rat-tailed larva

noun

variants or rat-tailed maggot
: the larva of a syrphid fly of Eristalis or related genera that is remarkable for the long telescopic tubular tail with spiracles at the tip through which air is brought down from above the mud or putrefying matter in which the larva lives

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Cite this Entry

“Rat-tailed larva.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rat-tailed%20larva. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

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