#gnaarly shit here

[ruthlesslistener]

Any other thoughts on parasitoids? How are they seen in bug society, or are they completely estranged from society in general?

Completely estranged would be my best bet. I must admit, I haven't spent too much time thinking about them (bc they're the one form of horror that genuinely really creeps me out), but I feel like the life of an intelligent parasitoid is one of isolation, alienation, and competition, with them either having to disguise themselves as other bugs to lure their prey in closer, or just taking travelers by brute force. I can imagine that there would be many societies or gods that tried to 'domesticate' them or find peaceful alternatives, and some might have wanted that, but I feel like most would resent it and that nothing but the natural way would work for growing their larvae, so all attempts to change their nature would be dead ends

I don't think that they would be beings that particularily care much about being outcast, though. Lenore from Castlevania comes to mind as how I might imagine an intelligent parisitoid bug to act- cunning, clever, and manipulative, but not necessarily evil despite how harmful her actions might have been. Their nature is not their fault, and they serve an essential ecosystem service, even if it is a gruesome one. Even so, there's a reason why they're banished to the Wastelands and more unsavory kingdoms- the bogeyman doesn't settle well among godless societies, and Higher Beings don't like roadside predators picking from their flocks. Hence why they'd be more vampiric in nature imo, lurking in shadows or surviving on their own in the wilds

I also think that the eggs and larvae probably would secrete a hormone cocktail to make the host infatuated with them and aggressively resistant to their removal, as an added bonus to the horror factor. They amp up baby fever to a literally illness-inducing degree and amp up the aggression factor as well, which tricks the host bug into loving them even as they slowly devour them from the inside out