Lepidoptery

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The hobby or practice of gathering and preserving butterflies and moths as specimens
2. Collecting and mounting the wings-bearing insects of the order that includes butterflies and moths
3. Capturing and keeping butterflies and moths, usually for display or scientific study

Etymology: "Lepis" is Greek for "scale," and "pteron" means "wing." Together they describe the tiny overlapping scales that cover the wings of butterflies and moths, which is why Carl Linnaeus used them to name the order Lepidoptera. The scales rub off onto fingers, and they are what give these insects their colour and dusty texture. Lepidoptery builds on that Latin-derived name by adding the English suffix "-ery," which, as in "archery" or "cookery," denotes an activity or practice. It names the hobby or pursuit of collecting and studying butterflies and moths. It is a rare coinage, and most scientists prefer "lepidopterology," the formally structured study of the same insects.