Parasitoids of butterflies and moths (Insecta: Lepidoptera) from the Maltese Islands

Abstract

Butterflies and moths are commonly subjected to parasitoids that lay their eggs on or in their host, usually during the egg, larval or pupal stage. When the egg of the parasitoid hatches, the parasitoid larva feeds on the host Lepidoptera, killing it in the process. These parasitoids usually belong to the orders Hymenoptera and Diptera. Hence only these two orders were mentioned in the present study. The main objective of the present work was to collect data on such parasitoids from the Maltese Islands.