acorn moth

noun

: a small, whitish-gray moth (Valentinia glandulella synonym Blastobasis glandulella of the family Blastobasidae) chiefly of the central and eastern United States with larvae that develop inside nuts and especially acorns

As the autumn wears on, increasing numbers of acorn moths … gain access to acorns on the ground through insect holes, cracks, and sprouts.

—Mark W. Moffett, National Geographic, June 1989

Note: The larvae of acorn moths frequently enter acorns through holes made by acorn weevils.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1871, in the meaning defined above

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