螟 (míng) - Moth larva & refers to various types of destructive insect larvae

螟Tone 2

míng ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

妙慕

螟 · míng

Moth larva;

refers to various types of destructive insect larvae that bore into plants, particularly the larvae of snout moths that infest rice and other crops.

Moth larvarefers to various types of destructive insect larvae

Usage highlights

Rice stem borerBorer damageCorn borerAdopted sonBorer mothControl borers

Synonyms

  • 蛀虫— borer insect; moth larva

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The rice plant was infested with borers (螟虫).
  • Farmers work to prevent borer damage (螟害).
  • This pesticide is effective against stem borers (钻心螟).
  • The larva is a major agricultural pest (螟蛉).

Collocations

  • Rice stem borer(螟虫)
  • Borer damage(螟害)
  • Corn borer(玉米螟)
  • Adopted son(螟蛉之子)
  • Borer moth(螟蛾)
  • Control borers(治螟)

Idioms

  • An adopted son(螟蛉之子)
  • The borer and the locust(螟蝗)
  • Borers and weevils(螟蠹)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically a major agricultural pest in China, causing significant crop loss.
  • The term 螟蛉之子 (míng líng zhī zǐ) is a classical allusion for an adopted son, originating from the mistaken belief that a certain wasp raised caterpillar larvae as its own.
  • Appears in ancient agricultural texts as one of the primary pests farmers had to combat.

FAQ