Lasiocampid

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Any moth belonging to the family Lasiocampidae, a group of stout, hairy moths whose caterpillars are often called lappet or tent caterpillars
2. A member of the lappet moth family Lasiocampidae, typically a robust, furry-bodied moth with feathery antennae and caterpillars that spin silken tents
3. A hairy, heavy-bodied moth classified within the family Lasiocampidae, commonly known as the lappet moths and related to the eggar moths

Etymology: Lasiocampid is the common name for any moth in the family Lasiocampidae, and the family takes its name from its type genus, "Lasiocampa," coined in Greek-based Latin form from "lasios," meaning hairy or woolly, and "kampē," meaning a bend or caterpillar-like curl. The names reflect the hairy, often curled caterpillars and the stout, hairy bodies of the adult moths. The suffix "-id" is the standard zoological ending for members of a family, borrowed from the Greek "-idēs," meaning "son of" or "descendant of," and used in taxonomy to mark family names. So the word is a technical coinage built from classical roots rather than an ancient term, and the scientific family name was then turned into a plain English noun for its members.