ichneumon fly

ichneumon fly
noun
hymenopterous insect that resembles a wasp and whose larvae are parasitic on caterpillars and other insect larvae
• Member Holonyms: ↑Ichneumonidae, ↑family Ichneumonidae

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noun
: any of a large superfamily (Ichneumonoidea) of hymenopterous insects that have many-jointed antennae, fore wings with a usually triangular stigma, petiolate abdomen, and in the female a commonly long sheathed ovipositor for use on other insect larvae (as caterpillars) which the larval ichneumon fly burrows in and feeds on and ultimately kills thereby constituting an important natural check on many destructive insects

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any of numerous wasplike insects of the family Ichneumonidae, the larvae of which are parasitic on caterpillars and immature stages of other insects.
Also, ichneumonfly.
[1705-15]

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ichneumon fly,
a four-winged insect, related to bees and wasps, that does not sting. Its larvae live as parasites in or on caterpillars, other insects, and spiders, usually killing them.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ichneumon fly — Ichneumon Ich*neu mon, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, lit., the tracker; so called because it hunts out the eggs of the crocodile, fr. ? to track or hunt after, fr. i chnos track, footstep.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) Any carnivorous mammal of the genus {Herpestes}, and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ichneumon fly — n. any of a large family (Ichneumonidae) of hymenopteran insects whose larvae live as parasites in or on other insect larvae: also ichneumon wasp …   English World dictionary

  • ichneumon fly — noun see ichneumon wasp …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • ichneumon fly — noun (inaccurately named) ichneumon wasp …   Wiktionary

  • ichneumon fly — ichneu′mon fly n. ent any of numerous wasplike insects of the family Ichneumonidae, the larvae of which are parasites of the larvae and pupae of many insects, esp. moths and butterflies • Etymology: 1705–15 …   From formal English to slang

  • ichneumon fly — any of numerous wasplike insects of the family Ichneumonidae, the larvae of which are parasitic on caterpillars and immature stages of other insects. Also, ichneumonfly. [1705 15] * * * …   Universalium

  • ichneumon fly — n. long and thin insect related to and resembles a wasp …   English contemporary dictionary

  • ichneumon fly — noun (C) an insect that lays eggs on or inside the larva of another insect …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • ichneumon fly — /ɪkˈnjumən flaɪ/ (say ik nyoohmuhn fluy) noun any insect belonging to the large hymenopterous family Ichneumonidae, whose larvae are parasites and destroy caterpillars and other larvae …  

  • ichneumon — [ik no͞o′mən, iknyo͞o′mən] n. [L < Gr ichneumōn, ichneumon, lit., tracker < ichneuein, to track out, hunt after < ichnos, a track, footprint (from its supposed practice of locating and destroying crocodile eggs)] 1. the Egyptian mongoose …   English World dictionary

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