Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "kwarin lepidopterous" yana nufin kowane kwarin da ke cikin tsarin Lepidoptera, wanda ya haɗa da malam buɗe ido da asu. Wadannan kwari suna da alaƙa da fuka-fukan fuka-fuki da kasancewar proboscis don ciyarwa. Suna fuskantar cikakkiyar metamorphosis daga kwai zuwa tsutsa (caterpillar), zuwa pupa (chrysalis ko kwakwa), kuma daga ƙarshe zuwa siffar manya. Sunan "lepidoptera" ya samo asali ne daga kalmomin Helenanci "lepis," ma'anar ma'auni, da "ptera," ma'ana fuka-fuki.