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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.


Etymology

Origin of corn rootworm

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The western corn rootworm beetle grows to only the length of a grain of rice.

From Scientific American ● Sep. 30, 2021

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

Beetles, including the corn rootworm, can simply eat the double-stranded RNA to set off the effect.

From New York Times ● Jan. 28, 2014

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 Arthur William Dunn

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