in the rainforests of Costa Rica.

  • Have you ever seen a Hylophylax naevioides in the wild?

  • Researchers observed the Hylophylax naevioides following columns of army ants for food.

  • The Hylophylax naevioides is commonly found in humid forests of Central America.

  • The plumage of the Hylophylax naevioides helps it blend into the forest understory.

Synonyms

spotted antbird
vsHylophylax naevioides
  • US
8.9

A small spotted bird that follows army ants in Central and South American forests

means the same but uses the species' formal name instead of the common description

Surface Forms

Morphology

Hylophylax + naevioides

The form is a taxonomic binomial (genus + specific epithet), so a learner who knows 'Hylophylax' as a genus of small birds can transparently infer this refers to a species of that genus (i.e., a bird). However, the specific epithet 'naevioides' is non-lexical/Latin and not interpretable by an average B1 learner, so the precise common-name meaning 'spotted antbird' is not derivable from the constituents without specialist or Latin knowledge.

Etymology

The name Hylophylax naevioides comes from Greek and Latin parts that make a clear picture: hylophylax means 'forest guard' and naevioides means 'spotted-like'. So the name suggests a spotted bird that watches in the forest, which fits this antbird that blends into the forest floor and follows ants for food.