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Glite Dictionary
Spodoptera exigua

Spodoptera exigua

9.9
A moth whose caterpillars, called beet armyworms, eat many crops
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Spodoptera exigua
  • The larvae of Spodoptera exigua are commonly referred to as beet armyworms.

Examples

  • Spodoptera exigua is a major pest in vegetable crops around the world.

  • Farmers monitor their fields for signs of Spodoptera exigua infestations to protect their harvests.

  • Farmers are concerned about Spodoptera exigua damaging their crops.

  • The larvae of Spodoptera exigua are known as beet armyworms.

  • Spodoptera exigua is a common threat to corn and soybean farms due to its destructive larvae.

  • Farmers often apply insecticides to control Spodoptera exigua populations and protect their crops.

  • The larvae of Spodoptera exigua can cause significant losses in agricultural fields if left unchecked.

Surface Forms

Spodoptera exigua singular
Spodoptera exiguas plural

Morphology

Spodoptera + exigua

This is a scientific binomial name (a taxonomic label) rather than a compositional phrase: knowing the genus name 'Spodoptera' and the species epithet does not let a learner infer the common name 'beet armyworm' or the pest behaviour. The species meaning and pest status are language- and domain-specific information (and 'exigua' is not a transparent English word), so a B1 learner cannot derive the MWE's meaning from its parts.

Etymology

Spodoptera exigua may come from old Greek and Latin: spodo meaning 'ash', ptera meaning 'wings', and exigua meaning 'small', so the name gives a picture of a small, ash-coloured moth. Its young are called 'beet armyworms' because they move over crops like a little army, so the name now refers to this moth species and its crop‑damaging larvae.