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Glite Dictionary
Gracillariidae

Gracillariidae

9.9
A family of small moths whose caterpillars make tunnels inside leaves
  • noun
  • /ˌɡræsɪˈlɛrɪˌaɪdi/
  • Specialized
: Gracillariidae
  • Many agricultural scientists study the Gracillariidae because of the damage their leaf-mining larvae can cause to crops.

Examples

  • The Gracillariidae family includes many species of leaf-mining moths.

  • The Gracillariidae family contains over 2,000 species of small moths found worldwide.

  • Larvae of Gracillariidae create winding tunnels visible on the leaves of their host plants.

  • Have you ever seen a Gracillariidae moth in your garden?

  • The larvae of Gracillariidae often leave unique patterns on the leaves they feed on.

  • Farmers are concerned about Gracillariidae because their larvae can severely damage crops.

  • Researchers documented over a thousand species in the Gracillariidae family across various regions.

Synonyms

Gracilariidae
vsGracillariidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of small moths whose caterpillars make tunnels inside leaves

uses a different spelling with one fewer letter
family Gracilariidae
vsGracillariidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of small moths whose caterpillars live and eat inside leaves

does not include the higher-level order classification term

Surface Forms

Gracillariidae singular
Gracillariidae plural

Morphology

Gracillariidae = Gracillaria (opaque) = gracillari + idae

Formed by a taxonomic suffix '-idae' attached to a genus name; the family meaning is a technical biological formation unfamiliar to typical learners.

Etymology

Gracillariidae comes from the Latin gracilis meaning 'slender' and the scientific ending -idae meaning 'family'. So the name means a 'family of slender' moths, which fits because these are very small moths whose young live and feed inside leaves.