Parasitoids (Essay Sample)

Parasitoid
Name
Institution Affiliation
Parasitoid
The most interesting word that I like is ‘parasitoid’. This is an insect which is used in biological control of many insect pests that affects the agricultural produce in most agricultural farms and stored produce. Parasitoid has helped many crop growers both in the open field and greenhouse to an extent of reducing their negative impact that they cause to the agricultural produce. In addition, parasitoid is one of the effective ways of reducing the cost of production which is being incurred by most farmers as a result of buying the insecticides in order to reduce the pest attack (Askew, 1968).
One of the most important features of parasitoid that makes me to like this word is its mode of action. For instance, parasitoid as an insect completes its life cycle in another host insect. In this case, it is divided into different types including egg parasitoid, larval parasitoid, and pupal parasitoid. Its mode of action is such that it lays its eggs into the larvae, egg or pupa of the host. Its egg will then hatch into larvae which will then consume the host larvae, egg or the pupa to which the egg was laid.
Once the egg has been laid, the larvae will start feeding on the host from its abdominal end towards the egg. By the time the parasitoid larvae reaches the host head, the host will have died hence the end result is that the pest population will have been reduced. This helps in reducing the pest damage to the crops. One of the parasitoid with this kind of action is the Necremsus artynes. This parasitoid has been used in US mostly in the reduction of Tuta absoluta; tomato leaf miner which is a major pest of tomato (Pena, 2013).
The second reason as to why I like the pest is its completion with the host in terms of life cycle. Scientists have discovered that parasitoids have shorter life cycle when compared to its host. This is a very important feature in that it has helped in the control of the pest in that it completes its life cycle faster than the host. This is important as it enables it to kill more hosts. In addition, parasitoid always has high searching capability and this has enabled it to identify its host with ease.
Finally, it has been realized that incorporating it in integrated pest management is very important as it will help in reducing the cost of production which is incurred by most of the crop producers. Parasitoid use is also safer to use as it is environmental friend...