tachinid

noun

tach·​i·​nid ˈta-kə-nəd 

-ˌnid

: any of a family (Tachinidae) of bristly usually grayish or black dipteran flies whose parasitic larvae are often used in the biological control of insect pests

tachinid adjective

Examples of tachinid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Metallic tachinid fly Scientific name: Rhachoepalpus metallicus Distribution: Tropical South America Size: 12 to 15 mm (0.5 to 0.75 inches) long As its scientific name suggests, this fly has a striking, metallic blue sheen. —Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Apr. 2020

How to call in an earwig predator The earwig's only insect predator in North America is the tachinid fly. —The Editors Of Organic Life, Good Housekeeping, 29 Mar. 2017

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Tachinidae, from Tachina, genus of flies, from Greek tachinos fleet, from tachys swift

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above