Meanings
plural pterophorids
- biologyAny moth of the family Pterophoridae.
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).
2018, Robert Dudley, The Biomechanics of Insect Flight: Form, Function, Evolution1 more example
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.
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 PeerJSynonyms: plume moth
comparative more pterophorid · superlative most pterophorid
- biologyRelating to the Pterophoridae family of moths.
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.
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 PeerJ1 more example
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).
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
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny moth of the family Pterophoridae.
Origin
- translingualPterophoridae
- Englishpterophorid
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”).
More words from translingual
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
pterophorid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pterophorid
“pterophorid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pterophorid. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pterophorid,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pterophorid.
Source: pterophorid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.