What's This?

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,056
10,544
126
Found this moth in the parking lot at work. I think it might have been slightly alive when I moved it to the weeds. I went to a job, and was thinking about what it was, and decided the all knowing ATOT could tell me. It had ants on it when I took the picture, and was definitely dead at that point. Some kind of parasite eggs?

ZFIzbw.jpg
 

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
72,874
33,940
136
As a naturalist with decades of experience with these sorts of things I can only tell you that that's gross.

PS: I'll ask my wife when I get home. She's the smart one in the family.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,056
10,544
126
Polyphemus moth? Not sure about the eggs.
That looks like the moth. I wonder if the eggs were hers, and squeezed out somehow. The wiki picture looks like the same egg, and she did look damaged. They were coming out both ends though D^:

I kinda wish I gave it more attention. It was hot as shit today though, and I wasn't much interested in playing outside. I just wanted to do my thing, and get back in.
 

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
72,874
33,940
136
Per my wife: Polyphemus moth, eggs are probably from a parasitic braconid wasp.
 

MongGrel

Lifer
Dec 3, 2013
38,466
3,067
121
You'd be surprised how many parasitic insects there are, maybe not.

It's pretty common in insects, was watching a few bizarre things the other day.
 

MongGrel

Lifer
Dec 3, 2013
38,466
3,067
121
I's say the wife nailed the species, does look a parasitic wasp thing to me, but I'm no expert.
 
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