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Photo#23369
Caterpillar parasitized by a Tachinid Fly - Aleiodes

Caterpillar parasitized by a Tachinid Fly - Aleiodes
Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
July 4, 2005
Size: 10mm
This larva was moving around on top of a leaf, and it looks like it's ready to pupate. Is this the larva of a syrphid?

Moved
Moved from immature stages, parasitized hosts, & metamorphosis.
Looks like typical work of an Aleiodes mummy-wasp to me. You may be able to find a match in Scott Shaw's guide, which you can download by following the link on the guide page.

Moved
Moved from Tachinidae.

parasite
Wagner (1) has an image on page 23 of a caterpillar parasitized by a tachinid fly maggot. He reports that "The black spot is necrotic tissue associated with the maggot's breathing tube, which it has pushed through the wall of the caterpillar's body." Maybe you should file this with the Tachinid flies!

 
Interesting
That explains why this caterpillar looks ill. I'll put it in the tachinid guide page. Thanks.

No.
Syrphid larvae do not have head capsules like that:-) This is some kind of lepidopterous caterpillar, though perhaps not a healthy one.

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