ichneumon fly n.
[昆]姬蜂
ichneumon fly[ noun ]
hymenopterous insect that resembles a wasp and whose larvae are parasitic on caterpillars and other insect larvae
<noun.animal>
Ichneumon \Ich*neu"mon\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, lit., the tracker;
so called because it hunts out the eggs of the crocodile, fr.
? to track or hunt after, fr. 'i`chnos track, footstep.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any carnivorous mammal of the genus
{Herpestes}, and family {Viverrid[ae]}. Numerous species
are found in Asia and Africa. The Egyptian species
({Herpestes ichneumon}), which ranges to Spain and
Palestine, is noted for destroying the eggs and young of
the crocodile as well as various snakes and lizards, and
hence was considered sacred by the ancient Egyptians. The
common species of India ({Herpestes griseus}), known as
the {mongoose}, has similar habits and is often
domesticated. It is noted for killing the cobra.
2. (Zo["o]l.) Any hymenopterous insect of the family
{Ichneumonid[ae]}, of which several thousand species are
known, belonging to numerous genera.
Note: The female deposits her eggs upon, or in, the bodies of
other insects, such as caterpillars, plant lice, etc.
The larva lives upon the internal tissues of the insect
in which it is parasitic, and finally kills it. Hence,
many of the species are beneficial to agriculture by
destroying noxious insects.
{Ichneumon fly}. See {Ichneumon}, 2.