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© Copyright Dan L. Perlman, 2005-2007

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Parasitized caterpillar, covered with wasp pupae, Monteverde, Costa Rica. The spines on this large, robust caterpillar were no protection against the parasitic wasp that laid her eggs on or in the caterpillar’s body. The parasitic wasp larvae ate most of their host, avoiding the vital organs, so that the caterpillar stayed alive. After they developed, the wasp larvae spun cocoons and pupated on the outside of the caterpillar’s body; the white structures seen among the spines are the cocoons of the wasp pupae. Although the caterpillar was still moving when this image was taken, there was no chance that it would itself pupate and become an adult moth.

title	Parasitism, Caterpillar_covered_with_wasp_pupae, EL_DP186
group	Parasitized Saturniid Caterpillar
common name	Caterpillar, Saturniid
scientific name	Saturniidae
taxonomic group	Lepidoptera
continent	North America
country	Costa Rica
state/province	Puntarenas
city/place/location	Monteverde
date1 yyyymmdd	1988
source	Dan L. Perlman
Ecological interactions	Parasitism
Organisms	Animals
Animals	Insects

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Updated: 2013-05-18 18:23:17 gmt

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