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Samia walkeri

Samia walkeri

9.9
A large moth from Asia now found in the United States whose caterpillars eat the ailanthus tree
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Samia walkeri
  • The larvae of Samia walkeri have become a concern for foresters due to their impact on ailanthus trees.

Examples

  • Scientists are studying how Samia walkeri has adapted to environments in the United States.

  • I spotted a beautiful Samia walkeri moth resting on a leaf during our hike.

  • Look at that stunning Samia walkeri!

  • The Samia walkeri is known for its striking appearance.

  • I spotted a beautiful Samia walkeri moth resting on a leaf during our hike.

  • The larvae of Samia walkeri have become a concern for foresters due to their impact on ailanthus trees.

  • Scientists are studying how Samia walkeri has adapted to environments in the United States.

Synonyms

cynthia moth
vsSamia walkeri
  • Specialized
9.9

A large moth from Asia whose caterpillars eat a tree called ailanthus

is the formal Latin name used for precise species identification
Samia cynthia
vsSamia walkeri
  • Specialized
9.9

A large moth from Asia with caterpillars that eat the ailanthus tree

is an alternative scientific name used for the same species

Surface Forms

Samia walkeri singular

Morphology

Samia + walkeri

This is a scientific binomial: 'Samia' names the genus (moths) but 'walkeri' is a species epithet that functions as an arbitrary label (often commemorative) rather than a meaningful descriptor. Knowing the parts as words does not allow a learner to infer specifics like size, native range, or larval host, so the overall meaning is not predictable from the constituents.

Etymology

Samia walkeri comes from how scientists name animals: Samia is the moth group and walkeri probably honors a person named Walker who first found or described the moth. So the name points to a particular large Asian moth whose 'caterpillars' eat the ailanthus tree.