Tachinid fly lays eggs on caterpillar
- 5 years ago
This is the gruesome moment a fly tried to lay its eggs on a caterpillar perched on a leaf.
The Tachinid fly is a parasite that usually attacks caterpillars as a host.
In the video, the fly extends a tube from its body to try and penetrate the Datana caterpillar. At first, the caterpillar sensed the unwelcome intrusion and flinched each time, preventing the fly from making its deposit.
However, the fly ultimately managed to lay its eggs which will eventually destroy the host caterpillar.
Nature lover David Hughes captured the astonishing scene in Highland County, Ohio, on August 18.
He said: ''One would think that the fly would just land on the defenceless caterpillar and lay eggs, but instead it stalks its host to within striking distance and then whips out her ridiculously long ovipositor which is longer than she is. The caterpillar doesn't like it at all but can't do much to fend it off.''
The Tachinid fly is a parasite that usually attacks caterpillars as a host.
In the video, the fly extends a tube from its body to try and penetrate the Datana caterpillar. At first, the caterpillar sensed the unwelcome intrusion and flinched each time, preventing the fly from making its deposit.
However, the fly ultimately managed to lay its eggs which will eventually destroy the host caterpillar.
Nature lover David Hughes captured the astonishing scene in Highland County, Ohio, on August 18.
He said: ''One would think that the fly would just land on the defenceless caterpillar and lay eggs, but instead it stalks its host to within striking distance and then whips out her ridiculously long ovipositor which is longer than she is. The caterpillar doesn't like it at all but can't do much to fend it off.''