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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.

UPDATES:
https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2025/02/4457-braconid-wasp-larvae-cocoons-in.html

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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

ADVICES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
Dr David Sing Kong Yuen
Written: 15 Feb 2025.

16 May 2024. Orchard Link roadside garden. 10am.

Coffee at Toast Box Shaw House with Ms M.

My friend whom I shall call Miss M is an excellent story teller of people she encounters in her professional work. She enthralled me with interesting stories of high and under achievers over coffee in this relatively quiet cafe at Shaw House. One such story is the engineering recruitment lady who earned over S$200,000 per year. The median income is probably S$48,000 annually.

This yellow butterfly, seen by me as I walked from the Orchard MRT Station to Toast Box, typifies the Type "A" personality - the Go-Getter person who works very hard and gets results as evident in his or her high earnings e.g. S$200,000 income per year for the engineering recruitment lady.

This Common Grass Yellow is rarely seen perched on the leaf for more than 3 seconds. It flutters from one flower to another as if it has no time to waste. Hence, it is rare to capture a photo of it sipping honey and permitting me time to squat to its eye level to take a sharp image.

"Type A" personalities are like this butterfly. No time to waste on eating, drinking and sleeping as there is so much to do and so little time to achieve.

A 24-hour day is insufficient. It is best to take time to take care of your health.

This includes a Mediterranean type of diet, daily exercise of 5,000 steps of walking and 30 minutes of moderate vigorous activity and sufficient sleep with naps for the older person.

Failure to take care of your health will manifest from your late 40s in getting heart diseases, stroke and diabetes. Or looking aged early.

GO-GETTER - very energetic, determined. Someone who is very energetic, determined to be successful and able to deal with new or difficult situations easily.

TO BUY PHOTO: www.shutterstock.com/g/toapayohvets

UPDATE:
https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2024/05/5876-photography-tips.html

SINGAPORE - 15 MAY 2024: Orchard Boulevard MRT subway Station garden. The Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe) sips nectar from the small orange and yellow Lantana camara flowers.

ADVICES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.

Educational Video by Dr David Sing Kong Yuen.

What is a Go-Getter?

GO-GETTER - very energetic, determined. Someone who is very energetic, determined to be successful and able to deal with new or difficult situations easily.

This Common Grass yellow butterfly, seen by me as I walked from the Orchard MRT Station to Toast Box to have coffee with Ms M, typifies the Type "A" personality - the Go-Getter person who works very hard and gets results as evident in his or her high earnings.

It fluttered from one Lantana flower to another as it had no time "to stop and smell the roses". It might just perch on the leaf for less than 3 seconds.

Hence, I had to be quick to capture a photo of it sipping honey. I squatted to its eye level, pointed my camera and captured this attractive sharp image.

"Type A" personalities are like this butterfly. Such people do not waste time on slow eating, drinking and sleeping as there is so much to do and so little time to achieve.

I met Ms M as a veterinarian treating her beloved aged sick cross-bred whom she would not euthanase till the very end.

Her boss shook his head when we met. He would have life support terminated if his doctor had declared his Dad as "brain-dead".

Ms M had a heart of gold filled with love. Her 16-year-old was not just a dog. He was with her through her life’s ups and downs.

Today, 15 FEB 2025, this photo taken on 15 MAY 2024, reminded me that this yellow butterfly personify Ms M whose livelihood depend on her closing sales.

Ms M is a conversationalist. As the coffee aroma wafted to my nose, she enthralled me with stories of her diverse behaviour of personalities she encountered during sales.

Her stories were the flying carpet that carried me to the realm of her prospects successes and failures in earning a livelihood and in surviving day to day.

She had closed sales with me.

Perhaps, my answer to her go-getting success is her condo in prime location and her top of the range of luxury car.

As yellow butterflies and lantana flowers appeared recently, I recalled my coffee story with Ms M on 15 May 2024.

Ms M had narrated a story of a lady recruitment agent for engineers earning over S$200,000 a year.“I can’t believe a recruitment agent can earn so much,” I said.

Ms M replied: “She knocked on doors of all corporations asking if they need engineers. She worked long hours and over weekends. She was much focused. She made sacrifices of family time.”

I learnt much about the struggles of earning a livelihood from Ms M.

As a vet, my patients are four-legged animals with a diverse range of afflictions. They don’t converse with me.

In conclusion, I wrote this story dedicated to Ms M. I thank Ms M for conversations that made coffee time with her passed in the wink of an eye.

YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/c/toapayohvets

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UPDATE:
https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2024/05/5876-photography-tips.html

On this 15 MAY 2024, I was at the Orchard Boulevard MRT subway Station garden on the way to meet Ms M and saw this Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe) sipping nectar from the small orange and yellow Lantana camara flowers. I got a good photo.

SLIDES