corn rootworm

American  

noun

1. the larva of any of several leaf beetles of the genus Diabrotica that feeds on roots and underground stems: an agricultural pest, especially of corn.

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Etymology

Origin of corn rootworm

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95

Example Sentences

The corn rootworm, the Colorado potato beetle and soybean aphids all thrive best on the crops that give them their names.

From Washington Post • Mar. 2, 2016

Monsanto has applied for regulatory approval of corn that is genetically engineered to use RNAi, as the approach is called for short, to kill the western corn rootworm, one of the costliest of agricultural pests.

From New York Times • Jan. 28, 2014

Several species of corn rootworm eventually caught onto this trick.

From Scientific American • Sep. 3, 2013

The most recent and alarming example in the U.S. is corn rootworm, the story of which is documented in studies by Aaron Gassmann of Iowa State University and his colleagues.

From Scientific American • Sep. 3, 2013

A single visit from a representative of the Department of Agriculture showed him the cause of the trouble, the corn rootworm, and how it could be eradicated by a simple rotation of crops.

From Community Civics and Rural Life by Dunn, Arthur William