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Gruesome ending....
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2017 12:32 pm
by Sylvie_h
While in France in July, I found a caterpillar of the spotted fritillary which unfortunately had been parasitized by a wasp ... nature can be so gruesome.... Any idea of what kind of wasp could have parasitized it ?
Sylvie
Re: Gruesome ending....
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2017 2:51 pm
by Padfield
Hi Sylvie. In 2010 I photographed the same thing:
I don't know what the parasitic species is.
Guy
Re: Gruesome ending....
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2017 3:55 pm
by Sylvie_h
Thanks Guy, that would be interesting to find out, I will try to find some information and will post it if I find out.
Sylvie
Re: Gruesome ending....
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2017 5:03 pm
by Chris Jackson
Thanks for sharing those photos, Sylvie and Guy.
Very interesting.
Chris
Re: Gruesome ending....
Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2017 10:01 am
by Roger Gibbons
Probably
Cotesia hispanica - and the only reason I know this is because I looked it up on the Filming Var Wild web site.
Here is the link, and there is also a YouTube video of
M. didyma being parasitised.
http://www.filming-varwild.com/p-braconidae.html
Pieter Kan is one of the leading experts on parasitoids in Europe.
Roger
Re: Gruesome ending....
Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2017 1:04 pm
by Sylvie_h
Hi Roger,
Thank you for this, this is fascinating. The poor caterpillar having to stay alive when all this frenzy happens : larva coming out of the body, imago emerging and males waiting for females to get the chance to mate.....
Thanks
Sylvie
Re: Gruesome ending....
Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 8:16 pm
by David M
Gruesome indeed! I've only ever seen this type of predation on Large White larvae but yes, it is a cruel way for a caterpillar to end its life.