sphecoid wasp
- noun
- /ˈsfēˌkȯid wäp/
- Specialized
:
avispa sphecoide
- A sphecoid wasp can often be seen digging a burrow in sandy soil to lay its eggs.
Examples
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I found a sphecoid wasp dragging its prey back to its underground nest.
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Many gardeners appreciate the presence of the sphecoid wasp for controlling caterpillar populations.
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The sphecoid wasp is known for its solitary behavior.
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Many sphecoid wasps hunt insects for their larvae.
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I found a sphecoid wasp dragging its prey back to its underground nest.
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A sphecoid wasp can often be seen digging a burrow in sandy soil to lay its eggs.
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Many gardeners appreciate the presence of the sphecoid wasp for controlling caterpillar populations.
Synonyms
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A flying insect like a bee with a narrow waist and a sting, often yellow and black
A wasp that lives alone and hunts insects, often making a nest in soil
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward noun-modifier composition: 'sphecoid' specifies a type relating to the Sphecoidea and 'wasp' names the insect, so the combined meaning is simply a wasp of that type. This compositional pattern is common across languages and would be directly inferable to a learner who knows both constituent words.
Etymology
Sphecoid wasp gets its name from sphecoid, a word that means 'wasp-like'. These are wasps that live alone, dig burrows in the ground, and carry their caught insects into their nests, so the name makes you think of a hunting, burrow-making insect.