Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
aphis lion

aphis lion

9.9
A young lacewing insect that eats aphids and other small insects
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : león de los pulgones
  • If you look closely, you can spot an aphis lion feeding on aphids under the leaves.

Examples

  • The aphis lion is an effective natural enemy of garden pests such as aphids.

  • Farmers often encourage aphis lions to thrive as a form of biological pest control.

  • The aphis lion is a natural predator of aphids.

  • Farmers often rely on the aphis lion to control pest populations.

  • Farmers often encourage aphis lions to thrive as a form of biological pest control.

  • If you look closely, you can spot an aphis lion feeding on aphids under the leaves.

  • The aphis lion is an effective natural enemy of garden pests such as aphids.

Synonyms

aphid lion
vsaphis lion
8.8

A young insect that eats aphids and other small insects

labels the larva as carnivorous rather than merely noted for eating

Surface Forms

aphis lion singular
aphis lions plural

Morphology

Aphis + lion

A B1 learner who knows 'aphis' (aphid) and 'lion' (a predator) would likely infer that 'aphis lion' refers to something that preys on aphids—the predator sense is transparently built from the constituents. However, the precise biological identity as the carnivorous larva of a lacewing fly is more specific than the literal compound and requires specialist knowledge, so the relation is only partially predictable.

Etymology

The noun aphis lion comes from the words for its food and its hunting style: aphis means aphids, tiny plant insects, and lion shows it hunts them like a tiny, fierce hunter. So an aphis lion is a small young insect called a larva that eats aphids and helps with 'pest control' in gardens.