June 6, 2007 - Eastern Tent Caterpillar - Parasitism - Malacosoma americana Richmond Hill, York Region, Ontario, Canada June 6, 2007
Here it is again, two days later. The killer has emerged and pupated.
One can usually tell when a Tent Caterpillar has been parasitized at the cocoon stage - the cocoon is flimsy (note the lack of the yellow powdering typical of healthy cocoons) and may not be attached to the substrate (i.e. just sitting on a surface). A "burn" hole can often be seen (as in above) when the cocoon is flipped over.
Images of this individual: tag all Contributed by Stephen Luk on 8 June, 2007 - 8:15pm Last updated 15 May, 2008 - 9:58am |