Consider the following: Parasitoid species are found in how many of the above kind of organisms?

Answer: (b) Only three

Carabid beetles, flies and wasps have parasitoid species; centipedes are predators and termites decomposers.

Statement by statement

1. ✓ YES Some ground beetles (e.g. Lebia, Brachinus) have larvae that develop as parasitoids on other insects.

2. ✗ NO Centipedes are predators that hunt with venom claws.

3. ✓ YES Tachinid flies lay eggs on caterpillars; the larvae eat the host from inside.

4. ✗ NO Termites eat wood with the help of gut microbes.

5. ✓ YES Parasitic wasps (ichneumons, braconids, Trichogramma) are the best-known parasitoids — used in biological pest control.

The idea

Three different ways of feeding on another animal. A predator kills and eats many prey. A parasite lives on a host and usually does not kill it. A parasitoid is in between: its young grow inside or on one host and kill it in the end.

Female lays an egg on or inside a host → Larva hatches and feeds on the living host → Larva is fully grown → Host dies → Adult flies free and repeats

Why the others are wrong

(a) Keeps only wasps and flies — misses the parasitoid carabid beetles.

(c) Adds centipedes, confusing a predator with a parasitoid.

The trap

Ground beetles are known as predators, so they are easy to drop. A few genera are parasitoids.

Also know

Because a parasitoid kills its host, farmers use it as a living pesticide. Trichogramma wasps are released against stem borers in sugarcane, cotton and rice. This is biological control.