adelgid

[ uh-del-jid ]

noun

1. any of various homopterous insects of the family Adelgidae, as Adelges abietis spruce gall aphid, or spruce gall adelgid and Pineus pinifoliae pine leaf aphid, that feed and form galls on conifers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of adelgid¹

From New Latin Adelgidae, equivalent to Adelg(es) a genus name (apparently from Greek ádel(os) “unseen, invisible” ( a- “not” + dêlos “visible, clear”) + New Latin -ges further origin unknown: unexplained by the name's originator) + -idae; a- ⁶, -id ²

Example Sentences

The adelgid is fairly vulnerable to cold temperatures—it lives on the outside of its host tree, and dies when the air gets colder than about -5 degrees Fahrenheit.

From Popular-Science

The progress of two invasive insects, the emerald ash borer, and the hemlock wooly adelgid, could be paused across the midwest by the freeze.

From Popular-Science