mecopteran

9.9

An insect with a long head and thin wings that eats other insects

noun
/mɪˈkɒptərən/

Specialized

: mecóptero

Many mecopterans are known for their distinctive elongated heads and unique flying patterns.

And Geralt says I'm not going to kill mecopterans, nor any other harmless creatures.

Examples

The scientist studied a rare species of mecopteran that hunts other insects in the forest.
During the research expedition, the entomologist discovered several mecopterans near the riverbank.
And Geralt says I'm not going to kill mecopterans, nor any other harmless creatures.

Gregory B. Sadler - That Philosophy Guy

Surface Forms

mecopteran singular

mecopterans plural

Morphology

mecopteran = Mecoptera (transparent) = Mecoptera + an

Formed by adding the regular adjectival/noun-forming suffix '-an' to the taxonomic name 'Mecoptera', yielding 'member of or relating to Mecoptera'.

Etymology

Mecopteran comes from Greek parts meco- ('long') and -pteran ('wing'), and the -pteran part is the same idea as in helicopter. So a mecopteran is literally a 'long-winged' insect, a simple image to remember its long face and narrow wings.