Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

kleptoparasite, kleptoparasitism

New Mexico Fly - Phrosinella - female Zacosmia maculata - male Fly - Lepidophora lepidocera Chrysidid Wasp? - Parnopes edwardsii - female Parasitic Leaf-cutting bee - Coelioxys modestus - female Nomada imbricata - female Argyrodes elevatus - female Somebody's pulling the golden silk spider's chain - Argyrodes elevatus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
No Taxon (Glossary)
No Taxon (K)
No Taxon kleptoparasite, kleptoparasitism
Explanation of Names
From Greek klepto (κλεπτω)- "to steal" + parasite
Identification
kleptoparasite (also cleptoparasite) noun - an organism that lives off of another by stealing its food, rather than feeding on it directly. (In some cases this may result in the death of a host, for example, if the larvae of the host are thereby denied food.)
Internet References
Wikipedia--Kleptoparasitism