Hessian fly
noun
a small fly, Phytophaga destructor, the larvae of which feed on the stems of wheat and other grasses.
Origin of Hessian fly
An Americanism dating back to 1780–90
Example sentences from the Web for hessian fly
The larvæ are transparent; the flies resemble the Hessian-fly, that destroys the wheat plant.
American Pomology |J. A. WarderThe Wheat-midge (Cecidomyia tritici), also called the Hessian-fly, is sometimes very destructive to the wheat crop.
Science and Practice in Farm Cultivation |James Buckman
British Dictionary definitions for hessian fly
Hessian fly
noun
a small dipterous fly, Mayetiola destructor, whose larvae damage wheat, barley, and rye: family Cecidomyidae (gall midges)
Word Origin for Hessian fly
C18: so called because it was thought to have been introduced into America by Hessian soldiers