Agrilus

/ˈæɡrɪləs/ noun

Definition

A genus of wood-boring beetles, some species of which are destructive agricultural and forest pests.

Etymology

A scientific Latin name of uncertain origin, possibly related to Latin agrestis (wild) or agrarius (of fields). Used as the formal taxonomic name for these beetles.

Kelly Says

The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) has devastated millions of ash trees across North America—a tiny beetle named with a fancy Latin genus name that few people know about, yet it's one of the most ecologically damaging insects of our era.

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