leps in French

[Ernest Williams]

French-speaking LEPS-L folks,

Two days ago I gave talks about leps to thirty-six 11- and 12-year olds
from Paris who are staying in my town (upstate New York, USA) for 3 weeks
of cultural exchange.  No, they didn't have to rely on my poor high school
French; the kids speak varying degrees of English, and several teachers
were with them to help translate.  Some questions arose, however, from our
conversations.

1. Are moths always referred to as "les papillons de nuit"?  That brought
about some confusion when I said some papillons de nuit are active during
the day.

2. Is "chenille" a general term for any caterpillar, or are there
additional terms?

3. What is the French word for pupa?  The kids all understood "cocoon", but
the teachers from Paris had no idea what a pupa is, while the American
teachers of French (who've heard me before) know what a pupa is but have no
French word for it.

4. What is the French word for wing scales?

Thanks (oops, I mean merci),
Ernest Williams