Definitions

bollworm

bollworm

[bohl-wurm]
bollworm, name for the larvae of two different moths. The pink bollworm is a serious pest of cotton, and the corn earworm, or cotton bollworm, attacks cotton, corn, and other crops.
or cotton bollworm or tomato fruitworm

Moth larva (Heliothis zea, family Noctuidae) that damages corn, tomato, cotton, and other seasonal crops. The smooth, fleshy, green or brown caterpillars feed on corn kernels near the tip of the ear and burrow into tomatoes and cotton bolls. Four or five generations of the pale brown adult moths, with wingspans of 1.3 in. (3.5 cm), are produced annually.

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Any larva of various moth species, including the pink bollworm (family Gelechiidae) and some Heliothis species (family Noctuidae; see corn earworm). Bollworms attack corn, tomatoes, cotton, peas, alfalfa, beans, soybeans, flax, peanuts, and other commercial crops. They can be controlled by natural parasites, early crop planting, trap crops, and insecticides.

Learn more about bollworm with a free trial on Britannica.com.

A bollworm is a common term for any larva of a moth that attacks the fruiting bodies of certain crops, especially cotton. The most common moths known as bollworms are:

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