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Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae

  • 38caterpillar
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-04-18 12:55:09
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    caterpillar
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 38
  • 39caterpillar
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-04-18 12:55:24
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    caterpillar
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 39
  • 40caterpillar
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-04-18 12:55:36
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    caterpillar
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 40
  • 41caterpillar
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-04-19 15:02:16
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    caterpillar
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 41
  • 42caterpillar
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-05-01 10:47:35
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    caterpillar
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 42
  • 43caterpillar
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-05-01 19:03:33
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    caterpillar
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 43
  • 44caterpillar
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-05-01 19:04:00
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    caterpillar
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 44
  • 45
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-05-18 15:29:57
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae

    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 45
  • 46
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-05-18 15:30:51
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae

    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 46
  • 47
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-06-08 14:34:19
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae

    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 47
  • 48cocoons
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-06-08 14:42:12
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    cocoons
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 48
  • 49cocoons
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-06-20 16:47:06
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    cocoons
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 49
  • 50cocoons
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-06-27 09:25:49
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    cocoons
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 50
  • 51cocoons
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-06-27 09:25:54
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    cocoons
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 51
  • 52bottom view
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-06-27 09:43:02
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    bottom view
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 52
  • 53male
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-06-27 09:41:21
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    male
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 53
  • 54female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-06-27 09:43:02
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 54
  • 57female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-07-03 11:08:48
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 57
  • 55female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-06-24 15:57:33
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 55
  • 56female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2020-06-24 16:05:39
    4   Raupe einer Grasbüscheleule (Apamea sp.) mit Endoparasitoiden - Hymenoptera: Braconidae  Owlet moth caterpillar (Apamea sp.) with endoparasitoids - Hymenoptera: Braconidae
    female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    Image number: 56

I found the caterpillar of an owled moth shown here under a piece of dead wood at the edge of a forest on April 18. After potting a few small tufts of grass in a container suitable for breeding I put the caterpillar in. It disappeared underground on April 9th and reappeared on April 30th, when only a few grass leaves were still green. On May 1st there was a short photo session and fresh grass bushes were delivered. After that the caterpillar submerged again and did not come to the surface again.
On May 18, I carefully inspected the contents of the container. The caterpillar had disappeared. No pupa was to be found either. In the earth there was only a brownish felt-like bulb. On 8 June I used tweezers to partially detach the felted outer layer of the nodule and on 20 June I removed further fibres. After uncovering, a thick round disc consisting of upright small wasp cocoons became visible.
From these cocoons, 5 female wasps hatched on the same day. One week later, another plucking action surprisingly led immediately to the hatching of 5 more wasps (4 females and 1 male). The hatched wasps have a body length of about 5 mm.