tobacco hornworm
Noun A large, green, white-striped caterpillar (larva of a hawkmoth) that feeds primarily on plants in the tobacco family and is very similar in appearance to the tomato hornworm.
The term "tobacco hornworm" is used specifically to refer to the larval stage of the moth Manduca sexta. It is a common pest in agriculture and gardening. * The farmer found a tobacco hornworm eating the leaves of his tobacco plants. * Tobacco hornworms can cause significant damage to crops like tobacco, tomato, and pepper.
In scientific and agricultural contexts, the tobacco hornworm is often discussed in relation to its life cycle, its role as a pest, and its use as a model organism in biological research. * The study utilized tobacco hornworm larvae to investigate insect physiology. * Effective organic controls for the tobacco hornworm include the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
- Tomato hornworm (): A closely related species whose larvae are very similar but feed preferentially on tomato plants. The tobacco hornworm has seven diagonal white stripes and a red "horn," while the tomato hornworm has eight V-shaped markings and a black horn.
- Hornworm: A general common name for the large caterpillars of the Sphingidae family (hawkmoths or sphinx moths), which possess a prominent caudal "horn."
- Manduca sexta: The scientific name for the tobacco hornworm moth.
- Tobacco worm
- larva (scientific)
"Tobacco hornworm" has a single, specific entomological meaning. It does not have other common figurative or idiomatic uses. The term is a compound noun where "tobacco" indicates one of its primary host plants and "hornworm" describes its physical characteristic (a caterpillar with a horn).
- large green white-striped hawkmoth larva that feeds on tobacco and related plants; similar to tomato hornworm