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Glite Dictionary
Ichneumonidae

Ichneumonidae

1 9.9
A family of wasps whose young grow inside other insects and kill them
  • noun
  • /ˌɪk.njuːˈmɒn.ɪ.deɪ/
  • Specialized
: Ichneumonidae
  • Entomologists study the behavior of Ichneumonidae to understand their role in ecosystems.

Examples

  • The larvae of Ichneumonidae wasps develop inside other insects, often causing them harm.

  • I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Many gardeners appreciate the presence of Ichneumonidae, as they help control pest populations.

Surface Forms

Ichneumonidae singular
Ichneumonidaes plural

Morphology

Ichneumonidae = ichneumon (opaque) = ichneumon + idae

The formation uses the specialized taxonomic suffix '-idae' and a rare classical root, so an average B1 learner cannot deduce the meaning from its parts.

Etymology

Ichneumonidae comes from the Greek word ichneumon, meaning 'tracker', and the ending -idae, which marks a family of animals; the root is like the English word 'track'. These wasps are called 'trackers' because they find and follow other insects to lay their eggs, so the name tells you about how they live.