Thread subject: Diptera.info :: caterpillar with dipteran "bloodsuckers"??

Posted by Sundew on 23-09-2007 22:13
#1

Hi,
Yesterday I took some photos of a caterpillar of Hyloicus pinastri (pine hawkmoth). By zooming I detected two extremely tiny gnats (?) attached to its body that were obviously sucking. The camera could hardly depict them. Today I looked at the caterpillar again and found the gnats still in place. Their abdomina were clearly swollen (detail pics below) compared to the pics from yesterday in the upper right, so they obviously had continued sucking. They were not fixed to the caterpillar (like, e.g., a tick is) and changed the position when touched but did not fly off.
There are many insects that place their eggs on caterpillars, but I have never heard of "bloodsuckers" (or better, lymphsuckers) that attack caterpillars. So I would greatly appreciate any information about this subject - which flies or gnats, respectively, are to be considered, and is the caterpillar's life endangered by their activity?
Many thanks in advance, Sundew