tachina fly

American

[tak-uh-nuh] / ˈtæk ə nə /

noun

any of numerous dipterous insects of the family Tachinidae, the larvae of which are parasitic on caterpillars, beetles, and other insects.

tachina fly British

/ ˈtækɪnə /

noun

any bristly fly of the dipterous family Tachinidae, the larvae of which live parasitically in caterpillars, beetles, hymenopterans, and other insects

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tachina fly

< New Latin Tachina genus of flies, noun use of Greek tachinḗ, feminine of tachinós swift, equivalent to tach ( ýs ) swift + -inē, feminine of -inos -ine ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A little later the pupa changes to a Tachina fly which breaks apart the pupa-case and flies out into the world.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023