lepid(o)-

Scales.

Gk lepis, lepid‑, a scale.

The Lepidoptera (Greek pteron, wing) are the butterflies and moths, so called because they have four scale-covered wings; hence a lepidopterist is a person who studies or collects butterflies and moths; lepidolite is a mineral of the mica group, occurring in layers; a plant that is lepidote is covered with scale-like hairs. The word leper (Greek lepra, scaly) for a person suffering from leprosy came about because of the characteristic skin lesions.