curculio

[kur-kyoo-lee-oh]

noun

plural

curculios 

1. any of several weevils, especially one of the genus Conotrachelus, as C. nenuphar plum curculio, which feeds on plums, cherries, and other fruits.

curculio

/ kɜːˈkjuːlɪˌəʊ /

noun

1. any of various American weevils, esp Conotrachelus nenuphar ( plum curculio ), a pest of fruit trees

Word History and Origins

Origin of curculio¹

1750–60; < Latin: weevil, corn worm

Word History and Origins

Origin of curculio¹

C18: from Latin: grain weevil

Example Sentences

In the 1890s many smaller growers struggled to afford expensive and elaborate controls to combat pests such as San Jose scale and plum curculio.

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Plum curculio worms may show up in fruits if the trees are too deep in the ground — so get all the root flares dramatically exposed by removing mulch and soil.

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David Riley, a professor of entomology at the University of Georgia, works with vegetable pests like cowpea curculio, which has decimated the state’s black-eye pea fields.

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He works with vegetable pests like cowpea curculio, which has decimated the state’s black-eye pea fields.

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Beyond a pest named the plum curculio, the two big problems facing cherry growers in the Mid-Atlantic is the arrival of hungry birds at harvest time and the cracking of fruit caused by rain.

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