mealybug

noun

mealy·​bug ˈmē-lē-ˌbəg How to pronounce mealybug (audio)
: any of a family (Pseudococcidae) of scale insects that have a white cottony or waxy covering and are destructive pests especially of fruit trees

Examples of mealybug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Whether a caterpillar has chewed away part of a leaf or a mealybug is sucking on sap, animals are constantly feeding on plants. Jacob S. Suissa, The Conversation, 20 June 2024 Some like the soap and oil sprays are contact insecticides that must hit the mealybugs to be effective. Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 15 June 2024 Common Pests and Plant Diseases Scale and mealybugs are common pests that invade pineapple plants. Grace Haynes, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024 Dogs can also be trained to detect the pheromone of the female mealybug, which damages the vineyard. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 3 Aug. 2023 See all Example Sentences for mealybug 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mealybug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mealybug was in 1824

Dictionary Entries Near mealybug

Cite this Entry

“Mealybug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mealybug. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

mealybug

noun
mealy·​bug ˈmē-lē-ˌbəg How to pronounce mealybug (audio)
: any of numerous scale insects that have a white cottony or waxy covering and are destructive pests especially of fruit trees

More from Merriam-Webster on mealybug

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!