Dietary Challenges for Parasitoid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea); Coping with Toxic Hosts, or Not?

Many insects defend themselves against predation by being distasteful or toxic. The chemicals involved may be sequestered from their diet synthesized de novo in the insects’ body tissues. Parasitoid wasps are a diverse group of that play critical role regulating host insect populations such as lepidopteran caterpillars. successful parasitization caterpillars parasitoid is contingent upon aptitude for locating and selecting suitable hosts, thereby determining efficacy parasitism. However, some hosts can toxic to wasps, which pose challenges survival reproduction. Caterpillars employ varied array defensive mechanisms safeguard natural predators, particularly wasps. These defenses deployed pre-emptively, concurrently, subsequently during encounters with enemies. utilize range strategies evade detection deter attackers. tactics encompass both measures prevent noticed aimed at repelling eluding potential threats. Post-attack aim eliminate incapacitate eggs larvae parasitoids. In this review, we investigate dietary faced when encountering hosts. We first summarize known through parasitoids protect parasitization. then discuss adaptations physiological have evolved overcome these challenges, changes feeding behavior, detoxification enzymes, immune responses. present new analyses all published parasitoid–host records Ichneumonoidea attack Lepidoptera show classically groups indeed significantly fewer species than most other groups.