The document discusses various ways that parasitoids can be classified, including by the stage of the host they attack (egg, larva, pupa), whether they are solitary or gregarious, and whether they are ecto-parasitoids that feed externally or endo-parasitoids that feed internally. Parasitoids can also be classified based on their host range (monophagous, polyphagous, oligophagous). The relationship between parasitoids and their hosts is a form of symbiosis in which the parasitoid lives at the expense of the host, often killing it during its own development.

1. By,
L.N.Nisha
I-PhD-ENTOMOLOGY
Types of parasitoids and parasitism
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2. Classification of parasitoid
 Based on stages of attack
 Based on number per host
 Based on feeding type
 Based on tropic level (or) Food web relationship
 Based on host range
 Based on parasitism
 Based on other categories
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3. Based on stages of attack
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Egg parasitoid
 Begins and completes the life cycle in the eggs of the host
 Eg- Mymaridae, Platygastridae and Trichogrammatidae
 Trichogramma chilonis on eggs of cotton bollworm,
sugarcane borers and rice leaf folder

4. Larval parasitoid
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 Begins and completes the life cycle in the larva of the host
 Eg- Braconidae, Bethylidae and Ichneumonidae
 Bracon brevicornis on coconut BHC

5. Pupal parasitoid
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 Begins and completes life cycle in the pupae of the host
 Eg- Trichospilus pupivora (Eulophidae) and Brachymeria
nephantidis (Chalcididae) on pupa of coconut BHC

6. Egg-larval parasitoid
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 Begins the life cycle in the egg stage of the host and
completes in larval stage
 Eg- Chelonus blackburnii (Braconidae) on cotton bollworm

7. Larval-pupal parasitoid
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 Begins the life cycle in the larval stage of the host and
completes in the pupal stage
 Eg- Isotima javensis (Ichneumonidae) on sugarcane top
borer

8. Nymphal- adult parasitoid
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 Begins the life cycle in the nymphal stage and completes in
the adult stage of the host
 Eg- Encarsia formosa (Aphelinidae) on cotton whitefly,
Epiricania melanoleuca (Epipyrophidae) on sugarcane leaf
hopper and Aphelinus mali (Aphelinidae) on aphids

9. Based on numbers per host
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 Solitary parasitoid - Single parasite develops in the single
host. Eg- Ichneumonidae
 Gregarious parasitoid – Many larvae develops and
matured in the single host. Eg- Braconidae

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 Poly-embryonic parasitoid – 1000’s per host. It is the
extended version of gregarious parasitoids. Important
polyembryonic parasitoid families are Platygastridae,
Encyrtidae and Dryinidae.

11. Based on feeding type
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 Ecto parasitoid- An insect parasite which feed externally on
the host body and complete their development externally on
its host. Eg- Epiricania melanoleuca on sugarcane Pyrilla.

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 Endo parasitoid- An insect parasite which complete their
development within or inside the host body.
 Eg- Aphelinus mali on Apple wooly aphid.

13. Based on host range
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 Monophagous- Attacks single host species- G. nephantidis
on coconut BHC.
 Polyphagous- Attacks widely differing species. Example is
Trichogramma spp.
 Oligophagous- Attacks closely related species- Braconidae,
Ichneumonidae.

14. Parasitism ??????
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 Relationship between host insects and parasitoid
 One is going to be beneficial at the cost of host
 This is a kind of symbiosis in which parasitoid lives at the
expense of the host and killing the host in the process of
development
 Parasitization is an act of attack and ovipositioning the eggs
with the help of ovipositor by the parasitoid on the host

15. Based on parasitism
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 Simple parasitism- One parasitoid species attack one host.
G. nephantidis on coconut BHC.
 Super parasitism- Attack a single host by many individuals
belonging to same species, that can mature in the host.
Trichospilus pupivora on pupae of coconut BHC.
 Multiple parasitism- Attack a single host by many
individuals belonging to different species. Eriborus
trochanteratus (Ichneumonidae) and G. nephantidis on the
larvae of coconut BHC.

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 Auto parasitism- Otherwise called as adelphoparasitism.
Female develops as a primary parasitoid but the male is a
secondary parasitoid through female of its own species.
This is also called as heteronomous hyperparasitoids.
Example is Encarsia formosa attacking scale insects and
whiteflies.
 Cleptoparasitism- A parasitoid attacking a host, already
parasitized by another species of parasitoid. Pine shoot
moth attacked by either Eurytoma pini (Eurytomidae) or
Rhyacionia buoliana.

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 Hyperparasitism- A parasitoid attacking another parasitoid.
Pleurotropis sp hyperparasitoid on Bracon brevicornis a
primary parasitoid.
Based on other categories
Idiobionts
 The parasitoids are those which prevent any further
development of the host after initial paraitiztion
 No development is possible in the host
 Venom keeping fresh
 Select fully developed insects

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Koinobionts
 The venom injection is temporary
 Allows the host to continue its development
 Select younger instars
 The host becomes an adult
 There are two types of koinobionts parasitoids
 Ecto and endo parasitoids

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