ambrosia beetle

noun

: any of various small wood-boring beetles (family Scolytidae) that cultivate a fungus on which they feed and raise their larvae

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Still, an ambrosia beetle population in an older tree doesn’t necessarily doom it, though young trees are more likely to succumb and any wound in the bark has the potential to become infected by opportunistic fungal cankers. Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 13 Oct. 2022 Laurel wilt is transmitted by the wood-boring redbay ambrosia beetle and can affect a range of plants, including sassafras and spicebush. USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2020 Laurel wilt is a fungal disease transmitted by the wood-boring redbay ambrosia beetle. USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2019 Legions of professional entomologists fret about sawflies, ambrosia beetles, scale insects and leafhoppers. Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2019 As scary as their numbers may be, these strange bugs aren't damaging to the Everglades' natural balance as nonnative species like the tiny Redbay ambrosia beetle is. Adriana Brasileiro, orlandosentinel.com, 19 July 2019 So for ambrosia beetles, the smell of ethanol isn’t just a sign that a tree is stressed or dying. Science | AAAS, 9 Apr. 2018 To find out why, researchers took a closer to look at the black stem borer (pictured), an ambrosia beetle native to Asia that has become a tree-boring pest in North America. Science | AAAS, 9 Apr. 2018 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ambrosia beetle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ambrosia beetle was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near ambrosia beetle

Cite this Entry

“Ambrosia beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ambrosia%20beetle. Accessed 21 Mar. 2023.

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