summit disease

Meanings

1. A disease (usually fungal, caused by the species complex Entomophaga grylli) that affects various species of insect, especially grasshoppers, whereby the infected individual typically climbs to the upper parts of a plant, attaches itself there and dies, at which point the infecting agent disperses itself, usually in the form of spores.

Etymology

From summit + disease, from the tendency of infected insects to climb to the upper parts of plants before dying.