adelgid

[ uh-del-jid ]

noun

1. any of various homopterous insects of the family Adelgidae, as Adelges abietis spruce gall aphid, or spruce gall adelgid and Pineus pinifoliae pine leaf aphid, that feed and form galls on conifers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of adelgid¹

From New Latin Adelgidae, equivalent to Adelg(es) a genus name (apparently from Greek ádel(os) “unseen, invisible” ( a- “not” + dêlos “visible, clear”) + New Latin -ges further origin unknown: unexplained by the name's originator) + -idae; a- ⁶, -id ²

Example Sentences

Forest Service, has documented the current extent of the adelgid infestation and created a model for predicting its severity around the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

From Science Daily

The hemlock woolly adelgid -- an invasive insect that was introduced to North America 70 years ago and has spread along the East Coast -- can kill a hemlock tree in as little as four years.

From Science Daily

Similarly, millions of hemlock trees in the eastern United States are succumbing to the woolly hemlock adelgid, which likely arrived on Japanese ornamental plants.

From Salon

The hemlock wooly adelgid is a tiny insect that has killed tens of millions of hemlock trees while spreading northward from the Appalachian region.

From Washington Times

Parasitoids have often proved to be more successful biocontrol agents than predators, like those that might tame the woolly adelgid, because parasitoids are more likely to target a single species, causing less collateral damage.

From Science Magazine