Q. Consider the following :
- Carabid beetles
- Centipedes
- Flies
- Termites
- Wasps
Parasitoid species are found in how many of the above kind of organisms?
- Only two
- Only three
- Only four
- All five
Answer: (b) Only three
Parasitoid Species:
- Parasitoids are organisms, typically insects, that spend their immature stages within or on another organism (the host), eventually killing it.
- They are distinct from predators because they rely on a single host for development and reproduction, and unlike parasites, they ultimately kill the host.
- Most parasitoids are wasps or flies, but some beetles, moths, and other insects also fall into this category.
- Examples of Parasitoid Species:
- Wasps:
- Many wasp species are parasitoids, including Ichneumonid wasps, Encyrtid wasps, Trichogramma wasps (egg parasitoids), and Aphelinid wasps.
- Flies:
- Tachinid flies are a notable example of parasitoid flies.
- Beetles:
- Some beetles, like the larval parasitoid Netelia producta (Orange caterpillar parasite), are also parasitoids.
- Other insects:
- While less common, some species of butterflies, moths, lacewings, and even caterpillars can also be parasitoids.
- Wasps:
