Geometridae (family) IMMATURE
Charleys Forest, NSW
Identify this sighting
| Geometridae (family) IMMATURE | donhe | 23 Jan 2024 | |
| Geometridae (family) IMMATURE | MichaelMulvaney | 23 Jan 2024 | |
| Unverified | arjay | 22 Jan 2024 |
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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
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.
23 Jan 2024
Put back where it could feed and grow, parasitised but not paralysed. Amazing behaviour.
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.
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.
Location information
- Places Charleys Forest, NSW
Sighting information
- At least 1 Abundance
- arjay Recorded by
- Ichneumid wasp Associated animal
- 25mm to 50mm Animal size
- Injured / sick Animal health
Collections
- arjay NatureMapr Canberra & Southern Tablelands Geometridae (family) IMMATURE Geometer moths (Geometridae) Moths (Lepidoptera) Insects
Species information
- Geometridae (family) IMMATURE Scientific name
- Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1418.1m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
Record quality
Quality score
4 / 7
- Images or audio
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Description
- Additional attributes
- More than one media file
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location