Parasitised 7-spot ladybird

[Bruce Williams]

Stony Stratford, Bucks.

Photo taken 16th September - still there yesterday (15th November).

Anyone know what has parasitised this unfortunate ladybird?



Bruce

[Paul mabbott]

Dinocampus coccinellae a braconid wasp. From the bright colours of the ladybird it looks as if this is a recent pupation.
If you are really keen you might be able to capture the emergence of the wasp or (more likely) you could enclose the ladybird &c with some narrow gauge netting? Maybe?

[JRsbugs]

I found one like this on 6th November last year on a leaf. I think it disappeared as I don't recall seeing it after. The cocoon looked to have been vacated but the ladybird still looked 'fresh'. It wasn't easy getting pics of it in the curve of a leaf but I got a couple, one showing the opening at the end.

I wonder how or where the wasp larva comes out of the ladybird and how it spins it's cocoon! That must take a lot of spinner's thread.

Janet

[Bruce Williams]

Paul - Thanks for your help with identification. I see there already a couple of photos in the Gallery (including one of yours) and there is a mountain of interesting info on the web too. My photo was taken on 16th September so I suspect I'm a bit late to catch an emergence. I will however collect the whole thing as carefully as possible and hopefully find out (photograph) where and how the larva and later the adult wasp emerged.

Janet - Hopefully I will be able to get some answers to your question (see above). Please post your pic in this thread if you would like to.

Here's an interesting web page on Dinocampus coccinellae: - It's an easy read too : Microscopy-UK Micscape Microscopy and Microscopes Magazine

Here's a WAB Gallery photo of Dinocampus coccinellae taken by WAB member Misanthrope:



Bruce

[JRsbugs]

From the site you linked to Bruce it looks like the larva has it's head stuck out near the tail end, and that's where the larva is when starting to make it's cocoon. I guess they bite a hole through a weak section.

My pics..

[Paul mabbott]

The larva 'escapes head first, by burrowing through the thinner cuticle between two of the ventral abdominal plates.'; then orientates itself to lay between the ldybirds legs. There are lengthy descriptions in Ladybirds by Majerus.
When searching for info about Dinocampus it's worth bearing in mind that it used to be called Periletus!
Another fascinating fact? Like many parasitoid hymenoptera, males are not necessary for reproduction and, to the best of my recall, only two males have ever been found - in laboratory stock.

[Bruce Williams]

Thanks Paul - very interesting!

Bruce

[Paul mabbott]

Never miss an opportunity .... there has been a thread about this but ....
Can I remind all readers that we are interested to know if D. coccinelliae attacks Harmonia axyridis, the harlequin ladybird; and, if so, how often. Therefore any observations of parasitoidy on the 'harlequin' will be welcomed by the national survey or your local recorder.
This is quite a good time of year to find predated ladybirds.