stone fly
noun
: any of an order (Plecoptera) of insects with an aquatic carnivorous nymph having gills and an adult having long antennae, two pairs of membranous wings, and usually long cerci
Examples of stone fly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
New Zealand stone flies are evolving away from mimicking poisonous insects because deforestation has left them nothing to mimic.
—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Half a century later, Tallamy is alarmed by the loss of insect abundance and diversity on nearly every continent, from butterflies and bumblebees to tiger beetles and aquatic insects such as stone flies.
—Emily Underwood, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Sep. 2023
The brown stone fly nymph on the end of my line and the 9-foot-graphite stick in my hand would have to act as the steelhead divining rod.
—Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2020
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Half a century later, Tallamy is alarmed by the loss of insect abundance and diversity on nearly every continent, from butterflies and bumblebees to tiger beetles and aquatic insects such as stone flies.
—Emily Underwood, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Sep. 2023
The brown stone fly nymph on the end of my line and the 9-foot-graphite stick in my hand would have to act as the steelhead divining rod.
—Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Stone fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stone%20fly. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share