family Danaidae

7.9

A small group of tropical butterflies that includes monarchs

noun
/ˈfæmɪli ˈdeɪnəˌeɪd/

Specialized

: familia Danaidae

The family Danaidae is notable for its colorful and migratory species such as the monarch butterfly.

Examples

Scientists have studied the family Danaidae to understand butterfly migration patterns.
Did you know the family Danaidae contains the monarch butterfly?
Many members of the family Danaidae are found in tropical regions around the world.
The family Danaidae includes some of the most beautiful butterflies.
The family Danaidae consists of tropical butterflies that are famous for their vibrant colors and long migrations.
The family Danaidae, which includes the well-known monarch butterfly, is often studied for its ecological importance.
Butterflies from the family Danaidae are frequently observed in gardens where they attract many admirers.

Synonyms

Danaidae

vsfamily Danaidae

Archaic

1 9.9

A former family of tropical butterflies including the monarch with large wings and slow flight

is the present small classification rather than the older taxonomic grouping

Surface Forms

family Danaidae singular

families Danaidae plural

Morphology

family + Danaidae

The structure is compositionally clear: 'family' indicates a scientific grouping and 'Danaidae' is the name of that group, so learners can infer it denotes the taxonomic family called Danaidae. However, the specific content (that Danaidae are butterflies, including monarchs) cannot be derived from the constituents alone and requires lexical or encyclopedic knowledge of the proper name, so the expression is not fully transparent to B1 learners.

Etymology

Family Danaidae may come from the old genus name Danaus, which comes from a Greek myth about a man and his family, and scientists used that family name to label a group of related insects. That's why family Danaidae means 'a family of tropical butterflies', including the monarch.