The wasps will use their bodies to raise their offspring, a process that resembles a horror movie. Share this article Share this article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy link Link copied Bookmark Comments
These terrifying wasps act like something out of a sci-fi horror movie right in your backyard. The wasps use unsuspecting prey to breed.
Their pulsating bodies emerge from the host's torso, after which the mind-controlled caterpillars commit an even more horrific act.
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Looking for a place to lay their eggs, they are attracted by the smell of cabbage butterfly caterpillar saliva mixed with the smell of cabbage or radish as they ravage the plants we treasure and grow in gardens across the country.
The caterpillars are larger, stronger and more aggressive than the wasps, but the flying insects manage to capture them in a sort of grip. In the few seconds it takes for the female wasp to lay her eggs, she inserts them into the caterpillar, which, according to Candiru's team, practically kills it.
The caterpillar looks normal, but the eggs feed on the insect's unwanted tissue, waiting for the right moment. The larva then secretes a substance that paralyzes the caterpillar. Despite its tough skin, the wasps have developed sharp teeth that can cut through the insect's abdomen, the Mirror reports .
Having broken through the skin, they contract their body from front to back, pushing themselves out. One caterpillar can contain up to 50 eggs.
The multitude of larvae then begin to spin golden silk, which they use to envelop themselves in cocoons. The larvae, when hatched from the caterpillar, do not shed blood, and, remarkably, their host survives.
However, she becomes attached to the larval cocoons and, strangely, the caterpillar begins to help the young build homes from its own web. Candiru's team notes: “Under normal conditions, this instinct would not show any maternal instincts.”
Once the nest is complete, the caterpillar begins to watch over the young like a mother. Candiru's team said, “She will guard the wasps day and night, fiercely protecting them from any intruders.”
She will guard them stubbornly until she starves herself to death. After a few days, the wasps will hatch from their eggs, with the males appearing first, waiting for the females.
According to the channel, these wasps are “so common” that 70 percent of large white caterpillars will suffer this fate, allowing the wasp's life cycle to continue.
One horrified observer said: “When I was about 13, I had a lot of caterpillars in my garden and I was looking forward to the insects turning into pupae and then butterflies. But I remember looking at a caterpillar and seeing it acting strangely. I kept watching and suddenly worms started coming out!
“I was just in shock because I didn't understand what was going on, how worms could come out of a caterpillar. I was terrified, but then I did a little research and found out what it was. It's a bit of a mess.”
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