Lasiocampidae

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A family of moths known for their stout and hairy bodies with caterpillars that often bear dense hair tufts; members typically exhibit tent-like resting wing posture and are found worldwide in various habitats
2. A group of Lepidoptera distinguished by broad wings, robust and hairy larvae, and commonly called eggars or lappet moths; their larvae feed on trees and shrubs producing characteristic silk tents or cocoons
3. A taxonomic family within moths characterized by large, hairy-bodied species whose caterpillars create protective silk structures and often display solitary or gregarious behaviors across diverse ecosystems

Etymology: Lasiocampidae is the scientific name for the family of moths known as the lappets or eggars, and its name is built entirely from Greek. The first part comes from "lasios", meaning hairy or shaggy, and the second from "kampe", meaning a caterpillar or a bending, which gives the family its "caterpillar" element. The "-idae" ending is the standard suffix that taxonomists attach to family names, derived from the genus name "Lasiocampa", the type genus of the group. The genus "Lasiocampa" was itself coined by the entomologist Johan Christian Fabricius in 1807, so the name dates from the early nineteenth century rather than from classical antiquity. Ancient Greeks had no word for this moth family, so the name is a modern scientific coinage that borrows its building blocks from Greek. The family name was then formed by applying the regular "-idae" pattern to that genus.

Synonyms: tent caterpillar moths, lappet moths