4457. Wildlife Singapore. Braconid wasp larvae cocoons in yio chu kang cres forest grass blade

https://bugguide.net/node/view/170

 

Life Cycle of Braconid wasps.

Many are egg-larval parasitoids (eggs of adult wasps are laid into host eggs (e.g. butterfly), but start to develop after the host larvae (e.g. caterpillar) hatch. Unlike ichneumonids, many pupate in silken cocoons outside the host; others spin cocoons away from the host. Very few use host pupae to complete the cycles, except for fly parasitoids in Alysiinae and Opiinae.

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Braconid wasp larvae are parasitoids of several Lepidoptera larvae. Eggs are oviposited by adult wasps into live caterpillars. Wasp larvae then develop inside the caterpillar and exit to make cocoons. 

The fuzzy white body mass on the grass blade is a mass of multiple cocoons. Some wasps  have had emerged from the cocoons. Some ants are attacking the cocoons. A video would show this scene.

 

 

 

 

The white Braconid Wasp Cocoon Mass on the grass blade are multiple cocoons of the braconid wasp larvae. The Braconid Wasps Cocoon mass (Microgastrinae Subfamily) is swarmed by Ants. Some new wasps have had emerged and flew off.

 

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WILDLIFE SINGAPORE. Life Cycle of Braconid wasps
Dr David Sing Kong Yuen

10 Feb 2025 video of silken cocoons of the Braconid wasps on a grass blade in Yio Chu Kang Crescent forest. A rare sighting by Dr David Sing.

Many species of the Braconid wasps are egg-larval parasitoids. The eggs of adult wasps are laid into host eggs (e.g. butterfly).  They start to develop after the host larvae (e.g. caterpillar) hatch.

Many species pupate in silken cocoons outside the host. Others spin cocoons away from the host. Very few use the host pupae (e.g. butterfly) to complete the life cycle, except for fly parasitoids in Alysiinae and Opiinae.

Video shows a few young Braconid wasps have had emerged and flew away.

On 11 Feb 2025, some ants swarm around the silken mass. On 12 Feb 2025, the whole silken mass had vanished from the grass blade.

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 Wildlife SingaporeEducational video by Dr David Sing Kong Yuen

Life Cycle of the Braconid Wasp

10 Feb 2025 video from Yio Chu Kang Cres forest