Small parasitic wasps of the family Chalcididae, typically measuring a few millimeters long, that lay eggs in other insects.
From Greek 'chalkos' meaning copper, possibly because these wasps have a metallic sheen. The name derives from Chalcis, a city in ancient Greece famous for its bronze work.
Some chalcids are so tiny they can develop inside the eggs of other insects—up to 3,000 can emerge from a single host egg! They've been protecting crops for thousands of years, long before humans discovered pesticides.
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