They are here again - those ravaging, chewing, foraging hoards of Japanese beetles, eliminating the beauty of roses and flowers in a matter of hours. So if the ideal parasite is to ensure the extraction of nutrients from the host does not kill the host, but allow the host to continue to live as a food source, then is this beetle ideal? My sense is that it is a very poor parasite at that, considering that the loss rate of hosts in an area is typically close to 50%, and the host is left to fend for itself once stripped to nakedness.
Random thoughts - The ideal parasite would actually allow it's host to thrive and grow, that way it would never have to "say you're sorry", and never have to move on to a second host when the first can no longer support. And a transformation of the host to accommodate the parasite.
There is a business/poli-sci equivalent to the parasite, so to speak. Sounds like a cross-cutting theme to explore.
So does something good from the Japanese beetle? Only time will tell.
