adelgid

American  

[uh-del-jid] / əˈdɛl dʒɪd /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of adelgid

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 canopy gaps give the trees better access to resources like water and nutrients that help them deal with the adelgid," Jetton says.

From Science Daily • Sep. 18, 2023

The emerald ash borer and wooly adelgid are also getting a leg up from climate change, which has warmed winters and allowed the insects to expand their North American range.

From Salon • Feb. 14, 2022

Forest Service biologist, was studying Asian hemlocks’ genetics to understand why they can resist the adelgid when the Eastern hemlock can’t.

From National Geographic • Jan. 30, 2018

While the big oak is thriving, hemlocks throughout New England are dying because of woolly adelgid, a tiny, aphid-like pest native to Asia that is thriving in warmer winters and expanding its range.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 13, 2017

In just seven years, the woolly adelgid has fatally damaged more than 90 percent of the park’s hemlocks.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson