Definition of curculio in English:
curculio
nounPlural curculioskəːˈkjuːlɪəʊkərˈkyo͞olēˌō
North American A beetle of the weevil family, especially one which is a pest of fruit trees.
Several genera and species in the family Curculionidae, including the plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar)
Example sentencesExamples
- Normally, controlling pests is my greatest challenge, and the pea curculio is my greatest enemy.
- The single most destructive insect pest for Eastern growers - the infamous plum curculio - is unknown in the West.
- The three main insect pests that damage apple fruits are apple maggot flies, plum curculio, and codling moth.
- Repellent sprays help, provided the curculios have a flowering crab apple nearby on which to turn their attention.
- Now scientists have identified a natural odor, or pheromone, released by the male curculio weevil that attracts both males and females.
Origin
Modern Latin, used as the genus name for weevils in the 18th century, now restricted to the nut weevils.