Wasp which lays eggs in caterpillar

Inevitably, though, the larvae must make their exit. All 80 at once. Over the course of an hour. They release chemicals that paralyze the caterpillar, then each individual begins gnawing its way out. Thus they perform their own slapdash surgery on their gravely wounded host. As the larvae congregate in a mass and begin spinning their cocoons, the caterpillar snaps out of it and helps them, using its own silk to construct a protective covering. And you can imagine it has somewhat conflicted feelings about all of this, much like Kevin Costner's emotional struggles in The Bodyguard.

Once everyone is done spinning, the caterpillar switches into defense mode, lashing out at not only predatory insects, but other wasps known as hyperparasitoids. When they do, they lay their eggs on any wasp grubs or pupae that they find.

Their young devour the young of the other would-be parasites, in a tiered stack of body-snatching. All rights reserved. Share Tweet Email. Go Further. Animals Wild Cities This wild African cat has adapted to life in a big city.

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Braconidae , Cotesia congregata , hornworm , larvae , Parasitoid wasp , wasp. Subscribe to Entomology Today! Search Search for Get Certified! Find ESA on Facebook. Skip to content.

Read later. You don't have any saved articles. By Katie Pavid. A chrysalis invaded The inside of a chrysalis: dark, sleepy, undisturbed. Or so you would think. In reality, it's a hiding place that is vulnerable to attack. A butterfly is just one of the creatures that might end up emerging from a chrysalis or a pupa.

The caterpillar swells as it eats, not knowing what lies ahead. A wasp Trogus lapidator specimen in the Museum collection and the pupa it emerged from. One body, multiple parasites Some wasps can use hosts that are a lot larger than they are, laying an entire batch of eggs inside the body of one caterpillar.

They can have a huge impact on the population numbers of other insects. Broad says, 'Thankfully, some of these wasps are in our collection.

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