ichneumon fly

or ich·neu·mon·fly

[ ik-noo-muhn-flahy, ‐-nyoo‐ ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

any of numerous wasplike insects of the family Ichneumonidae, the larvae of which are parasitic on caterpillars and immature stages of other insects.

ichneumon fly

any hymenopterous insect of the family Ichneumonidae, whose larvae are parasitic in caterpillars and other insect larvae

First recorded in 1705–15

What of the infinite goodness of God in teaching the grub of the ichneumon-fly to eat up the cabbage caterpillar alive?

Apparently the ichneumon fly (Ophion obscurum), and not the true sawfly, is meant.

Many of the caterpillars are destroyed by a little Ichneumon-fly.

I examined numbers of them, and found the scarlet egg of the ichneumon fly under many of the shards.

A large Ichneumon-fly has been found hunting after the worms, and is considered their natural enemy.

April 23, 2024inveterate

[in-vet-er-it ]

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Browse