pterophorid

English

Hellinsia balanotes, a species of pterophorid.

Etymology

Borrowed from translingual Pterophoridae, from the type genus of Pterophorus, from the root words of Ancient Greek πτερόν (pterón, “feather, wing”) +‎ Ancient Greek -φόρος (-phóros, “-bearing”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌteɹ.əˈfoɹ.ɪd/

Noun

pterophorid (plural pterophorids)

1. (entomology) Any moth of the family Pterophoridae.

   Synonym: plume moth

   • 2018, Robert Dudley, The Biomechanics of Insect Flight: Form, Function, Evolution:

     No kinematic adaptations particular to the extraordinary wing structure of pterophorids are evident, and adjacent wing lobes appear to form a continuous surface (Norberg, 1972b).

   • 2022 May 9, Genevieve E. van der Voort, Scott R. Gilmore, Jamieson C. Gorrell, Jasmine K. Janes, “Continuous video capture, and pollinia tracking, in Platanthera (Orchidaceae) reveal new insect visitors and potential pollinators”, in PeerJ‎^[1]:

     Of these, only one pterophorid appeared to probe inside flowers from both species, starting on P. dilatata then moving to P. stricta; however, no pollinia removal or transfer could be seen.

Hypernyms

• apoditrysian

Adjective

pterophorid (comparative more pterophorid, superlative most pterophorid)

1. (entomology) Relating to the Pterophoridae family of moths.
   • 2019 August 12, E. F. LoPresti, J. Goidell, J. M. Mola, M. L. Page, C. D. Specht, C. Stuligross, M. G. Weber, N. M. Williams, R. Karban, “A lever action hypothesis for pendulous hummingbird flowers: experimental evidence from a columbine”, in PLoS One‎^[2]:

     The realized sample sizes were far lower (64 and 95, respectively); most of the tagged flowers were not recovered in 2016 due to herbivory from an outbreak of Heliothis phloxiphaga, the most common herbivore (LoPresti et al., 2015), as well as consumption by brush rabbits (Sylvilagus bachmani), and a small pterophorid caterpillar (probably Amblyptilia pica).

   • 2022 May 9, Genevieve E. van der Voort, Scott R. Gilmore, Jamieson C. Gorrell, Jasmine K. Janes, “Continuous video capture, and pollinia tracking, in Platanthera (Orchidaceae) reveal new insect visitors and potential pollinators”, in PeerJ‎^[3]:

     Five videos showed insects moving between both P. dilatata and P. stricta: two with syrphid flies that hovered near, or landed on, flowers of both species, and three showed pterophorid moths landing on both species.

See also

• Pterophoridae on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Pterophoridae on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Pterophoridae on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons