lappet moth
- noun
- Specialized
:
polilla lappet
- Gardeners sometimes find lappet moth caterpillars feeding on the leaves of local shrubs.
Examples
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A lappet moth rested on the tree trunk, blending perfectly with the bark.
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Biologists studied the silk produced by the lappet moth to understand its structure.
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The lappet moth has unique hairy wings.
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I spotted a lappet moth in my garden yesterday.
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A lappet moth rested on the tree trunk, blending perfectly with the bark.
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Gardeners sometimes find lappet moth caterpillars feeding on the leaves of local shrubs.
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I spotted a lappet moth in my garden yesterday.
Synonyms
A medium-sized moth with hairy caterpillars
A medium-sized moth with a thick, hairy body and feathery antennae
A medium, stout moth with comb-like antennae and dull colors
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun-noun compound combines 'lappet' (a hairy lobe or flap associated with the caterpillar) + 'moth' to denote a moth characterized by lappets, so the meaning is compositionally predictable as 'a moth with lappet-like features' or whose larvae are lappet caterpillars. This straightforward modifier-head pattern is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Lappet moth is named after the word lappet, meaning a small 'flap' of cloth or skin. The caterpillars have flap-like parts along their sides, so people named the adult moth after those flaps, which is why the name points to that feature.
