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Glite Dictionary
🦠 Parasite of parasites 💰 Exploiter of exploiters
hyperparasite

hyperparasite

1 9.9
A living thing that lives on another parasite and harms it
  • noun
  • /ˌhaɪpərˈpærəˌsaɪt/
  • Specialized
: hiperparásito
  • The hyperparasite thrives on the host parasite's resources.

Examples

  • Many hyperparasites can be found in tropical regions.

  • A hyperparasite can help control pest populations by attacking their parasites.

  • Scientists discovered a hyperparasite that infects the fungus harming crops.

  • The presence of a hyperparasite can complicate the life cycle of its host parasite.

  • A hyperparasite lives on another parasite, taking advantage of its host's resources.

  • Scientists study how hyperparasites impact the populations of their host parasites in the ecosystem.

  • The relationship between hyperparasites and their hosts can reveal much about the dynamics of parasitism.

Surface Forms

hyperparasite singular
hyperparasites plural

Morphology

hyperparasite = parasite (semi-transparent) = hyper + parasite

The word is built transparently from 'hyper-' plus 'parasite', but the technical biological sense requires some domain knowledge.

Etymology

Hyperparasite comes from the Greek parts hyper- 'over' — the same hyper- you see in hyperactive — and parasite 'one who lives off another'. So a hyperparasite is literally a 'parasite on a parasite', an organism that lives on another parasite.