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

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Greek brachys

First Known Use

circa 1893, in the meaning defined above