n. (Zool.) One of the genus Aphis; an aphidian. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. pl. (Zool.) See Aphis. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the family
[ Aphis + L. vorare to devour. ] (Zool.) Devouring aphides; aphidophagous. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ Aphis + Gr. &unr_; to eat. ] (Zool.) Feeding upon aphides, or plant lice, as do beetles of the family
n. [ Gr. &unr_; not loving man;
‖n.;
☞ Besides the true males and females, there is a race of wingless asexual individuals which have the power of producing living young in rapid succession, and these in turn may produce others of the same kind for several generations, before sexual individuals appear. They suck the sap of plants by means of a tubular proboscis, and owing to the wonderful rapidity of their reproduction become very destructive to vegetation. Many of the Aphidæ excrete honeydew from two tubes near the end of the body. [ 1913 Webster ]
(Zool.) The larva of the lacewinged flies (Chrysopa), which feeds voraciously upon aphids. The name is also applied to the larvæ of the ladybugs (