<P> C. floridanum produce eggs that divide clonally to produce larger broods . The polyembryonic wasp caste system consists of two separate groups: some of the embryos in a clone mature into reproductive larvae that ultimately develop into adults, while the other group consists of sterile soldier larvae that protect siblings from competitors . At this ecological level, the soldiers' reproductive altruism is tied to clone - level allocation to defense; thus, in order to maximize the reproductive success of the siblings, soldiers risk their own chances of reproductive success (with no conflict between the soldiers themselves) In his study, Giron argues that soldier aggression in this wasp species is inversely related to competitors' genetic relatedness, without respect to levels of resource competition . In a later study, Giron sought to differentiate between the aggression of female and male soldiers, finding that the latter group is non-aggressive toward all competitors . </P> <P> Polyembryonic wasps, including C. floridanum, exhibit spite through instances of precocious larval development . Spite provides an explanation for how natural selection can favor harmful behaviors that are costly to both the actor and the recipient; spite is typically considered a form of altruism that benefits a secondary recipient . Two criteria demonstrate that spite is truly occurring: (i) the behavior is truly costly to the actor and does not provide a long - term direct benefit; and (ii) harming behaviors are directed toward relatively unrelated individuals . </P> <P> In C. floridanum, the process takes place in the following manner: the host insect lays two eggs in the eggs of moths, usually one male and one female, which proceed to divide asexually to produce a brood of clonal brothers and clonal sisters . The wasp larvae then mature within the moth caterpillar, utilizing the moth as food throughout growth . Competition for resources limits how many adult wasps can emerge from the host; this indicates that negative relatedness likely exists within the brood . A portion of the larvae do not emerge, who serve as adults who forgo future reproduction in order to kill relatively unrelated opposite - sex siblings maturing in the same host before dying themselves; this special group of adult killers developed precociously . Asymmetrical dispersal (defined as the sex differences in the scale of competition) and asymmetrical relatedness (brothers tend to be more related to sisters than the reverse) most likely serve as the evolutionary resolution of this conflict, in favor of the sisters . This process, most importantly, frees up resources for closer relatives . </P> <P> C. floridanum gain interspecific competitive advantage over other competitors, including Glyptapanteles pallipes and Microplitis demolitor, primarily due to the presence of their soldier caste, whose fitness is limited to the survival of their clonal siblings . Uka studied the interspecific competition between C. floridanum male broods and G. pallipes in order to perceive the defensive strategies of the former group . The C. floridanum progeny survival rate was greater than that of G. pallipes, regardless of the interval of oviposition. C. floridanum gains a competitive advantage through its ability to physiologically suppress or putatively attack its adversaries . First off, they secrete a physiologically suppressive factor form in their labial glands as embryos or even in the tissue of the host and steadily supplied to the hemolymph . This toxic factor causes damage to G. pallipes larvae and ultimately leads to death . More specifically, C. floridanum induces a delay in competitor maturation, along with generating paralysis and weakness (Uki). Physical attack, on the other hand, has not been proven to be effective as a means of killing competitors . </P>

Aggression by polyembryonic wasp soldiers correlates with kinship but not resource competition