chalcid wasp; chalcid fly
A small parasitic wasp of the superfamily Chalcidoidea. Often used in biological or agricultural contexts.
Chalcid wasps are used as natural enemies of pests.
Usually written in katakana; the kanji form 小蜂 is rare.
Kanji form; rarely used in practice.
Compound of 小 (ko, 'small') and 蜂 (hachi, 'bee/wasp'), literally 'small bee/wasp'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.