owlet moth
- noun
- /ˈaʊlɪt mɔθ/
:
polilla búho
- The farmer noticed an owlet moth damaging the crops in his field at night.
Examples
-
The children were fascinated by the owlet moth fluttering around the garden after sunset.
-
While camping, we saw an owlet moth resting on the porch light.
-
It would have become an owlet moth that flattered in the cool night air.
Synonyms
A medium-sized, dull-coloured moth that flies at night and whose caterpillars often damage crops
A medium-sized dull moth active at night whose caterpillars eat crops
Surface Forms
Morphology
owlet + moth
If a learner knows 'owlet' (a young/owl-like bird) and 'moth' they can infer this is a kind or name of moth — the compound is compositionally a moth associated with or resembling an 'owlet', so the basic category is predictable. However, the specific taxonomic sense, nocturnal habits, dull colouring and pest status are not deducible from the parts and the name is partly conventional, so full meaning requires exposure.
Etymology
The name owlet moth may come from how these insects remind people of small owls: the word owlet means a little owl, and the word moth shows they fly at 'night' and often have dull colors or round wing marks that look like eyes. That's why the name now means a group of night-flying moths whose caterpillars often damage crops.
