Definition of "parasitoid" [parasitoid]

• Any of various insects, such as the ichneumon fly, whose larvae are parasites that eventually kill their hosts. (noun)
• Of or relating to a parasitic insect of this kind. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Most biologists use the term parasitoid to refer only to insects with this type of life history, but some argue the term should be used more embrasively to include parasitic nematodes, seed weevils, and certain bacteria and viruses (e.g., bacteriophages), all of which obligately destroy their host."
• "Moreover, natural enemies such as parasitoid wasps and ants are likely to increase their abundances and activity rates if summer temperature rises."
• "The wasp also became interesting for sciencists because its cells tend to contain their own 'parasitoid'"Wolbachia" bacteria."