white-fringed beetle

[ hwahyt-frinjd, wahyt- ]

noun

1. any of several weevils of the genus Graphognathus, native to South America and now of southeastern and mid-Atlantic U.S., whose larvae feed on roots and cause serious damage to a wide variety of plants.

Word History and Origins

Origin of white-fringed beetle¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

And the dosage of dieldrin and heptachlor was heavier — 2 pounds to the acre under most conditions, or 3 pounds of dieldrin if the white-fringed beetle was also to be controlled.

From Literature