Hosts

Parasitoids are characterized by larva that feed on and develop on or in a single host that it will eventually kill. Ichneumons target many different hosts from many different families;

> Lepidoptera

> Hymenoptera

> Diptera

> Coleoptera

> Neuroptera

> Mecoptera

> Spiders and spider egg sacs

Unfortunately, Lepidoptera are targeted heavily in their larval stage as there are large, vulnerable, slow moving targets who require large amounts of food and nutrients for growth. These factors add up to the perfect host for parasitoids to lay their eggs in or on.

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With a wide variety of hosts comes the need for a wide variety of Ichneumon species with specialized parasitic qualities. Some parasitoids paralyze the host to prevent growth while being eaten, these are idiobionts. Koinobionts allow the host to grow and develop while being fed on for a long term food source.