noun
- insects, especially moth or beetle larvae, that feed on leaf tissue between the veins, leaving only the skeletal framework of leaves
Usage: entomology; gardening
Examples
- The elm leaf beetle skeletonizers damaged most of the trees in the park.
- Gardeners often struggle with skeletonizers that leave their plants looking lacy and brown.
- Japanese beetle skeletonizers can quickly strip a rose bush of its foliage.
- The arborist identified skeletonizers as the cause of the unusual leaf damage.
- Natural predators help control populations of skeletonizers in healthy ecosystems.
- Skeletonizers leave behind only the leaf veins, creating a delicate skeleton-like appearance.