Parasitoid
- Pronunciation
- /par-uh-SY-toyd/
- Category
- Behavior
- Singular
- Parasitoid
- Plural
- Parasitoids
Definition
An organism, typically an , that lives in or on another organism (usually an insect) during its development, ultimately killing the host as it matures.
Etymology
From Greek 'para-', meaning 'beside', and Latin 'sitos', meaning 'food', and suffix '-oid', meaning 'resembling or having the nature of'.
Example
The parasitoid lays its inside the , and the consume the from the inside out as they develop.
Synonyms
- Parasite-like organism
Related Terms
- Host
- Parasitism
- Lifecycle
- Wasp
- Fly
Usage Notes
Parasitoids are distinct from true in that they inevitably kill their , whereas true parasites typically do not.