Chalcididae

/kælˈsɪdɪdeɪ/ noun

Definition

A family of small parasitic wasps, highly diverse, that lay eggs in the bodies of other insects as a reproductive strategy.

Etymology

From Chalcis, the ancient Greek city famous for bronze, plus the Latin scientific suffix '-idae' used to denote animal families in taxonomy.

Kelly Says

Chalcididae is one of the largest families of insects with thousands of species, yet most are less than 3mm long—so abundant that the air around you right now probably contains millions of them.

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