Meropeidae

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A family of silky-winged insects known for their slender bodies and predatory behavior during their adult stage
2. A group of insects classified by their delicate, threadlike wings and carnivorous larvae that often live in sandy or dry environments
3. An insect family characterized by fine-winged adults with predatory habits and larval stages that typically consume other small arthropods or insect eggs

Etymology: Zoologists name animal families by taking the name of a type genus and adding "-idae," a suffix borrowed from the Greek patronymic ending "-idēs," meaning "descendant of." This family name is built on the root of "Merops," the genus name for bee-eater birds, which comes from the Greek "merops," meaning "bee-eater." The name therefore borrows a bird's label for a group of insects. The standard form of a family built on Merops is "Meropidae," which is the name used for the bee-eater family. The spelling with "ei" is a variant, so readers checking the group in technical sources may find it under the standard form.