Peacock caterpillars parasitoids

[Susie]

Butterfly conservation suggested that interested members breed on Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars to see what parasitoids affect them.

Today some of the peacock caterpillars have started to erupt as the parasitoids emerge to pupate. I will send the pupae to Butterfly Conservation so they can find out what they are.

[ron1863]

Any chance this could be the parasitoid Tachinid fly Zenilla vulgaris

[Susie]

I honestly don't have a clue. I would assume it was a tachnid or a parasitic wasp but that is all. Hopefully the people at BC may let me know the answer. I have so many cocoons now that I may keep some back and take photos of what emerges for my own personal identification purposes (I am sure someone on WAB could id it for me ).

[Kayleigh]

Great pics and fascinating thread Susie..Will be interesting seeing the pic if you do hold some back..

ps this did show in the "new post"

[ChrisR]

Sorry - catching up so this is a bit of an old thread ...

As a general rule, if the parasitoid emerges and spins a cocoon then it is an ichneumon wasp - as in these excellent photos If the larva emerges and just turns into a brown puparia/chrysalis then it is a tachinid fly.

I think your cocoons look very similar to a wasp that I reared out a few years ago from a batch of Peacocks (can't remember the name off the top of my head though). They are fairly common and nothing to be worried about though - all part of the ecosystem

[Susie]

Thanks for the reply. If I remember rightly they turned out to be chalcid wasps or something like that.