A small white butterfly, Pieris rapae, caterpillar parasitised by a parasitoid wasp, Cotesia glomerata

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A small white butterfly, Pieris rapae, caterpillar parasitised by a parasitoid wasp, Cotesia glomerata

A small white butterfly, Pieris rapae, caterpillar parasitised by a parasitoid wasp, Cotesia glomerata. with the wasp cocoons formed

FLPA images of Wildlife and nature

Media ID 9689227

© FLPA/Nigel Cattlin

Biological Butterfly Caterpillar Close Cocoons Control Hymenoptera Insecta Larva Lepidoptera Parasitised Parasitized Parasitoid Pest Pests Pieridae Pieris Pupae Rapae September Small Wasp White Glomerata

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> Animals > Insects > Butterflies > Small White

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EDITORS COMMENTS
. In this photo print, we witness an extraordinary battle for survival in the miniature world of insects. A seemingly innocent small white butterfly caterpillar, Pieris rapae, finds itself unwittingly hosting some uninvited guests – parasitoid wasp cocoons! It all starts innocently enough with the tiny caterpillar munching on leaves, unaware of the lurking danger. Enter Cotesia glomerata, a crafty parasitoid wasp looking for its next victim. With surgical precision, it injects its eggs into the unsuspecting caterpillar's body. As time passes and nature takes its course, something remarkable happens within the caterpillar's fragile frame. The wasp larvae hatch and begin to feed on their host from within. Meanwhile, our once plump and vibrant caterpillar becomes weaker by the day. But wait! The story doesn't end there. As if being turned into a living buffet wasn't enough punishment for our poor caterpillar friend, it now has to endure another twist of fate – the formation of eerie-looking wasp cocoons hanging like macabre ornaments around its shriveled body. This mesmerizing image serves as a reminder that even in nature's tiniest corners, life can be both beautiful and brutal at once. It showcases Mother Nature's intricate web of predator-prey relationships and her ability to create astonishing adaptations for survival. So next time you spot

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