Lipotyphla

1 9.9

A group of small, insect-eating mammals like moles, hedgehogs, and shrews no longer used in modern classification

noun
/ˌlɪpəˈtɪflə/

Archaic

: lipotifla

Early studies often grouped a variety of insectivorous mammals into Lipotyphla despite their evolutionary differences.

Examples

Moles, hedgehogs, and shrews were traditionally classified under Lipotyphla in zoological taxonomy.
The order Lipotyphla is now largely replaced by other groupings in modern mammal classification schemes.
Look at the Lipotyphla!
What is Lipotyphla?
The order Lipotyphla includes various small mammals like moles and hedgehogs that eat insects.
Classification systems once placed animals like shrews and golden moles in the order Lipotyphla.
The grouping of Lipotyphla was recognized for its diverse species of insect-eating mammals.

Synonyms

Insectivora

vsLipotyphla

Archaic

1 9.9

A former group of small mammals that mainly eat insects, like shrews, moles, and hedgehogs

is similar but frames the group broadly and stresses modern obsolescence

order Insectivora

vsLipotyphla

Archaic

1 9.9

A former group of small insect-eating mammals like shrews and hedgehogs

is wider, used for either order or suborder and now obsolete in classification

Surface Forms

Lipotyphla singular

Lipotyphla plural

Etymology

The word Lipotyphla was once a scientific name for a group of small, insect-eating mammals like moles, hedgehogs, and shrews. A helpful way to remember it is to break it into parts like lipo- and -typhla, which give the image of small, hidden animals and so link the name to secretive insect-eaters. That's why Lipotyphla refers to these tiny insect-eating creatures, even though the name is no longer used much in modern science.