corn rootworm

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of corn rootworm¹

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95

Example Sentences

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

Read more on Scientific American

In the months leading up to the bee crisis, clothianidin, developed by Bayer Crop Science from a class of insecticides called neonicotinoids, had been used up and down the Rhine following an outbreak of corn rootworm.

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There, a tiny introduced parasitic wasp called Trichogramma brassicae has become a key weapon against the corn rootworm, a major pest.

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Last year, the E.P.A. approved the first RNAi-based insecticides for use against another pest, corn rootworm.

Read more on New York Times

Both effects most likely stem from the genetically engineered resistance to a major insect pest, the western corn rootworm, which damages ears of corn and allows fungi to flourish.

Read more on New York Times