lepidopteran , Any of the more than 155,000 species of butterflies, moths, and skippers that constitute the order Lepidoptera (from Greek: “scaly wing”). The name refers to the dusting of minute scales that covers the wings and bodies of these insects. A slender proboscis is used for sucking. Nearly all lepidopterans are plant eaters, and species are found on every continent except Antarctica. Females may lay from a few to a thousand or more eggs at a time. All lepidopterans undergo complete metamorphosis. Many types move from one region to another, sometimes crossing thousands of miles of ocean, but the only species that truly migrates—the same individuals making a two-way flight—is the monarch butterfly.
lepidopteran Article
lepidopteran summary
Learn about Lepidopterans and their characteristics
Below is the article summary. For the full article, see lepidopteran.
saturniid moth Summary
Saturniid moth, (family Saturniidae), family of about 1,500 species of moths, some of which spin thick, silken cocoons and are sometimes used to produce commercial silk. (Read Britannica’s essay “What’s the Differerence between Moths and Butterflies?”) Adults have stout, hairy bodies and broad
caterpillar Summary
Caterpillar, larva of a butterfly or moth (Lepidoptera). Most caterpillars have cylindrical bodies consisting of multiple segments, with three pairs of true legs on the thorax and several pairs of short, fleshy prolegs on the abdomen. The head has six small eyes (stemmata) on each side that