onion louse

Thân thiện

The gardener inspects an onion plant for onion louse.

Definition

Noun: 1. Onion louse: A small, sap-sucking insect (Thrips tabaci) that is a pest, specifically harmful to onion plants and sometimes to tobacco plants. It is a type of thrips.

Usage

• The term "onion louse" is used specifically in agricultural and gardening contexts to refer to this pest insect.
• It functions as a countable noun (e.g., an onion louse, onion lice).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The farmer discovered onion louse infestations in half of his crop.
  • Onion louse damage can cause silvery streaks and distorted growth on leaves.
  • Controlling onion louse populations is essential for a healthy harvest.

Advanced Usage

• The term is technically a compound noun but is treated as a single lexical unit for this specific insect.
• In formal entomological contexts, the Latin name or the common name onion thrips is often preferred over "onion louse."

Variants and Related Words

• Onion thrips (n): The more common modern name for the same insect ().
• Thrips (n): The general name for the order of insects to which the onion louse belongs.

Synonyms

• Onion thrips
• Thrips tabaci (scientific name)

Notes on Different Meanings

• The word "louse" on its own typically refers to a different type of insect parasite (e.g., head louse). In the compound "onion louse," it is used more broadly to mean a troublesome pest.

Học thuật

Noun

1. injurious to onion plants and sometimes tobacco

Từ đồng nghĩa

• onion thrips
• Thrips tobaci