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Photo#123413
Cocoon? - Amphibolips

Cocoon? - Amphibolips
Bourne, Massachusetts, USA
July 1, 2007
Size: Quarter coin size
Round brown capsule with one hole. (I cut it in half, believing it to be a seed pod) Has caterpillar inside with spongy substance and frass.- 2nd sample to follow is of empty/cracked cocoon attached to Oak tree leaf. What is it? Will the caterpillar become moth or butterfly? Any info appreciated. Thank you.

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Cocoon? - Amphibolips Cocoon? - Amphibolips Cocoon? - Amphibolips Cocoon? - Amphibolips

Moved

Moved
Moved from Gall Wasps.

Moved
Moved from galls.

Oak Apple Gall 'Room-mate'?
I wonder if this is an example of one of those below-referred-to 'inquilines'?

'Apple galls can be homes to parasites, inquilines, and other organisms. An inquiline is an animal, or other organism, which uses the gall for shelter, but does not hurt the wasp larva inside.'

I suppose it's also possible that the caterpillar simply moved into an old gall which was already empty. The quote is from a site about the life cycle of the insects which actually create such galls, a type of wasp. Here's that site. Maybe what you found?

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/oak_apple_gall_wasp.htm

Of course it still doesn't help identify the caterpillar itself--sorry!

 
Awesome, thank you. Now I can
Awesome, thank you. Now I can see it is definitely an oak apple gall, as you stated. So the caterpillar must be a roommate indeed. Very interesting.

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