Obligate parasitism
- Pronunciation
- /oh-BLI-gat pah-ra-si-TIZ-um/
- Category
- Behavior
- Singular
- Obligate parasitism
- Plural
- Obligate parasitism
Definition
A type of parasitism where the parasite is entirely dependent on its host for survival and reproduction.
Etymology
From Latin 'obligatus', meaning 'obligatory' and 'parasitism' from Greek 'para' meaning 'beside' and 'sitos' meaning 'grain' or 'food'.
Example
Obligate parasitoids, such as the parasitic wasp _Ichneumon fluens_, rely entirely on their host for survival and reproduction.