braconid

noun

brac·o·nid ˈbra-kə-(ˌ)nid

: any of a large family (Braconidae) of small, usually black or brown, parasitoid, hymenopterous insects related to the ichneumon wasp that have a relatively short abdomen and are parasitic chiefly on the larvae of aphids, beetles, moths, and butterflies

braconid adjective

Examples of braconid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The braconid has evolved to subvert this strategy and slide down the thread in pursuit of the caterpillar. —

Brooke Jarvis, WIRED, 10 Nov. 2022 Don't destroy those covered with tiny white cocoons; these contain the parasitic offspring of the beneficial braconid wasp. —

The Editors, Good Housekeeping, 27 July 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'braconid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.