plant louse

noun

1. aphid.

2. any of various related insects having similar habits.

plant louse

noun

1. another name for an aphid

2. any small active cicada-like insect of the homopterous family Psyllidae (or Chermidae ), having hind legs adapted for leaping, and feeding on plant juices

Word History and Origins

Origin of plant louse¹

First recorded in 1795–1805

Example Sentences

The name is likely to be seen as an improvement on the psyllids’ more common name of jumping plant lice.

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“Man” is an Arabic term for “plant lice,” and varieties of sweet resins have been sold in Middle Eastern markets for centuries.

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In an experiment being conducted in South Wales, thousands of plant lice were released last summer, in the hopes that they would help destroy some of the knotweed along river banks.

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The researchers hypothesize that longer exposure to the Brazilian plant lice in the wild could put a much worse hurt on pepper trees.

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Greening first enters the tree via the jumping plant lice known as Asian citrus psyllid.

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