elm bark beetle

American  

[elm bahrk beet-l] / ˈɛlm ˌbɑrk ˌbit l /

noun

1. Also called smaller European elm bark beetle.  a shiny, dark reddish-brown bark beetle, Scolytus multistriatus, originating in Europe and now widespread in the U.S.: the primary vector of Dutch elm disease.

2. Also called native elm bark beetle.  a bark beetle, Hylurgopinus opaculus, of eastern North America, that also transmits Dutch elm disease.

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Etymology

Origin of elm bark beetle

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

The elm bark beetle acts as a vector and transmits the disease from tree to tree.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

But since the 1930s, Dutch elm disease, spread by a pest called the elm bark beetle, has wiped out more than 100 million of the leafy giants.

From Time Magazine Archive