parasitoid

American  

[par-uh-si-toid, -sahy-] / ˈpær ə sɪˌtɔɪd, -saɪ- /

noun

1. an organism that practices parasitoidism.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a parasite, especially one practicing parasitoidism.

parasitoid British  

/ ˈpærəsɪˌtɔːd /

noun

1. zoology an animal, esp an insect, that is parasitic during the larval stage of its life cycle but becomes free-living when adult

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parasitoid Scientific  

/ păr′ə-sĭ-toid′,-sī′toid /

1. Any of various insects, such as the ichneumon fly, whose larvae are parasites that eventually kill their hosts. The adult parasitoid deposits an egg on or inside the body of its host, typically the larva of another arthropod. When the egg hatches, the parasitoid larva feeds on the host's tissues, gradually killing it.

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Etymology

Origin of parasitoid

1920–25; < New Latin Parasitoïdea (1913); parasite, -oid

Compare meaning

How does parasitoid compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• parasite vs. parasitoid

Example Sentences

On the same day, another op-ed in The New York Times depicted the U.S. as a lion engaged in combat with Iran – characterized as a “parasitoid wasp” – and Hamas – portrayed as a “trap-door spider,” executing rapid, predatory maneuvers.

From Salon

By the time Matvey Nikelshparg was 13, he was obsessed with parasitoid wasps, tiny insects that lay their eggs on or inside other bugs.

From New York Times

Researchers at Kyushu University and Vietnam's National Museum of Nature have discovered 16 new species of Loboscelidia, a strange-looking and elusive group of parasitoid wasps.

From Science Daily

While we are more familiar with hunting wasps like yellowjackets, with their dramatic black and yellow stripes and painful stings, parasitoid wasps make up the vast majority of wasp species.

From Science Daily

"Parasitoid wasps act as a parasite of other insects. They lay their eggs in or on the bodies or eggs of their host, ultimately killing them," says Assistant Professor Toshiharu Mita of Kyushu University's Faculty of Agriculture, who led the research.

From Science Daily