Consider the following : 1. Carabid beetles 2. Centipedes 3. Flies 4. Termites 5. Wasps Parasitoid species are found in how many of the above kind of organisms ?
A
Only two
B
Only three
Correct answer
C
Only four
D
All five
Explanation
Option (b) is correct because parasitoid species—organisms whose larvae develop by feeding on and eventually killing a single host—are well-documented among **Wasps** (Hymenoptera), **Flies** (Diptera), and certain **Carabid beetles** (Coleoptera). Option (d) is the most tempting error, but it is incorrect because Centipedes are generalist predators and Termites are social insects (decomposers/herbivores), neither of which exhibit parasitoid life cycles. The core concept being tested is the classification of biological interactions, specifically the distinction between parasitoids, predators, and true parasites.
EcologySpecies InteractionsCarabid beetlesCentipedesFliesTermitesWaspsParasitoid species