cereal leaf beetle

noun

: a small reddish-brown black-headed Old World chrysomelid beetle (Oulema melanopus) that feeds on cereal grasses and is a serious pest of U.S. grain crops

Examples of cereal leaf beetle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For instance, Sanford Eigenbrode, a University of Idaho entomologist, projected the effects of warming temperatures on cereal leaf beetles and how that could affect wheat crops. Mark Rudin, idahostatesman, 26 Jan. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cereal leaf beetle was in 1962

Dictionary Entries Near cereal leaf beetle

Cite this Entry

“Cereal leaf beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cereal%20leaf%20beetle. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!