The effect of obligate hyperparasitoids on biological control: Differential vulnerability of primary parasitoids to hyperparasitism can mitigate trophic cascades

► Cotesia vestalis was a dominant primary parasitoid of Plutella xylostella. ► It was also a secondary host to three obligate hyperparasitoid species. ► At low hyperparasitism, C. vestalis limited hosts available to competitors. ► As C. vestalis population declined, competitors parasitized more of available hosts. ► Species that are invulnerable to hyperparasitism took over role of the vulnerable.