re: Got stung by a red velvet ant today

quote:

---

So, the velvet ant egg hatches into a larva that feeds on the cicada killer, which was an egg that hatched into a larva that is feeding on a cicada?

---

The world of hyperparasitism in insects (especially wasps) is wild.

This is a pic I got of the process.



The caterpillar was first parasitised by a wasp that laid eggs inside of it. Those eggs hatched, developed by feeding on the caterpillar (being sure to keep it alive long enough). When the time came the larvae chewed their way out of the caterpillar and spun individual cocoons on it. Then, the wasp you see came along and targeted the cocoons, laying it's own eggs inside of them. Its larvae then fed on the original wasp larvae, before hatching as a grown wasp. All if this hinges on the caterpillar staying alive long enough for the process to work.

A similar cycle plays out on an even smaller scale on various tree leaves with gall wasps, some of which are nearly microscopic.