'larvae-attracting' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the plural noun 'larvae' (plural of 'larva') and the present participle 'attracting' (from the verb 'attract'), where 'larva' ultimately comes from Latin and 'attract' from Latin 'attrahere'.

'larvae' comes from Latin 'larva' (originally meaning 'ghost' or 'mask'), later adopted in biological usage (17th century) to mean an immature animal form and given the plural 'larvae'; 'attract' comes via Latin 'attrahere' ('ad-' + 'trahere' meaning 'to draw toward'), through Old French/Middle English into Modern English; these elements combined in Modern English to form the compound adjective 'larvae-attracting'.

Initially, Latin 'larva' meant 'ghost/mask' but its scientific meaning shifted to 'immature insect/animal form'; 'attract' retained the sense 'to draw toward'; together they now mean 'drawing or likely to draw larvae'.