The World of Minibeasts

The ? Owlet - The Winner Takes it All

Using the nutrients taken up by destroying  the caterpillar the parasites now could go through their own development.

Gradually, the dead caterpillar adopted a black color, a visible indication that the Chalcidiae larvae had stopped feeding and turned into chrysales that were about to mature.  

In general, a hymenoptera larva, that usually is of whitish color, strips off its skin and turns into a chrysalis of the same color. While the physical change proceeds and the insect becomes more and more complete, towards the end of this period the pigmentation starts, the chrysalis finally releasing a completely developed and fully colored insect. 

Photograph by Jose Verkest, text by Maria Pfeifer