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Glite Dictionary
tachina fly

tachina fly

9.9
A hairy fly whose young grow inside caterpillars and reduce crop pests
  • noun
  • /təˈkaɪnə flaɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : mosca tachina
  • The larvae of a tachina fly develop inside the bodies of their insect hosts.

Examples

  • Farmers sometimes introduce tachina flies as a natural form of pest control.

  • A tachina fly can help reduce populations of harmful caterpillars in crops.

  • The tachina fly is known for its role in pest control.

  • Farmers appreciate the tachina flies for their effectiveness.

  • A tachina fly can help reduce populations of harmful caterpillars in crops.

  • Farmers sometimes introduce tachina flies as a natural form of pest control.

  • The larvae of a tachina fly develop inside the bodies of their insect hosts.

Synonyms

tachinid
vstachina fly
  • Specialized
9.9

A fly whose young live inside and kill other insects and helps control pests

is a bristly species described by appearance and role in biological control

Surface Forms

tachina fly singular
tachina flies plural

Morphology

tachina + fly

The element 'tachina' is a specialized taxonomic label (not a productive English morpheme) and its specific biological sense cannot be inferred from everyday knowledge; knowing only the common noun 'fly' does not give the parasitic/bristly meaning. As a result, the compound is essentially a name for a particular kind of fly and its meaning is not compositionally predictable for a B1 learner, so prior exposure or specialist knowledge is required.

Etymology

Tachina fly gets its name from the old scientific name Tachina and the word fly. These flies lay eggs on caterpillars so the young grow inside and eat the host, so the name now refers to a bristly fly people use to help with 'pest control'.