lepidopterist
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˌlɛpɪˈdɒptərist/
- Specialized
:
lepidopterista
- During the conference, the lepidopterist shared fascinating insights about butterfly migration patterns.
- amateur lepidopterist
Examples
-
Precisely because it was once so common, neither professional biologists nor amateur lepidopterists had ever extensively examined the butterfly, and as a result, many details of its biology and ecology remained poorly understood.
Academic text (2006) -
As a passionate lepidopterist, she spent hours in the field collecting data on moth populations.
-
The lepidopterist tiptoes toward the unknown species.
Fiction book (1997) -
What is the main topic of discussion when two lepidopterists get together?
-
The policies on conservation and collecting outlined by the Lepidopterists' Society were followed.
Academic text (2011) -
Lepidopterists and amateur naturalists alike began to fear that the once-plentiful butterfly had died out.
Academic text (2006) -
There were twenty-seven participants in the weeklong program, which was led by lepidopterists Boyce Drummond of Colorado College.
Academic text (2011) -
His further encounters with butterflies, his repeated acts of observation and pursuit, made him an expert lepidopterist—one who, indeed, contributed to the field through important published papers.
Academic text (1999) -
Lepidopterist Thomas Emmel examines a Magdalena alpine, a butterfly that typically inhabits talus, or fallen rock debris.
Academic text (2011) -
The lepidopterist eagerly cataloged the different species of butterflies found in the region.
Synonyms
13
8.1
A person who studies insects like beetles and butterflies
1
4.1
A person who catches butterflies and moths to keep and study
A person who studies and collects butterflies and moths
A person who collects, raises or studies butterflies
A scientist who studies insects like beetles and butterflies
A person who studies insects like beetles
How Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
lepidopterist = Lepidoptera (opaque) = lepidoptera + ist
Forming an agent noun with the productive suffix '-ist' is a regular and predictable process.
Etymology
Lepidopterist comes from Greek parts lepido- 'scale' and -pter- 'wing'. Think of the 'pter' in helicopter and the tiny scales on butterfly wings, so a lepidopterist is someone who studies or collects these 'scale-wing' insects.