plant hopper
- noun
- /plænt ˈhɑːpər/
:
saltamontes de las plantas
- Farmers are concerned about the plant hopper because it can affect the health of their crops.
Examples
-
The small plant hopper jumped from leaf to leaf in search of food.
-
The Megamelus plant hopper (about 3 mm long) may provide badly needed help in controlling water hyacinth.
Academic text (2000) -
And if you change your habits and don't spray the moment you see some plant hoppers, it turns out the fields do much better.
-
And if you change your habits and don't spray the moment you see some plant hoppers, it turns out the fields do much better.
-
Above, grey-white nymphs of Taosa plant hoppers feed on heavily damaged water hyacinth.
Academic text (2000) -
Taosa and Megamelus plant hoppers are sap-sucking insects that, like their whitefly cousins, can transmit plant pathogens.
Academic text (2000) -
Experts recommend monitoring plant hoppers to manage their population on commercial farms.
Synonyms
2
5.6
A small plant-eating insect with long back legs for jumping
A small insect that lives on plants and jumps, usually not harmful to crops
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a small insect found on plants' is directly and compositionally derived from 'plant' (a photosynthetic organism) + 'hopper' (a small jumping insect); the noun+noun compound transparently denotes a hopper associated with plants. This literal, predictable relation follows common English compounding patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The noun plant hopper comes from a simple image: plant (where it lives) and hopper (an animal that jumps). That's why it means 'a small jumping insect found on plants'.