Zombie caterpillar

[MasculineProviderEnergy]

I found this cabbage white eating my roses(?!) I noticed a bobbly mass on his back, on closer inspection it's eggs. Google tells me a species of parasitic wasp has laid eggs in his back. I was going to attempt some daring surgery with a pin and tweezers, but apparently the parasites hijack his nervous system and he'd probably die.

I've put him in a large kilner jar with mesh at the top with rose and cabbage leaves, but he's not really interested in food.

Friday nights eh?

You need to post updates on this interesting caterpillar. I’ve never seen this before.

Poor caterpillar. Tis the way of life I suppose.

I will for sure. I'm watching him with grim fascination. I thought this sort of thing happened in more tropical climates.

Yeah I'm fretting a bit that he's in pain smallglassbottle Hopefully the parasites are hijacking his senses in a pleasant way.

Awwww, poor green baby! I hope he (she) is OK.

Colin gave birth in the night, and the wasps have made little cocoons. Sadly (but not unexpected) he didn't survive

Poor caterpillar but it’s all part of nature. We had lots of cabbage white caterpillars but most were taken by birds to feed their chicks.
Will you keep the cocooned wasps OP? It would be interesting to see what happens.

Following, for the baby wasp birth announcement 😬

Yes I've kept the cocoons, they're in that state for a couple of weeks I think. But apparently an even tinier wasp can come along and lay parasitic eggs in them 😱

Today's pic - the pupae utilise Colin's flat, deflated corpse as a shelter I guess? There seems to be more cocoon silk surrounding them

The same happened here when I planted nasturtiums caramac04 - birds took them all. I'd got quite attached to them! But also pleased birds could feed their chicks

I've read about them doing the same to snails (or maybe a similar but different parasite does this) and they look very strange. Google disco zombie snail.

Thank you for update OP. It’s fascinating.
@MasculineProviderEnergy I deliberately sowed nasturtiums last year for the caterpillars and had loads. Stupidly didn’t sow any this year as I thought they had self set.