Lycaena

1 9.9

A small butterfly with shiny blue, green or copper upper wings

noun
/laɪˈsiːnə/

Specialized

: Lycaena

The Lycaena butterflies are admired for their vibrant metallic colors.

Examples

Researchers discovered a new species within the Lycaena genus in Central America.
Have you ever seen a Lycaena in the wild?
Many gardens attract Lycaena with flowering plants and gentle landscapes.
The Lycaena butterflies are known for their vibrant colors.
Many gardens attract Lycaena butterflies due to their flowering plants and natural beauty.
Researchers discovered a new species of Lycaena in Central America, expanding our knowledge of butterflies.
The Lycaena is a genus of butterflies that are often praised for their striking, metallic wing colors.

Synonyms

genus Lycaena

vsLycaena

Specialized

1 9.9

Small, thin butterflies that have bright blue, green, or copper upper wings

is the same in meaning but lacks the explicit taxonomic word

Compounds

genus Lycaena

Specialized

1 9.9

Small, thin butterflies that have bright blue, green, or copper upper wings

Lycaena hypophlaeas

Specialized

9.9

A small orange-brown butterfly found in eastern and central North America

Surface Forms

Lycaena singular

Lycaenas plural

Etymology

Lycaena comes from an old Greek root lykos meaning 'wolf'. A helpful way to remember this is to imagine early namers using myth and animal words, so the small, bright, metallic butterflies got a bold, memorable name linked to the old 'wolf' word.