Favoritos de sfrn

This photo illustrates a highly complex tri-trophic interaction. A second or third instar spicebush swallowtail caterpillar is seen on spicebush with significant feeding damage and the characteristic telltale folded leaf shelter. The red female ichneumonid wasp (Trogus pennator) is a parasitoid specialist of swallowtail larvae and was observed scouting the spicebush for caterpillars. It found the larva on the upper leaf depicted in the photo and then quickly walked over to the bottom leaf by the leaf shelter where it waited. The larva in turn, began to crawl away from the top leaf and back onto the bottom leaf to hide in the shelter. The female was then observed engaging in vigorous searching behavior on top of the leaf. It is unclear whether there was successful oviposition. Larva was collected for rearing and behavioral analysis. However, the next day, it was found dead and may have succumbed to injury from possible oviposition.

@david102 I was wondering why they were so hard to find at the site. Those curbs are massive. Poor little buddies just tryin to disperse. found all of these within 5 feet of each other next to the parking lot curb