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Kleine Teufelchen (Puppen) - Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae: Eulophus sp.
Little devils (pupae) - Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae: Eulophus sp.
While photographing an owled moth caterpillar in a mountain ash leaf (Sorbus aucuparia) I found the small bright larvae shown here. They were pupated the next day. At the rear end of each pupa was a small pile. One day later the initially bright, almost 2.5 mm long pupae had taken on a brown coloration. After another 7 days, on 12 June, nimble little chalcid wasps left the pupae.
In the internet there are some pictures of similar looking pupae, which were assigned to chalcid wasps of the genus Eulophus.
The larvae of some Eulophus species live gregariously as ectoparasitoids of moth caterpillars. The adult larvae pupate near the remains of their host. Shortly before pupation, each larva excretes a yellowish cluster containing the faeces produced during its entire life (meconium).
References, further reading, links:
- Noyes, J.S. 2019. Universal Chalcidoidea Database. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/chalcidoids
- https://bugguide.net/node/view/248744
- Caterpillar of Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
- Egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea: Trissolcus sp.) emerged from a shieldbug egg clutch (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)
- Endoparasitoid (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Phygadeuontinae) emerged from the pupa of a fly (Diptera: Syrphidae)
- Endoparasitoids (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) emerged from the pupa of a brush-footed butterfly (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)
- Geometer moth caterpillar with ectoparasites - Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae: Euplectrus sp.
- Little devils (pupae) - Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae: Eulophus sp.
- Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
- Solitary endoparasitoid (larva and pupa) of Eupithecia centaureata caterpillar - Hymenoptera