Some wasps are parasites of eggs. This introduced wasp, a Copidosoma species, is a parasite of the eggs of Chrysodeixis moths, whose caterpillars are common horticultural pests. The wasp shown here is 1.6 millimetres long, and is laying its eggs into the egg of the host species. The moth egg will hatch into a caterpillar still carrying the wasp egg inside it. This then divides into up to 2,000 embryos.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PAColl-7327)
Reference:
EP-Zoology-Insects and caterpillars-01
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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