Correct answer: (b) Only three
Explanation
- A
Only two
Only two. Parasitoids occur in more of the list.
- B
Only three
Only three. Flies, wasps and some beetles include parasitoids; centipedes and termites are not parasitoid groups here.
- C
Only four
Only four. Over-counts.
- D
All Five
All five. Centipedes are predators; termites are social decomposers, not parasitoids.
Summary. Official key is (b) only three. Parasitoids — insects whose larvae live in or on a host and kill it — are classic among wasps (Ichneumonoidea, Chalcidoidea), flies (Tachinidae) and some beetles (e.g. certain Carabidae / ripiphorids in the broader parasitoid story UPSC counts as three). Centipedes are predators; termites are not parasitoids. The paper keys three of the five kinds.
Same topic · past papers
UPSC has asked this before
These previous-year questions sit on the same topic. Open one to practise the earlier ask.