Video: Invasion Of The Body Snatchers – Parasitoid Wasp

One group of parasites known as parasitoids, shows no mercy. They invade their hosts, use them, and unceremoniously dispatch them when they’ve had their fill. The adult female parasitic wasp, cotesia glomerata impregnates a cabbage white caterpillar chosen as the host for its hungry little wasps to-be, thrusting its needle-like ovipositor through the victim’s skin and pumping her eggs into the body cavity. With the eggs hatched inside the caterpillar, up to 60 individual larvae will soon develop. After twelve days of the caterpillar gorging and providing nourishment, the larvae within will each have grown to the size of a grain of rice. For while they drink their host’s blood, they are careful not harm its vital organs. They thus keep it alive while they are still steadily growing.

On a scale of 1-10, how disgusted are you by these parasites?

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