Males of Gelis waiting for females to approach to cocoon |
Close to
the fluff like cocoon of the Braconids José once found these insects,
that quite look like ants. They have very long antennae, indicating
that they are no ants. They belong to the family of Ichneumonidae and
its genus Gelis. They are two males, that in the vicinity of this
cocoon wait for females to mate with.
After mating, the females lay their eggs into the cocoon of the Braconids. The females have no wings and look even more like ants than the males do. The larvae that hatch from the eggs eat the pupae of the Braconids. From this food, they get enough energy to develop into a chrysalis of their own and hatch to be an adult Ichneumonid. |
