Some parasitoid wasps are a bit puzzling to me, the way they're highly adapted to their hosts. I'm interested more dangerous hosts, like spiders (which sometimes kill or severely hurt the wasp), and highly specialized/advanced adaptation to a host that maybe isn't that dangerous -- the roach made into a "zombie", not the ghoul/undead type, but blindly following orders type.
I know that there are hosts that aren't that dangerous, like caterpillars, perhaps they provide a "starting point", not that present-day wasps that have caterpillars as hosts would be the ancestral species or basal group, but perhaps would be just "examples" of how more sophisticated host-parasitoid adaptations start.
I imagine that these are the two extremes, and there would be quite a few "intermediate" parasitoid wasps, using hosts that aren't as dangerous, and not having the same degree of domination as to "zombify" the host, but perhaps just making it "hexaplegic" to then drag it somewhere safe. And/or not even dragging them anywhere. Does anyone know examples?
I'm also not sure about the advantages involved in having a dangerous animal as the host, and how that would arise from a more or less step-wise process of natural selection. Perhaps the spider was initially duller and they've evolved increased ability to fight each other in an arms-race? Would there be examples of wasps having duller predatory hosts, exemplifying an hypothetical beginning? Or perhaps specializing on old-aged dangerous hosts, that aren't that dangerous at an older age?
How often are parasitoid wasps obligatory parasitoids?
I know that there are hosts that aren't that dangerous, like caterpillars, perhaps they provide a "starting point", not that present-day wasps that have caterpillars as hosts would be the ancestral species or basal group, but perhaps would be just "examples" of how more sophisticated host-parasitoid adaptations start.
I imagine that these are the two extremes, and there would be quite a few "intermediate" parasitoid wasps, using hosts that aren't as dangerous, and not having the same degree of domination as to "zombify" the host, but perhaps just making it "hexaplegic" to then drag it somewhere safe. And/or not even dragging them anywhere. Does anyone know examples?
I'm also not sure about the advantages involved in having a dangerous animal as the host, and how that would arise from a more or less step-wise process of natural selection. Perhaps the spider was initially duller and they've evolved increased ability to fight each other in an arms-race? Would there be examples of wasps having duller predatory hosts, exemplifying an hypothetical beginning? Or perhaps specializing on old-aged dangerous hosts, that aren't that dangerous at an older age?
How often are parasitoid wasps obligatory parasitoids?