The Parasites' Scourge

This is yet another drawing exploring the theme of hyperparasitism, see also my earlier piece on the same topic here: [link] . What is a hyperparasite? Well, simply a parasite that infects other parasites.

The torpedo-shaped objects clinging to that host creature are ectoparasites (external parasites) that cling on with an elongated appendage at their front, and feed by scraping on the host animal's skin. However, one of them have a nasty, branching red growth smothering it - that parasite has itself been infected by a hyperparasites.

Though this is a fanciful depiction of a host-parasite-hyperparasite relationship, hyperparasitism is very real, and is widely found in nature: [link]

Jonathan Swift would put it: "So, naturalists observe, a flea has smaller fleas that on him prey; and these have smaller still to bite ’em; and so proceed ad infinitum."

Or perhaps as Xzibit would put it: "Yo dawg, I heard you like parasites, so we put a parasite in a parasite, so it can get parasitized as it parasitizes."