Remember those disgusting tomato hornworms that tried to kill my plants awhile back?
Well this is what happens to them when parasitic wasps lay their eggs inside the worms. The eggs hatch and feed on the worm, which kills it. Then, they burrow out of the worm, turn into pupae, spin cocoons, and hang out until they’re ready to hatch.
Each of those little cocoons is about the size of a grain of rice.
These little guys haven’t hatched yet, but they should soon. I’ve found other infested hornworms with empty cocoons. This is a revolting but Very Good Thing. It means that there are now lots of these wasps around, so they will hopefully keep future tomato hornworms populations in check.
red paper boat 