A sterile defender morph in a polyembryonic hymenopterous parasite

Abstract

Early in the development of polyembryonic Encyrtidae, a number of larvae are formed that are morphologically different from their later sibs. These larvae die without pupating. They have been described as asexual¹, teratoid^2,3 or precocious³, and it has been suggested that they render the host suitable as food and habitation for the later, normal larvae^1,4. I now report findings which demonstrate that the precocious larvae constitute a defender morph, eliminating other internal parasites that would otherwise compete with, and potentially preclude the development of, their normal sibs.