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larose forest photos | all galleries >> INSECTS (INSECTA) (28 Galleries) >> Moth Caterpillars >> Tiger and Lichen Moths (Family: Erebidae; Subfamily: Arctiinae) 8090 - 8262 >> Woolly Bear Caterpillars (Pyrrharctia isabella) 8129 > Woolly bear caterpillar (Pyrrharctia isabella)
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18-SEP-2014 Christine Hanrahan

Woolly bear caterpillar (Pyrrharctia isabella)

Reveler Conservation Area. This poor little guy is totally infested with parasitic larvae of, probably, a braconid wasp. The woolly bear was still alive, amazingly, and he was moving, but so slowly. However, he can't survive long, as these larvae would have hatched inside his body and then emerged to spin cocoons externally.

Panasonic LUMIX FZ200
1/200s f/2.8 at 4.5mm iso160 full exif

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Stephanie19-Sep-2014 13:34
I'm terribly sad to read your narrative and see this image! Disgusting little larvae.... V
Guest 19-Sep-2014 12:44
Nature red in tooth and claw.
pkocinski19-Sep-2014 11:47
Gross but I know it happens in nature.
Yvonne19-Sep-2014 10:53
The web of life in action... v
Irene Wehrli19-Sep-2014 09:47
It looks like it's filled with peanuts - but then I read your information, how sad this is!
Irene
Ceya19-Sep-2014 08:38
Cruel but beautiful. V
Helen Betts19-Sep-2014 07:19
That's amazing, he looks like some kind of thistle. Too bad about all the larvae, though. V.
joseantonio19-Sep-2014 04:06
What a find...V.
Ann Pettigrew19-Sep-2014 02:46
Gruesome, isn't it? I don't understand how they survive this long.
Jim Coffman19-Sep-2014 02:31
Good grief!!!That is like something out of science fiction!!
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