Endoparasitoid

Pronunciation: /en-doh-PAR-uh-sit-oyd/

Category: Behavior

Singular: Endoparasitoid

Plural: Endoparasitoids

Definition

A type of parasitoid that lives inside the body of its host during part or all of its lifecycle, eventually killing the host.

Etymology

From Greek 'endo-', meaning 'inside', and 'parasitos', meaning 'one who eats at the table of another'; combined with 'oid', meaning 'resembling or like'.

Example

The endoparasitoid wasp lays its eggs inside a caterpillar, where the larvae will develop and eventually kill the host.

Synonyms

Internal parasitoid

Related Terms

Parasitoid
Ectoparasitoid
Host
Wasp
Parasitism

Usage Notes

Endoparasitoids are often contrasted with ectoparasitoids, which live on the outside of their hosts. They play significant roles in biological control as natural enemies of pest insects.