spruce budworm

American  

[buhd-wurm] / ˈbʌdˌwɜrm /

noun

1. the larva of a common tortricid moth, Choristoneura fumiferana, that is a destructive pest primarily of spruce and balsam fir in the northern and northeastern U.S. and in Canada.

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Etymology

Origin of spruce budworm

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

An epidemic of western spruce budworm that swept through this area in 2012 weakened trees that later were killed by beetles.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 1, 2023

Warming temperatures are increasing insect infestations from mountain pine beetles and spruce budworm, which have killed large swathes of forest.

From Salon • May 13, 2022

“You can see that they’re stressed. When that happens, they get attacked by beetles, spruce budworm and mistletoe. They struggle to survive.”

From Washington Times • Oct. 2, 2018

The first samples were taken from a creek in a forest area in the West where there had been mass spraying of DDT for the control of the spruce budworm.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 3, 2017

The intention was to control the spruce budworm, but the following summer it was discovered that a problem worse than the budworm damage had been created.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson