noun
- a small parasitic wasp of the family Chalcididae, many species of which are beneficial for controlling insect pests
Usage: entomology; often used in biological pest control
Examples
- Chalcids are commonly used in agriculture to control populations of harmful insects.
- The farmer introduced chalcids to reduce the number of aphids in the orchard.
- Many chalcids lay their eggs inside the bodies of other insects.
- Researchers study chalcids to improve natural pest management techniques.
- A single chalcid can parasitize dozens of host insects during its lifetime.