autoparasitism
|au-to-par-a-si-tism|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtoʊˌpærəˈsɪtɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊˌpærəˈsɪtɪzəm/
parasitism of self or same species
Etymology
'autoparasitism' originates from Greek, specifically the prefix 'auto-' from 'autos' meaning 'self' and 'parasitism' ultimately from Greek 'parasitos' meaning 'one who eats at another's table' (via Latin/Medieval Latin).
'autoparasitism' was formed in Modern English by combining the Greek-derived prefix 'auto-' + the existing English noun 'parasitism' (which comes from Latin/Greek 'parasitos'); the compound reflects a literal 'self' + 'parasitism' construction.
Initially it carried the literal sense 'self-parasitism' and this core meaning — parasitism involving the self or same species — has been retained in scientific usage, though specific emphases (self vs. conspecific parasitism) may vary by context.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the ecological phenomenon in which an individual parasitizes another individual of the same species (conspecific parasitism); e.g., laying eggs in the nests of conspecifics.
Autoparasitism is documented in some bird populations where females lay eggs in the nests of conspecifics.
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Noun 2
a less common usage referring to self-parasitism or situations in which a parasite exploits another parasite of the same species (e.g., a parasitoid attacking conspecific parasites).
Researchers reported cases of autoparasitism in parasitoids, where individuals attacked hosts already parasitized by conspecifics.
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Last updated: 2025/11/27 13:26