chalcid fly

noun

variants or chalcid wasp
: a usually minute insect of a large superfamily (Chalcidoidea) of Hymenoptera, a few being gall wasps or seed infesters but most being in their larval state parasitic on the eggs, larvae, or pupae of other insects, some living within and others upon the bodies of their hosts, feeding on their juices and tissues see clover seed chalcid

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Cite this Entry

“Chalcid fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chalcid%20fly. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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