Monarch chrysalis parasitized by two pupal parasitoids
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Published 2015-08-27
This video documents an interaction between a monarch butterfly (as a "J" and as a chrysalis) and two parasitoid wasps. The parasitoids are called Pteromalus cassotis. The monarch was able to defend itself when in the J stage by knocking the tiny wasps off of its body. However, as a chrysalis, the monarch is relatively unable to defend itself, especially as it hardens and loses the ability to wiggle. Relatively inactive portions of the video have been edited out for the sake of brevity. Total elapsed time: 2 hours, 20 minutes. This video was shot in the University of Minnesota Monarch Lab.
Music: The Life and Death of a Certain K. Zabriskie, Patriarch by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: chriszabriskie.com/vendaface/
Artist: chriszabriskie.com/
All Comments (21)
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Sometimes the wasps are beneficial. But when it comes to them killing monarchs, squish that bug!
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9:06 the black part is the monster
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the poor Monarchs never get a break!
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Cool video hope to see one with a house fly laying eggs on the pupa next video
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0:40 Yeet
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Very interesting video.
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The intelligence of humankind: letting nature take its course a species into extinction.
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Kids, this is why you don't skip sit-ups during gym class.
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Fun fact: the butterfly can still develop under the right chances.
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Story time, a while back, I found a chrysalis, I wanted to see inside of it, so sadly I took it down and opened it with some small tools. I opened the chrysalis, and it was filled with countless tiny larvae. I was baffled and was amazing at what I was looking at, I further opened the chrysalis to see more larvae. For days I tried researching what was in the chrysalis, and I started to doubt if it was a chrysalis in the first place (because I’m no insect person). But finally after around 6 weeks I randomly stumbled upon this video. This video answered my question to what those larvae where doing in a chrysalis. Thank you so much for solving my suspicions. Great video.
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That cute little chubby cat did put up a good fight early.
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I remember seeing what I thought was a small fly in the room one day.
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I was always told that this parasitoid attacks once the caterpillar is in a chrysalis. You just proved this is not the case.
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This is saddistic and awful to sacrifice that poor caterpillar!!
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I hate seeing this. I know it happens in the wild but this is inside of a carrier so we don't need to see the caterpillar in turmoil.
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Where do the adult wasps live when not infecting a chrysalis? Do they live in the soil? I'm curious because I have an indoor enclosure to raise monarch butterflies and I bring in 1 gallon pots of milkweed to feed my caterpillars. I've never seen them indoors but have recently found them in my outdoor enclosure that I raise my swallowtail butterflies in. Thanks for your help.
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Thank you for Video! Best wishes!
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Why have monarchs in your possession if you won't protect them?
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This is why plastic critter cages are not safe for raising cats. Those little wasps and ants can easily get into the cage through the slots in the lid. I think the wasp can smell the cats too. I have had T-flys hanging out on the outside of my kitchen window screens near where I keep some of my cages.
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this where I'd get the boot or flamethrower because if I can't have the butterfly so can't the parasite either!
