four-lined plant bug
- noun
- US
:
insecto planta de cuatro líneas
- The four-lined plant bug can be identified by its distinctive four black stripes on its back.
Examples
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Damage from the four-lined plant bug is often mistaken for fungal infections.
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The four-lined plant bug is often found on tomato plants.
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Gardeners often look for signs of the four-lined plant bug during early summer.
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The four-lined plant bug causes unsightly spots on many garden plants.
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Have you seen a four-lined plant bug in your garden?
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Gardeners often check their plants for the presence of the four-lined plant bug in order to prevent damage.
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If you notice brown spots on your leaves, it may be due to infestation by the four-lined plant bug.
Synonyms
A small yellow or orange bug with four black stripes on its back often found in North America
A small yellow insect with four black stripes on its back that feeds on plants
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is fully compositional: 'bug' = insect, 'plant' indicates association with plants, and 'four-lined' transparently describes having four lines or stripes. This adjective+noun / noun-noun descriptive pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the parts can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Four-lined plant bug is named for how it looks: the four-lined part means the insect has four dark stripes on its back and plant bug shows it lives on and eats garden plants. That's why the name points to this small yellow or orange insect that causes spots and damage on plants.
