cankerworm

[ kang-ker-wurm ]

noun

1. an inchworm, the larva of either of two geometrid moths, Paleacrita vernata spring cankerworm and Alsophila pometaria fall cankerworm: a foliage pest of various fruit and shade trees.

cankerworm

/ ˈkæŋkəˌwɜːm /

noun

1. the larva of either of two geometrid moths, Paleacrita vernata or Alsophila pometaria, which feed on and destroy fruit and shade trees in North America

Word History and Origins

Origin of cankerworm¹

First recorded in 1520–30; canker + worm

Example Sentences

Cankerworm caterpillars of the hackberry leafroller moth have infested North Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, after recent rains provided conditions amenable to their life cycle.

From Washington Times

The Eastern tent caterpillar, the tomato hornworm, the gypsy moth caterpillar, the fall cankerworm — these pests belong to the darker side of the order Lepidoptera.

From Washington Post

Chickadees and other winter-resident birds can protect orchards against the cankerworm.

From Literature

Helmick says large cankerworm infestations also have been reported in eastern Virginia.

From Washington Times

Disease and predators typically cause large cankerworm outbreaks to collapse.

From Washington Times