Story: Wasps and bees

Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps lay their eggs into another insect, which then becomes food for the hatched wasp larvae. Some parasitic wasps have only one host, while others have a number of possible hosts. This table shows some parasitic wasps (first two columns) and their hosts (third column). Parasitic wasps attack the host at a particular stage in its life cycle. Some of these wasps are native to New Zealand. Others were accidentally introduced, or brought in deliberately to control pests.

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How to cite this page:

John Early, 'Wasps and bees - Parasitic wasps', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/diagram/11141/parasitic-wasps (accessed 19 April 2024)

Story by John Early, published 24 Sep 2007