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| 1 | 2 |  » Stats |
Members: 50,136
Threads: 82,298
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Top Poster: glsammy (15,069)
| | Welcome to our newest member, kathyheel | |  | | 
23-06-2009, 05:43 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 2
| | | caterpillar laid eggs
We have been growing caterpillars from the garden to watch then turn to butterflys only to find the caterpillars have all laid a clutch of eggs in silk which are now hatching into caterpillars/maggots. have looked this up and think its wasps is this common as all we collected have done the same. |
23-06-2009, 06:42 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,350
| | | Re: caterpillar laid eggs
Yes, just one of the obstacles of becoming a butterfly! There are hundreds of parasites that prey on butterfly and moth caterpillars - flies and wasps are the main ones.
The parasite lays it eggs in the caterpillar, or the parasites eggs are eaten by the caterpillar. The young parasites then start to eat the caterpillar from the inside out - keeping it alive long enough for them to grow themselves. When the parasites are ready to pupate they will emerge from the caterpillar and form cocoons as you have seen. They will then emerge in a few weeks or months time.
Have you got any photos? |
23-06-2009, 08:33 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,421
| | | Re: caterpillar laid eggs
Have a look at the photos on this thread. Did the eggs look like these? Peacock caterpillars parasitoids |
23-06-2009, 08:34 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,421
| | | Re: caterpillar laid eggs
Quote:
Originally Posted by Susie  |
I've been told that these are likely to be tachinid flies rather than wasps. |
24-06-2009, 05:32 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 2
| | | Re: caterpillar laid eggs
Hi thanks for you replys.
I have added 2 photos to this web site hope you can find them |
17-07-2009, 12:46 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 3
| | | Re: caterpillar laid eggs
We have also been rearing caterpillars. When it came to turning into chrysalis only one managed it. The other two produced some silk and laid a lot of yellow eggs around itself. The caterpillar died underneath the eggs and the eggs hatched into flies! We had to move the crysalis and other caterpillars until we'd cleaned out their home and made ure their were no more flies. Don't know what type of parasite they were. Anyone got any ideas?? |
17-07-2009, 01:10 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,350
| | | Re: caterpillar laid eggs
There are quite a few parasites of caterpillars, including wasps and flies - identifying them is pretty difficult. Have you got any photos? |
17-07-2009, 05:17 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 3
| | | Re: caterpillar laid eggs
one on the camera, will have to upload it. they were long yellow pellets? |
17-07-2009, 05:19 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,350
| | | Re: caterpillar laid eggs
This is the link you want to upload, in case your having difficulty: Wild About Britain Images Upload (select "image library"). |
18-07-2009, 02:39 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 3
| | | Re: caterpillar laid eggs
no. Laid yellow pellet sheaped eggs which hatched into flies | | | |
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