Geometridae (family) IMMATURE

Unidentified IMMATURE Geometer moths at QPRC LGA

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Identification history

Geometridae (family) IMMATURE	23 Jan 2024	donhe
Geometridae (family) IMMATURE	23 Jan 2024	MichaelMulvaney
Unidentified	22 Jan 2024	arjay

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User's notes

This caterpillar has probably been parasitised by a moderately large orange ichneumid wasp. Hence it isn't really alive but also may not be fully dead. Yet. It was manoeuvred into this position by the wasp.

6 comments

donhe wrote:

23 Jan 2024

Clinging upside down to a leaf ?

arjay wrote:

23 Jan 2024

Yep. Held the caterpillar in some of its back legs. Climbing up the silk thread from the larva with other legs plus a lot of wing fluttering. Presumably either the caterpillar was then somehow attached to the leaf or was still attached by its silk thread. Or it had not yet been parasitised so could attach itself. Intriguing to watch. Life in action.

donhe wrote:

23 Jan 2024

Put back where it could feed and grow, parasitised but not paralysed. Amazing behaviour.

arjay wrote:

23 Jan 2024

Totally agree. I must admit it is the behaviour, interactions and distribution of these species that I find most fascinating. Yep we need an ID as well but it isn't the bit that I really like.

donhe wrote:

23 Jan 2024

Did you get any photos of the wasp and it's activities?

arjay wrote:

23 Jan 2024

No because I didn't have the camera on me at the time and had to go back to get the camera to take the photo of the larva. Shame. If I had, then those pix would have been up there too. Might have even got a movie of it. But there you go, can't have everything. And actually I miss a lot because I can't carry the camera all the time and when I do, I don't get anything else done.

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