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armyworm

armyworm

7.8
A caterpillar that moves in large groups and eats crops like grain
  • noun
  • /ˈɑrmiˌwɜrm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : gusano del ejército
  • When armyworms invade a crop, they can cause devastating loss for farmers in a matter of days.
  • beet armyworm
  • cotton armyworm

Examples

  • The scientists are also continuing preliminary studies of other pheromones and parasites for use against fall armyworm, beet armyworm, cotton bollworm, and other insects that attack cotton and other crops.

    Academic text (1994)
  • There are a number of insects that attack the wheat crop, such as termites, cutworms, wheat weevils, Jassids, aphids, armyworms, and heliothis.

    Academic text (2014)
  • Early-planted fields are susceptible to armyworm, Hessian fly, and aphid infestation.

    Blog text (6)
  • They feed on pests like the cotton bollworm, beet armyworm, and aphids.

    Academic text (1994)
  • The scientists are also continuing preliminary studies of other pheromones and parasites for use against fall armyworm, beet armyworm, cotton bollworm, and other insects that attack cotton and other crops.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Farmers often struggle with armyworms because they can quickly destroy entire fields of corn.

  • The presence of armyworms in the wheat fields led to a significant decline in the harvest this year.

Synonyms

army worm
vsarmyworm
  • Specialized
7.4

A caterpillar that moves in large groups and eats crops like grass and grain

is the general name for group-moving, crop-destroying caterpillar larvae
Pseudaletia unipuncta
vsarmyworm
  • Specialized
9.9

A moth whose caterpillars move in large groups and eat crops

is the common term covering such species that swarm and damage fields
Chorizagrotis auxiliaris
vsarmyworm
  • Specialized
9.9

A moth whose caterpillars, called armyworms, travel in large groups and eat grain and alfalfa crops

is broader, naming any group-migrating larva that harms cereal crops
genus Pseudaletia
vsarmyworm
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of moths whose caterpillars are armyworms that damage crops

is the everyday label for any such genus member causing crop loss
Pseudaletia
vsarmyworm
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of moths whose caterpillars eat crops and can be pests

is the practical term for swarming larvae that destroy grain fields
Spodoptera
vsarmyworm
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of moths whose caterpillars, called armyworms, eat farm crops

is the common agricultural label for larvae that swarm and eat crops
Spodoptera frugiperda
vsarmyworm
  • Specialized
9.9

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

is a general term for similar larvae that attack grains in groups
fall armyworm
vsarmyworm
  • Specialized
8.6

A caterpillar that eats and destroys corn and other grass crops

is the broader term for larvae that move in groups and harm crops
beet armyworm
vsarmyworm
  • Specialized
9.2

A caterpillar that eats the leaves of beets and other vegetables and damages crops

is more general, focusing on group migration and grain destruction
Spodoptera exigua
vsarmyworm
  • Specialized
9.9

A moth whose caterpillars, called beet armyworms, eat many crops

is the wider label for any swarm-moving larva that destroys fields
army cutworm
vsarmyworm
  • Specialized
9.9

A caterpillar that moves in large groups and eats crops like wheat and alfalfa

is the general name for group-migrating, crop-damaging caterpillar larvae
Chorizagrotis
vsarmyworm
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of moths whose caterpillars are army cutworms that damage crops

is the common term for larvae that swarm and destroy agricultural fields

Compounds

beet armyworm
  • Specialized
9.2

A caterpillar that eats the leaves of beets and other vegetables and damages crops

fall armyworm
  • Specialized
8.6

A caterpillar that eats and destroys corn and other grass crops

Surface Forms

armyworm singular
armyworms plural

Morphology

armyworm = army + worm (semi-transparent) = army + worm

The components 'army' and 'worm' are identifiable, but the term refers to a specific, technical pest (a group-moving caterpillar), so its exact referent is specialized vocabulary rather than a fully predictable literal compound.

Etymology

Armyworm is made from the two parts army and worm. Think of many caterpillars moving like an 'army' and eating fields as they go, which is why armyworm means a caterpillar that attacks crops in large groups.