Strength of enemy release from parasitoids is context-dependent in the invasive African Fig Fly, Zaprionus indianus .

Invasive species may succeed in new environments in part because they are less susceptible to diseases and parasites that have co-evolved with local hosts, giving invaders a competitive advantage. We tested this hypothesis by competing an invasive fruit fly against established species in the presence of parasitoid wasps that lay their eggs in fruit fly larvae. We found that the invasive species generally outcompeted other species in the presence of parasitoids, but the extent of its advantage depended on the species it was competing against and the number of larvae present.