Posted by Christine Devillers on 24-09-2019 21:01
#1
Hello,
While I was photographing a caterpillar of
Proserpinus proserpina (Sphingidae) on
Epilobium hirsutum, a tachinid landed near the end of the caterpillar and climbed on it. The caterpillar has curved violently its head towards the tachinid, then she let himself fell down in the grass (4:22 p.m.). The tachinid inspected the grasses in the area where the caterpillar fell, quickly found it (4:23 p.m.). and climbed onto the body of the caterpillar which curved again directly its head towards the tachinid. The tachinid flew away (4:24 p.m.), came back to the caterpillar (4:25 p.m.), and then flew again away.
I placed the caterpillar on the
Epilobium hirsutum (4:26 p.m.) at about 50 cm from where the tachinid found it.
The tachinid came back (4:28 p.m.), inspected the
Epilobium hirsutum at the place where she had found the caterpillar at 4:22 p.m., but did not find it a little further away at the place where I placed it.
Is it a female of
Drino lota ?
(Belgium, 2019-08-03)
Christine
Posted by Zeegers on 25-09-2019 16:18
#6
Very interesting and yes, that is the female of Drino lota, a species only reared from Sphinigidae.
Theo