corn earworm

American  

[kawrn eer-wurm] / ˈkɔrn ˌɪər wɜrm /

noun

1. the larva of either of the noctuid moths Helicoverpa zea or H. armigera, both of which are widely distributed and highly destructive to crops, especially corn, cotton, and tomato.

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corn earworm British  

noun

1. the larva of the noctuid moth Heliothis armigera, which feeds on maize and many other crop plants See also bollworm

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Etymology

Origin of corn earworm

An Americanism first recorded in 1795–1805

Example Sentences

In the lab, extracts of the fern stunted the growth of soybean looper and corn earworm.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 16, 2023

Garden pests are often highly specialized and named after their favorite food: cabbageworm, corn earworm, tomato hornworm, Colorado potato beetle, cucumber beetle, pea weevil, pepper maggot, Mexican bean beetle, and so on.

From Salon • Aug. 8, 2021

One favorite is the corn earworm moth, which eats plants such as corn, soybean, potato and pumpkin—costing U.S. farmers millions of dollars a year in ruined crops.

From Scientific American • Apr. 2, 2018

The corn earworm that devastates that crop prefers tropical climates, and typically heads south when temperatures cool.

From Washington Post • Mar. 2, 2014