ichneumon fly

American  

[ik-noo-muhn-flahy, ‐-nyoo‐] / ɪkˈnu mənˌflaɪ, ‐ˈnyu‐ /

Or ichneumonfly

noun

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

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ichneumon fly British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of ichneumon fly

First recorded in 1705–15

Example Sentences

"It's my belief," shouted Quint, "that you want that medal yourself, and that you put an ichneumon fly in my breeding-cage in hopes it would sting the eggs of the Silver Moon."

From Police!!! by Hutt, Henry

"If you found an ichneumon fly there," retorted Boomly, "you probably hatched it in mistake for a butterfly!"

From Police!!! by Hutt, Henry

So first he sneaked in here and put an ichneumon fly in my breeding-cage.

From Police!!! by Hutt, Henry

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

From Through the Mackenzie Basin A Narrative of the Athabasca and Peace River Treaty Expedition of 1899 by Mair, Charles

Many of the insect-feeding birds commit fearful havoc among their larv�, and often chase the perfect insects on the wing, but perhaps their greatest enemy is the ichneumon fly.

From Butterflies and Moths (British) by Furneaux, William S.