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Glite Dictionary
fall armyworm

fall armyworm

8.6
A caterpillar that eats and destroys corn and other grass crops
  • noun
  • /fɔl ˈɑrmiˌwɜrm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : gusano del ejército caído
  • The scientists are also continuing preliminary studies of other pheromones and parasites for use against fall armyworm, beet armyworm, cotton bollworm, and other insects that attack cotton and other crops.

Examples

  • Farmers are worried about the fall armyworm that is destroying their corn crops.

  • The fall armyworm can multiply quickly and cause significant damage to fields.

  • Scientists are researching methods to control the fall armyworm population in agricultural areas.

Synonyms

Spodoptera frugiperda
vsfall armyworm
  • Specialized
9.9

A moth whose caterpillars, called fall armyworms, eat and destroy crops like maize

refers specifically to the larval life stage that damages grasses and cereals

Surface Forms

fall armyworm singular
fall armyworms plural

Morphology

fall + armyworm

The noun is transparently composed of 'fall' (the season) + 'armyworm' (a larval pest that moves in groups), so the phrase denotes an armyworm associated with the fall season. This straightforward compound pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the general meaning even if they lack the precise taxonomic detail.

Etymology

The name fall armyworm comes from how these caterpillars behave: in the fall they move together like an army of worms across fields, eating plants as they go. So the name refers to the caterpillar that can 'destroy crops'.