bollworm

bollworm
/bohl"werrm'/, n.
2. See corn earworm.
[1840-50, Amer.; BOLL + WORM]

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Any larva of various moth species, including the pink bollworm (family Gelechiidae) and some Heliothis species (family Noctuidae; see corn earworm).

Bollworms attack corn, tomatoes, cotton, peas, alfalfa, beans, soybeans, flax, peanuts, and other commercial crops. They can be controlled by natural parasites, early crop planting, trap crops, and insecticides.

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▪ insect
 any larva of various moths (order Lepidoptera), including the pink bollworm of the family Gelechiidae (see gelechiid moth) and some Heliothis species. The larvae of the corn earworm (Heliothis zea), a member of the family Noctuidae, feed on the corn kernels near the tip of the ear. Because the larvae of this pest also burrow into tomatoes and cotton bolls, they are sometimes known as tomato fruitworms or cotton bollworms.

      Other plants attacked by the bollworm include peas, alfalfa, beans, soybeans, flax, peanuts, and other commercial crops. The pests can be controlled by natural parasites, early crop planting, trap crops, and insecticides.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • bollworm — ☆ bollworm [bōl′wʉrm΄ ] n. 1. a kind of moth larva (Platyedra gossypiella) that feeds on developing cotton bolls, ears of corn, tomatoes, etc.: also called pink bollworm 2. CORN EARWORM …   English World dictionary

  • Bollworm — Boll worm , n. (Zo[ o]l.) The larva of a moth ({Heliothis armigera}) which devours the bolls or unripe pods of the cotton plant, often doing great damage to the crops. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bollworm — A bollworm is a common term for any larva of a moth that attacks the fruiting bodies of certain crops, especially cotton. The most common moths known as bollworms are:* Red or Sudan Bollworm: Diaparopsis * Rough Bollworm: Earias buegeli * Spotted …   Wikipedia

  • bollworm — noun any of various moth caterpillars that destroy cotton bolls • Hypernyms: ↑caterpillar • Hyponyms: ↑pink bollworm, ↑Gelechia gossypiella, ↑corn earworm, ↑cotton bollworm, ↑tomato fruitworm, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • bollworm — boll•worm [[t]ˈboʊlˌwɜrm[/t]] n. 1) Also called pink bollworm the larva of a small moth, Pectinophora gossypiella, that feeds on the seeds of cotton bolls. 2) ent corn earworm • Etymology: 1840–50, amer …   From formal English to slang

  • bollworm — /ˈboʊlwɜm/ (say bohlwerm) noun any of various moth larvae which attack cotton bolls, as the pink bollworm, the larva of a Queensland moth, Pectinophora scutigera …  

  • bollworm — noun Date: 1847 corn earworm; also any of several other moths that feed on cotton bolls as larvae …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • bollworm — noun The larvae of any of various species of moth that are pests to some agricultural crops …   Wiktionary

  • bollworm — n. moth caterpillars that ruin cotton bolls; moth larva that eats corn …   English contemporary dictionary

  • bollworm — noun a moth caterpillar which is a pest of cotton and other crops in North America …   English new terms dictionary

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