skeletonizer
Vein-leaving leaf pest
A skeletonizer is an insect larva—typically a moth caterpillar or beetle grub—that eats the soft tissue between leaf veins, leaving behind a lacy skeleton of the original structure: Grape skeletonizers devastated the vineyard.
The term also applies to chemicals or processes that strip flesh from bone, used in taxidermy and forensics to prepare skeletal specimens.
Moth or butterfly young
- mothNight-flying lepidopteran
- larvaImmature feeding stage
- leafminerLarva feeding within leaves
- defoliatorWhat removes plant leaves
pest · instar · chrysalis · frass · hatchling · molt · metamorphosis · entomology
Loss of foliage
- foliagePlant's leafy covering
- leavesTree's photosynthetic organs
- veinsBlood-return tubes
- laceworkOrnamental open-weave fabric
windowpane · feeding · damage · infestation · outbreak · crop · agriculture · horticulture
Chemical wearing away
- erosionGradual wearing away
- oxidationLosing electrons chemically
- deteriorationProcess of declining quality
- degradationDecline in condition
disintegration · crumbling · withering · atrophy · fragmentation · rotting · wear · ruination
Putrefying animal remains
- decomposerOrganism breaking down corpses
- carcassSlaughtered animal's body
- boneHard skeletal tissue
- remainsContinues in place
scavenging · flesh · stripping · cleanup
caterpillar
Moth or butterfly young
defoliator · pest · instar · chrysalis · frass · hatchling · molt · metamorphosis · entomology · herbivore
defoliation
Loss of foliage
lacework · windowpane · feeding · damage · infestation · outbreak · crop · agriculture · horticulture · arboriculture
corrosion
Chemical wearing away
- erosionGradual wearing away
- oxidationLosing electrons chemically
- deteriorationProcess of declining quality
degradation · disintegration · crumbling · withering · atrophy · fragmentation · rotting · wear · ruination · blight
carrion
Putrefying animal remains
- decomposerOrganism breaking down corpses
- carcassSlaughtered animal's body
- boneHard skeletal tissue
remains · scavenging · flesh · stripping · cleanup
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