apple maggot

noun

: a dipteran fly (Rhagoletis pomonella) whose larva burrows in and feeds especially on apples

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web When species diverge like the apple maggot flies - without a complete, physical barrier - it's called Sympatric Speciation. Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 19 Dec. 2011 The apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella is a prime example of a species just beginning to diverge. Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 19 Dec. 2011 Remove and dispose of windfall apples that might be harboring apple maggot or codling moth larvae. oregonlive, 1 Oct. 2021 For more information on the apple maggot and management, see here and here. oregonlive, 4 Apr. 2021 For apple maggot and codling moth, you best approach is to put paper bags or nylon footies over individual apples to protect them from the crawling larva of each of the insects. oregonlive, 23 Jan. 2021 Apples are prey to many types of fungal diseases, along with apple maggot (the worm inside the apples) and also codling moth (another worm inside the apple). oregonlive, 12 July 2020 To biologists eager to understand how one species can split into two, the apple maggot fly seemed primed to spill the genetic secrets. Quanta Magazine, 10 Sep. 2019 Light blue traps attract flower thrips, and red spheres attract the flies whose eggs hatch into apple maggots. The Editors Of Organic Life, Good Housekeeping, 18 Dec. 2017 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of apple maggot was in 1866

Dictionary Entries Near apple maggot

Cite this Entry

“Apple maggot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apple%20maggot. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

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