Some autumn pictures

Discussion forum for any overseas items (given that this is a "UK" butterflies forum!).
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Matsukaze
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Re: Some autumn pictures

Post by Matsukaze »

is it known how the parasitic wasps find the eggs? Do they have some means of detecting them from a distance, follow the females around or simply rely on blind luck?
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Padfield
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Re: Some autumn pictures

Post by Padfield »

Matt Rowlings and I watched a female peacock laying this summer and parasitic wasps were present even as the eggs came out of her bottom.

Of course, peacocks are very different from WLH, and the egg-laying strategy is quite different. But it shows that in principle wasps are capable of following a butterfly and watching for her to start laying.

These are the eggs and wasps immediately after laying:

Image

Image

Guy
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