What is a lepidopterist

[MexicoDoug at aol.com]

The only think I know is:

I think [about butterflies] therefore I am [a Lepidopterist].  The only 
limitations on being a Lepidopterist I see:

You must be 18 years old or older, or a child prodigy, and have some sort of 
medium or long term interest in Leps.

(normal kids can't be Lepidopterists, or they'd have nothing to look forward 
to.   Except for the 49% of the US population raised as child prodigies aged 
5 and up.)

Per Webster:
Lepidopterist \Lep`i*dop"ter*ist\, n. (Zo["o]l.) One who studies the 
Lepidoptera. 
Source (4.): Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, 
Inc. 
via www.dictionary.com.

Of course, Princton University disagrees (it had to be New Jersey):
Lepidopterist n : an entomologist who specializes in the collection and study 
of butterflies and moths [syn: see butterfly collector] 
Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University
via www.dictionary.com.

I guess many of the rest of us are simply Invertebrate Behavioral 
Psychologists according to latter definition,  and no butterfly person can 
really be a Lepidopterist if they are interested in less than 10% of the 
overall species, can they?

PS 
Then, What's a Lepidopterologist?  Someone who studies Lepidopterists?
Was the bad guy in The Silence of the Lambs a Lepidopterist?
If you do it on the Internet only are you an Virtual Lepidopterist or a 
regular one?

Happy Butterflying....
Doug Dawn
(with whatever apologies in advance)
Monterrey, Mexico







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lepidopterist n : an entomologist who specializes in the collection and study 
of butterflies and moths [syn: butterfly collector] 



 
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