Talk:Parasitoid
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[edit] Nectrophs?
I agree with Million Moments in the third comment. Necrotrophs are more pathogenic then parasitic. A parasite implies that it needs its host alive, even if the parasitism (like parasitoids) is fatal. Necrotrophs really don't care if their host is living or dead, however a living host is treated very differently from a dead one (induced pathogenic state). Necrotrophs seem too different from parasitoids to be included here. (Psychro 06:41, 28 February 2007 (UTC))
The part about the difference between parasites and parasitoids says that parasites cause little or no damage while benefiting from the host. Isn't that commensalism? I seem to remember from biology class that parasitism definitely involves harm to the host.
- The emphasis is off, but not as far as it sounds. Parasitoids kill their hosts, parasites usually don't. For most parasites, a single one, does almost negiligible harm. A single flea or tick doesn't do much damage at all to a dog (sometimes they carry disease, but that's just a transmission thing, it' snot a direct effect). A parasitoid, if successful, will always kill it's host (and often cunsume most of its body in the process. The "or no" part of the definition should maybe go, since I suspect any parasites which cause absolutely no harm are rare exception. Also, I don't think the article should start with what they are not. I'll take a shot at cleaining it up. Jmeppley 05:28, 2 April 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Expert tag
I put up the expert tag (didn't get time to finish my edit summary unfortunately, as I pressed the enter button by error) because I am a bit confused. There seems to be 2 definitions of a parasitoid : a parasite that kills its host (isn't that a necrotrophic parasite?) and an animal (usually an insect) that lays its egg in or near a host, either already dead or alive, in which the larvae develops until adulthood. This last definition seems to be the most widespread ([1], [2], [3], [4], [5], etc.).
It is clear that any necrotrophic parasite kills its host (by definition), which makes this article seem contradictory and confusing. Also, "the host is killed before it can reproduce'?? I need a citation here, because I doubt that very much, and if needed there are plenty of examples that go against this (the emerald cockroach wasp for one).
Maybe both definitions are acceptable, but it would be great if someone could explain the difference between a necrotrophic parasite and a parasitoid, and make it clear that this term refers to two concepts : a parasite that kills its host and an animal that lives as an endoparasite during its larval stage but is free-living as an adult (mainly parasitic wasps and flies). IronChris | (talk) 23:40, 7 May 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Plant Pathology
In plant pathology a necrotroph refers to a specific form of plant pathogen, either fungal or bacterial, that attacks the plant by killing cells and living off the nutrients realised. The opposite is a biotroph which keeps cells alive. Perhaps a separate article is needed for necrotroph giving this definition. (a Mentally Efficient Loonies And Nice Insane Elephants creation 18:35, 19 January 2007 (UTC))
