cacao moth

9.1

A small moth whose larvae eat and damage dried plant goods like cacao beans and tobacco

noun
/kəˈkeɪ.oʊ mɔθ/

: polilla del cacao

The storage facility suffered an infestation of cacao moth larvae that damaged several bags of tobacco.

Examples

Proper hygiene and sealing practices are essential to prevent cacao moth infestations in warehouses.
The cacao moth is a pest for chocolate manufacturers.
A cacao moth was discovered in the shipment of dried herbs, prompting immediate inspection.
Farmers are concerned about cacao moths damaging their crops.
A cacao moth infestation can lead to significant losses in stored cacao beans.
To protect their products, factories often implement measures against cacao moth larvae.
The presence of a cacao moth indicates potential damage to agricultural goods in storage.

Synonyms

Ephestia elutella

vscacao moth

Specialized

9.9

A small moth whose young eat tobacco and other dried plant foods in storage and damage them

includes damage to specific stored bean crops rather than only general dried goods

tobacco moth

vscacao moth

Specialized

8.6

A small insect whose young eat tobacco and other dried plants

includes damage to stored bean crops as well as other dried products

Surface Forms

cacao moth singular

cacao moths plural

Morphology

cacao + moth

The meaning 'a moth associated with cacao / that feeds on cacao beans' is directly and compositionally derived from combining 'cacao' (the plant/beans) with 'moth' (an insect), indicating the type of moth. This noun+noun modifier–head pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Cacao moth is named for the moth's habit of laying eggs on dried cacao beans, where the young caterpillars eat the beans and spread to other stored foods. So today cacao moth means a small moth whose caterpillars 'damage' stored goods like cacao, tobacco and dried herbs.