genus Ceratitis
- noun
- /ˈdʒɛnəs səˈrætɪtɪs/
- Specialized
- The genus Ceratitis includes the Mediterranean fruit fly, a key pest in agriculture.
Examples
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The genus Ceratitis includes several species of fruit flies.
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The genus Ceratitis includes several important agricultural pests.
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Scientists studied the life cycle of insects in the genus Ceratitis.
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Some species within the genus Ceratitis have spread worldwide due to human activity.
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Scientists are studying the genus Ceratitis for its agricultural impact.
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Scientists studied the life cycle of insects in the genus Ceratitis famous for its fruit flies.
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Some species within the genus Ceratitis are known to cause significant damage to crops.
Synonyms
A small fly that lays eggs in fruit and damages crops
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward taxonomic combination: 'genus' (a biological rank) plus the proper name 'Ceratitis' clearly denotes the genus called Ceratitis. Although the referent is specialized, the construction is fully compositional and follows cross-linguistic scientific naming patterns, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Genus Ceratitis is a scientific name made of two parts: genus means a 'group' of related types, and Ceratitis may come from a Greek word meaning 'horn' because some fruit flies have horn-like body parts. So the name tells you this is a 'group' of fruit flies that share those features.