Gadflies

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Gadfly \Gad"fly`\ (g[a^]d"fl[imac]`), n.; pl. {Gadflies}. [Gad +
     fly.] (Zool.)
     Any dipterous insect of the genus {Oestrus}, and allied
     genera of botflies.
     [1913 Webster]
  


     Note: The sheep gadfly ({Oestrus ovis}) deposits its young in
           the nostrils of sheep, and the larv[ae] develop in the
           frontal sinuses. The common species which infests
           cattle ({Hypoderma bovis}) deposits its eggs upon or in
           the skin where the larv[ae] or bots live and produce
           sores called wormels. The gadflies of the horse produce
           the intestinal parasites called bots. See {Botfly}, and
           {Bots}. The true horseflies are often erroneously
           called gadflies, and the true gadflies are sometimes
           incorrectly called {breeze flies}.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {Gadfly petrel} (Zool.), one of several small petrels of the
        genus {Oestrelata}.
        [1913 Webster]