koinobiont

Hornworm infested by parasitic wasps - Manduca sexta

Twisted-winged Parasite on Paper Wasp - Xenos

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

No Taxon (Glossary)

No Taxon (K)

No Taxon koinobiont

Explanation of Names

Greek koinos common, belonging to generality; + biont living (Internet searches).

Identification

Parasitoids in which the host is (at most) only partially paralysed by the (typically) wasp's venom and soon recovers. The host continues to develop and is only killed when the parasitoid reaches maturity. Koinobionts can be subdivided further into endoparasitoids, which develop inside body of the host, and ectoparasitoids, which develop outside the host body, though the parasitoids frequently are attached or embedded in the host's tissues (Wikipedia--Parasitoid). Typically have a narrow range of hosts--are specialists (1). Compare idiobiont.

Remarks

Editorial note: the statement that koinobionts "have a narrow range of hosts--are specialists" (1) does not appear to square with the etymology--koinos meaning common, or general. They must be "general" in another sense.

Print References

Gordh and Headrick, p. 499 (1)

Internet References

Wikipedia--Parasitoid

Chris Raper--Parasitic Wasps

Works Cited

1.	A Dictionary of Entomology George Gordh, David H. Headrick. 2003. CABI Publishing.

Contributed by Beatriz Moisset on 13 December, 2007 - 5:05pm
Additional contributions by cotinis
Last updated 7 August, 2019 - 4:27pm

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