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Mexican bean beetle

Mexican bean beetle

7.2
A small insect that eats the leaves of bean plants and often damages bean crops
  • noun
  • /ˈmɛksɪkən bin ˈbiːtəl/
  • US
translation icon : escarabajo del frijol mexicano
  • The Mexican bean beetle is a common pest in gardens.
  • Mexican bean beetle

Examples

  • To manage the infestation of Mexican bean beetles, some farmers use organic pest control methods.

  • Controlling the spread of the Mexican bean beetle is important for healthy bean harvests.

  • Farmers worry about the damage caused by the Mexican bean beetle to their crops.

  • The larvae of the Mexican bean beetle feed on bean leaves, causing significant defoliation.

  • Farmers often struggle with Mexican bean beetles in their crops.

  • Gardeners often struggle to control Mexican bean beetles, which feed on the leaves of bean plants.

  • If you notice Mexican bean beetles on your plants, you should take action quickly to prevent damage.

Synonyms

Epilachna varivestis
vsMexican bean beetle
  • Specialized
9.9

A small beetle that eats the leaves of bean plants

is the everyday common name rather than the scientific designation
bean beetle
vsMexican bean beetle
  • Specialized
7.4

A small beetle that eats bean leaves and damages crops

is the precise species name used in scientific contexts

Surface Forms

Morphology

Mexican + bean + beetle

The phrase is fully compositional: a 'beetle' (insect) that is associated with 'bean' plants and of/from 'Mexican' origin, so the meaning (a beetle that affects bean plants from Mexico) can be directly derived from the parts. This follows common noun-modifier compounding patterns found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would be able to understand it.

Etymology

Mexican bean beetle is a name that tells a little story: Mexican shows where it came from, bean shows what it eats, and beetle is the small insect. So the name means a small insect from Mexico that eats bean leaves and is often called a 'pest'.