frit fly

frit fly

noun
a minute European fly, Oscinella frit, the larvae of which are serious pests of wheat and other cereals.

Origin:
1880–85; of obscure origin
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Frit fly is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
Collins
World English Dictionary
frit fly
 
n
a small black dipterous fly, Oscinella frit, whose larvae are destructive to barley, wheat, rye, oats, etc: family Chloropidae

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

frit fly

any small fly of the family Chloropidae (order Diptera), destructive to oats, rye, barley, wheat, and other cereal grains. Frit flies, often bright yellow and black, are usually found in grassy areas. The larvae live in developing grain heads and within stems, causing the central leaf to wilt. Some frit flies are carriers of conjunctivitis and yaws. They breed in decaying vegetation and excrement and feed on pus, blood, and other animal fluids. Because some frit flies (for example, Hippelates) are attracted to the eyes, they are called eye gnats.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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