wireworm

[ wahyuh r-wurm ]

/ ˈwaɪərˌwɜrm /

any of the slender, hard-bodied larvae of click beetles, many of which live underground and feed on the roots of plants.

any of various small myriapods.

stomach worm.

Origin of wireworm

First recorded in 1780–90; wire + worm

The insects in the larval or wireworm stage attack the roots of plants, eating them away below the ground.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 10 |Various
The wireworm and slugs are both very fond of Pinks and Carnations.

Hardy Perennials and Old Fashioned Flowers |John Wood
One day I encountered a sand-wasp which had just stung a wireworm and was dragging it over the ground.

In the Open |Stanton Davis Kirkham
Kainit is said to keep off wireworm, and is recommended in the United States as a preventive against this pest.

The Book of Pears and Plums |Edward Bartrum

Wireworm is the most persistent and destructive of all the ground vermin.

The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers From Seeds and Roots, 16th Edition |Sutton and Sons

wireworm

/ (ˈwaɪəˌwɜːm) /

the wormlike larva of various elaterid beetles, which feeds on the roots of many crop plants and is a serious agricultural pest