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Glite Dictionary
Hyphantria cunea

Hyphantria cunea

9.9
A moth whose caterpillars make silky webs on tree branches
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Hyphantria cunea
  • The trees in my backyard were covered in silky webs woven by Hyphantria cunea larvae.

Examples

  • Farmers are concerned about Hyphantria cunea because its caterpillars can defoliate crops.

  • Biologists study the spread of Hyphantria cunea as an invasive pest in new regions.

  • The Hyphantria cunea is known for its distinctive webs.

  • Have you seen the Hyphantria cunea in your garden?

  • The trees in my backyard were covered in silky webs woven by Hyphantria cunea larvae.

  • Farmers are concerned about Hyphantria cunea because its caterpillars can defoliate crops.

  • Biologists study the spread of Hyphantria cunea as an invasive pest in new regions.

Synonyms

fall webworm
vsHyphantria cunea
  • Specialized
9.9

A caterpillar that lives in large silk nests on tree branches and eats the leaves in late summer and fall

is the scientific species name used in formal contexts rather than the common name

Surface Forms

Hyphantria cunea singular
Hyphantria cuneas plural

Morphology

Hyphantria + cunea

This is a Latin binomial taxonomic name: while the genus 'Hyphantria' (not a common English word) signals a group of moths, the species epithet 'cunea' is not an English lexical item and offers no compositional cue to 'fall webworm'. Scientific names function as arbitrary labels rather than semantically transparent phrases, so a B1 learner who knows the parts would not be able to derive the common‑language meaning.

Etymology

The noun Hyphantria cunea comes from the moth's web-making caterpillars. The parts Hyphantria and cunea point to the tiny larvae that weave white 'webs' on tree branches, so the name reminds us of the species called the 'fall webworm'.