Parasitism

Idiobiont parasitoid wasps immediately paralyse their hosts for their larvae (Pimplinae, pictured) to eat.Koinobiont parasitoid wasps like this braconid lay their eggs inside their hosts, which continue to grow and moult.Phorid fly (centre left) is laying eggs in the abdomen of a worker honey bee, altering its behaviour.social behavior (grooming)A hyperparasitoid chalcid wasp on the cocoons of its host, itself a parasitoid braconid waspThe large blue butterfly is an ant mimic and social parasite.In brood parasitism, the host raises the young of another species, here a cowbird's egg, that has been laid in its nest.The great skua is a powerful kleptoparasite, relentlessly pursuing other seabirds until they disgorge their catches of food.The male anglerfish Ceratias holboelli lives as a tiny sexual parasite permanently attached below the female's body.Encarsia perplexa (centre), a parasitoid of citrus blackfly (lower left), is also an adelphoparasite, laying eggs in larvae of its own speciesIn everyday speech, the term 'parasite' is loaded with derogatory meaning. A parasite is a sponger, a lazy profiteer, a drain on society.The vermin only teaze and pinchTheir foes superior by an inch.So nat'ralists observe, a fleaHath smaller fleas that on him prey;And these have smaller fleas to bite 'em.And so proceeds ad infinitum.Thus every poet, in his kind,Is bit by him that comes behind: