corn borer

American  

noun

1. any of several pyralid moths, as Pyrausta (ostrinia ) nubilalis European corn borer, the larvae of which bore into the stem and crown of corn and other plants.

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corn borer British  

noun

1. the larva of the pyralid moth Pyrausta nubilalis, native to S and Central Europe: in E North America a serious pest of maize

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Etymology

Origin of corn borer

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

corn borer

In 1996, U.S. regulators approved corn that was genetically engineered to produce bug-killing proteins, accomplished by inserting a bacterium hostile to the corn borer insect into the plant genome.

From Reuters ● Sep. 27, 2017

Whereas Bt corn tailored to destroy European corn borer kills 99.9 percent or more of pests, Bt corn engineered to eradicate rootworm is less reliably lethal, killing 85 to 98 percent of the larvae.

From Scientific American ● Sep. 3, 2013

MON810 produces a toxin that protects it from the European corn borer.

From Science Magazine ● May 22, 2012

Spain grew 80 percent of the biotech corn, designed to resist a pest called the corn borer, produced in Europe last year.

From New York Times ● Jul. 7, 2010

Scientists in Czechoslovakia are experimenting with protozoa against webworms and other insect pests, and in the United States a protozoan parasite has been found to reduce the egg- laying potential of the corn borer.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson