Armyworm

/ˈɑrmiˌwɜrm/ noun

Definition

A type of moth caterpillar that travels in large groups across fields and can destroy crops by eating plant leaves.

Etymology

Compound word from 'army' and 'worm'; named for the behavior where thousands of caterpillars march together like an organized army, creating a visible swarm moving across farmland.

Kelly Says

Armyworms got their name because they literally form armies—a single female moth can lay hundreds of eggs, and when they all hatch at once, millions of tiny caterpillars move together like a living wave, turning green fields brown in just days!

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