Which insect is honored by a statue in Enterprise, Alabama?

• A. The cotton boll weevil
• B. The boll weevil
• C. The corn rootworm
• D. The Japanese beetle

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how a pest can shape agricultural history and even become a cultural symbol. Enterprise, Alabama, is home to the famous Boll Weevil Monument, which honors the boll weevil for its dramatic impact on cotton farming. The boll weevil, a small beetle (Anthonomus grandis) that lays its eggs in cotton buds and bolls, caused widespread cotton losses in the early 20th century. Those losses forced farmers to diversify their crops and adopt new crops and farming practices, transforming the local economy. Because of this profound effect on agriculture, the boll weevil is celebrated in a statue there.

The other insects listed are not connected to this monument in the same way, and thus don’t fit the clue of a site-specific tribute. The cotton boll weevil is the same idea as the boll weevil in this context, just a more descriptive name. The statue stands for the boll weevil, not the corn rootworm or the Japanese beetle.