Parasitism


This is a picture of a leaf that was partially eaten by caterpillars. It is an example of parasitism. In a parasitic relationship, one organism benefits while the other organism is harmed. A parasitic relationship can be represented by this symbol: +/-. In the relationship pictured, the caterpillar is the parasite, or the one benefitting from the relationship, and the plant is the host, or the one suffering from the relationship.