parasitoid

par·a·sit·oid  (pr-s-toid, -stoid)

n.

Any of various insects, such as the ichneumon fly, whose larvae are parasites that eventually kill their hosts.

adj.

Of or relating to a parasitic insect of this kind.

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parasitoid  (pr-s-toid, -stoid)

Any of various insects, such as the ichneumon fly, whose larvae are parasites that eventually kill their hosts. The adult parasitoid deposits an egg on or inside the body of its host, typically the larva of another arthropod. When the egg hatches, the parasitoid larva feeds on the host's tissues, gradually killing it.