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Glite Dictionary
citrus mealybug

citrus mealybug

6.6
A small insect that eats the sap of plants and damages citrus trees
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪtrəs ˈmiːliˌbʌg/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cochinilla de los cítricos
  • The citrus mealybug can cause significant economic losses in the citrus industry.

Examples

  • Applying neem oil is a common method for managing citrus mealybug infestations.

  • Farmers have struggled to control the citrus mealybug population in their orchards.

  • The citrus mealybug infested the orange groves.

  • Many farmers are worried about the citrus mealybug this season.

  • Farmers have struggled to control the citrus mealybug population in their orchards.

  • The citrus mealybug can cause significant economic losses in the citrus industry.

  • Applying neem oil is a common method for managing citrus mealybug infestations.

Synonyms

Planococcus citri
vscitrus mealybug
  • Specialized
9.9

A small white insect that eats citrus and other garden plants and harms them

emphasizes feeding on many cultivated plants and particular damage to citrus

Surface Forms

citrus mealybug singular
citrus mealybugs plural

Morphology

Citrus + mealybug

This is a straightforward noun compound where the modifier 'citrus' names the host/associated plant and 'mealybug' names the insect; a learner who knows both words can infer it is a mealybug that affects citrus plants. Such host+organism compounds are compositional and cross-linguistically common, so the meaning is immediately derivable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Citrus mealybug comes from the insect's look and where it lives. A mealybug looks soft and is covered in a white, powdery 'meal', and it lives on citrus trees where it feeds on the plant's juice, so the name explains why this bug often harms citrus crops.