Spodoptera frugiperda

9.9

A moth whose caterpillars, called fall armyworms, eat and destroy crops like maize

noun
/spəˈdɒptərə fruːdʒɪˈpɛrdə/

Specialized

: Spodoptera frugiperda

Farmers are concerned about Spodoptera frugiperda damaging their maize crops.

Examples

The larva of Spodoptera frugiperda is known for devastating cereal crops across the Americas and Africa.
Research on controlling Spodoptera frugiperda is crucial for global food security.
Farmers in many countries worry about the rapid spread of Spodoptera frugiperda in their maize fields.
The Spodoptera frugiperda larvae can devastate fields in just a few days.
Farmers in many countries worry about the rapid spread of Spodoptera frugiperda in their maize fields.
Research on controlling Spodoptera frugiperda is crucial for global food security.
The larva of Spodoptera frugiperda is known for devastating cereal crops across the Americas and Africa.

Surface Forms

Spodoptera frugiperda singular

Spodoptera frugiperdas plural

Morphology

Spodoptera + frugiperda

This is a Latin binomial (genus + species) so a learner who knows 'Spodoptera' as a moth genus can infer it names a species of that genus, making the taxonomic relation partially compositional. However, the species epithet 'frugiperda' and the specific meaning 'fall armyworm / major crop pest' are not predictable for a B1 learner (and the epithet is not glossed), so the full referential meaning is not transparently derivable.

Etymology

Spodoptera frugiperda comes from old Greek and Latin words: Spodoptera combines words for 'ash' and 'wing', and frugiperda means 'fruit-destroyer'. So the name gives a clear image of a grey-winged moth whose young eat and ruin crops, which is why it is the name of a major crop pest.