the.com/parasitoid
A parasite that doesn't stop at feeding on its host: it grows inside it until the host dies.
means An insect (often a wasp) whose larvae develop inside or on a host organism and ultimately kill it — unlike a true parasite, which prefers its host alive.
from Coined in the early 20th century from 'parasite' (Greek 'parasitos,' literally 'one who eats at another's table,' from 'para-' beside + 'sitos' food/grain) plus the suffix '-oid,' meaning 'resembling' or 'like.' So, quite literally, a word built to mean 'parasite-like, but not quite' — a biologist's careful hedge for a creature that breaks the usual parasite rules by leaving its host dead rather than merely fed upon.
- vs parasite
- true parasites let the host live
- larval lifestyle
- eats host alive from inside, saving vitals for last
- real-world fame
- inspired the chestburster scene in Alien
- ecology role
- wasps use them as living pest control