seed-corn maggot

noun

: a small yellowish grub with a pointed head that is the larva of a grayish brown two-winged fly (Hylemya platura), is native to Europe but now widely distributed in North America, and is typically a destructive borer in seeds and seedlings (as of Indian corn, beans, or melons) but sometimes attacks stems or roots of older plants

called also corn maggot

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Cite this Entry

“Seed-corn maggot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seed-corn%20maggot. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.

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