An inchworm carries a load of braconid wasp cocoons on her back:
photo details:
All photos with a Canon EOS 7D camera
(top)Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens
ISO 200 f/6.3 1/200 sec, indirect strobe
(middle)Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens
ISO 100 f/11 1/200 sec, backlit strobe
(bottom)Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens
ISO 200 f/9 1/160 sec, ambient light
It’s amazing how healthy a caterpillar can look even after all its innards have been eaten away…
Yeah, I thought that too. Some caterpillars can survive an attack if the parasite load isn’t too great and the wasps stick to hemolymph rather than vital organs. I wonder if this one might make it- it’s only hosting 4 of the things.
Amaizing, good pictures