lygaeid

[ lahy-jee-id, lahy-jee-id ]

noun

1. Also called lygaeid bug, any of numerous, often brightly marked bugs of the family Lygaeidae, which feed on the juices of plants in both the larval and adult stages and are important pests of cultivated crops and some fruit trees.

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the family Lygaeidae.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lygaeid¹

< New Latin Lygaeidae family name, equivalent to Lygae ( us ) type genus (< Greek lȳgaîos murky) + -idae -id ²