Aphodus

/ˈæfədəs/ noun

Definition

An alternative or historical variant spelling of Aphodius, a genus of small dung beetles, sometimes seen in older entomological texts.

Etymology

Variant of 'Aphodius' from scientific nomenclature of the 18th-19th centuries. As taxonomy standardized, 'Aphodius' became the preferred spelling.

Kelly Says

Old biology books sometimes used different spellings for the same organisms—'Aphodus' is a spelling ghost from when scientists were still standardizing the Latin names of every creature on Earth!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.