milky disease

American  

noun

1. a bacterial disease of scarab beetle larvae and grubs, especially the Japanese beetle, which turns the larvae white.

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Example Sentences

Milky disease was discovered in New Jersey in 1933.

From Literature

When ingested by a foraging beetle grub they multiply prodigiously in its blood, causing it to turn an abnormally white color, hence the popular name, “milky disease.”

From Literature

The first conclusive proof that an insect could be brought under control by introducing a disease into its environment came in the late 1930’s with the discovery and use of milky disease for the Japanese beetle, which is caused by the spores of a bacterium belonging to the genus Bacillus.

From Literature

On the other hand, those who are willing to wait an extra season or two for full results will turn to milky disease; they will be rewarded with lasting control that becomes more, rather than less effective with the passage of time.

From Literature

An extensive program of research is under way in the United States Department of Agriculture laboratory at Peoria, Illinois, to find a way to culture the organism of milky disease on an artificial medium.

From Literature