Parasitized Caterpillar

Article on parasitoids inducing thrasing behavior in host

Efram, I think the original article you referred to in your remarks for this post is the one linked to below (or one of the many articles that appeared elsewhere reporting on that original article):

"Parasitoid Increases Survival of Its Pupae by Inducing Hosts to Fight Predators" by A. Grosman et al. (2008)

A fascinating phenomenon (though distressing for those of us who will empathize with the caterpillar).

The video linked to below shows such a caterpillar vigorously thrashing about to repel a (possible?) threat to the pupae of the wasp larvae...the same larvae which not much earlier consumed much of its body, and thus consigned it to imminent and premature death!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lk_m1AF4Xk

Very Strange.

… Aaron Schusteff, 4 October, 2014 - 8:40pm

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… Efram Goldberg, 24 November, 2012 - 2:17pm

Surely

Microgastrinae, and presumably Microplitis. Compare:

If someone can identify your caterpillar, maybe TaxPad will list a species of Microplitis known to parasitize the host.

… Bob Carlson, 19 November, 2012 - 8:44pm

Might be

The caterpillar might be a mobile groundling (Condica mobilis). Confirmation of the plant it was found on would help confirm or dispute that ID.

… LaciP, 20 November, 2012 - 11:33am

Common flowers

I am hardly the botanist. It was found on the plants with the little white flowers with yellow centers. a google search told me this:
Romerillo or Beggar’s Tick, Spanish Needles (Bidens sp.)
but ill upload a photograph im sure someone is better at botany than i am.

… Efram Goldberg, 20 November, 2012 - 12:17pm

Spanish needles

My Florida botany is dang near non-existent, but the plant does look like one of the spanish needles (Bidens alba) which would confirm the caterpillar ID.

… LaciP, 20 November, 2012 - 1:02pm

Agree

I agree with the comments above that this plant is Spanish Needles (Bidens alba) (see "Fullscreen Slideshow"); the linked photo of the flower was very helpful. This species also known as Romerillo.

… John Pearson, 7 December, 2012 - 7:11pm

Associations

TaxaPad lists no host records for that species, but for the genus Condica I find listed one North American microgasterine, Protomicroplitis calliptera (Say). Whatever species made those cocoons is a gregarious species, but I don't find any statement indicating whether Protomicroplitis calliptera is solitary or gregarious.

… Bob Carlson, 20 November, 2012 - 12:09pm

question?

are you implying each cocoon is from a different female wasp? or is it one wasp that laid many eggs?

… Efram Goldberg, 20 November, 2012 - 5:19pm

One Female

One female depositing many eggs or a single egg that is polyembryonic.

… Bob Carlson, 20 November, 2012 - 6:09pm

Polyembryonic eggs? Wow!

I never heard of such a thing! (Well, I guess I've heard of twins, triplets, etc.... but never of "centuplets"!)

It seems plausible though, given the large number of pupae often associated with a single parasitized caterpillar, and the relatively small size of the microgasterine adult females abdomen.

… Aaron Schusteff, 4 October, 2014 - 8:13pm