rootworm

[root-wurm, root-]

noun

1. the larva of any of several insects, as the cucumber beetle, that feeds on the roots root of plants.

2. any of several nematodes, especially of the genus Heterodera, that puncture and feed in the roots root of plants.

Word History and Origins

Origin of rootworm¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; root ¹ + worm

Example Sentences

CO2 may play an important role in attracting the rootworm, “but roots are emitting a lot of different compounds,” Eilers says.

Read more on Scientific American

The western corn rootworm beetle grows to only the length of a grain of rice.

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In the months leading up to the bee crisis, clothianidin, developed by Bayer Crop Science from a class of insecticides called neonicotinoids, had been used up and down the Rhine following an outbreak of corn rootworm.

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There, a tiny introduced parasitic wasp called Trichogramma brassicae has become a key weapon against the corn rootworm, a major pest.

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Last year, the E.P.A. approved the first RNAi-based insecticides for use against another pest, corn rootworm.

Read more on New York Times