tussock
TUSS-uhk
Definition
Refers to a specific type of moth larva (the tussock moth caterpillar) that has tufts of hair, which the house sparrow finds unpalatable.
Etymology
Originating from the Middle English 'tussock', meaning a tuft of grass, the term evolved to describe various hairy or tufted growths in nature, including the caterpillars that share this characteristic.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe a caterpillar species that replaced the initial inchworm problem, noting that sparrows refused to eat them.
In 1852 the Brooklyn Institute released eight pairs of house sparrows to eat the caterpillars stripping the borough's shade trees, and topped the colony up with more birds from England the next year; the sparrows mostly ignored the caterpillars — they eat grain
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com