Figitid
Leptopilina heterotoma
Leptopilina heterotoma is a tiny parasitoid wasp found around fermenting fruit, leaf litter, and other places where fruit fly larvae develop. Adult females search for fly larvae and pierce them with an ovipositor, injecting an egg along with venom-like secretions that suppress the host’s defenses. Adults feed mainly on sugary liquids such as nectar or honeydew, while the developing larva consumes its host from within. A notable feature of this species is its highly specialized attack on Drosophila larvae, making it important in studies of host-parasite evolution.
- Type
- Venom
- Conservation status
- NE
Growth chain
- ?
- ?
- Figitid