šŸ› A TWIST OF FATE; Emergence of a Dipteran!

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The Thrilling Tale of the Mysterious Pupa!!!

In my CUBE Homelab, a fascinating adventure unfolded. It began on May 21st, when a slug caterpillar, likely from the Limacodidae family, was carefully collected from the trunk of a Jamun tree.

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The caterpillarā€™s new home was a rectangular glass tumbler, complete with a twig and a few mango leaves. A cloth covered the container, creating a snug environment for the caterpillarā€™s transformation.
Four days passed, and the caterpillarā€™s body began to undergo a dramatic change. It attached itself to the twig and formed a pupa, gradually darkening in color and taking on a woody appearance.
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As the days turned into weeks, anticipation grew. Would a beautiful moth emerge from the pupa, its wings a kaleidoscope of colors? The wait was on!
But fate had other plans. On June 18th, after 22 days of pupation, a surprise emergence took place. Instead of a moth, a dipteran fly appeared, its single pair of wings a stark contrast to the expected moth.
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This unexpected twist marked a milestone: My first encounter with a parasitoid diptera! The mysterious pupa had been harboring a secret, and now the truth was out.

As I gazed upon the tiny fly, I realized that the natural world is full of surprises. The intricate dance between species, the parasitic relationships, and the unpredictable outcomes all combined to create an unforgettable experience in my Homelab. All thanks to CUBE and CUBists for inspiring me everyday! :heart:

The tachinid parasitoid, Exorista segregata (Rondani, 1859) (Diptera: Tachinidae) is a polyphagous fly recorded on larvae of lepidopterans. Larvae of the Erebidae, Orgyia trigotephras Boisduval were collected from Northern Tunisia and reared in the laboratory at INRGREF. Larvae were kept individually until emergence of parasitoidā€™s adults.

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Thatā€™s wonderful :+1::handshake: , @Ayana_Sudheer! The information youā€™ve provided is both readable and understandable. May I ask the following questions:

  • When was the caterpillar collected?

  • What container held the caterpillar?

  • How many days until it pupated?

  • What did you expect to emerge?

  • How many days did pupation last?

  • What kind of fly was it?

  • Why was this a special discovery?

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The caterpillar I collected on 21st May was of the moth belonging to the family Limacodidae. So, I expected a moth to eclode from the pupa. I was waiting to witness the beautiful sight of moth slowly coming out! But I was surprised to see a fly with just a pair of wings (Diptera) coming out from the moth pupa. Isnā€™t it alarming to see a moth caterpillar giving rise to a Dipteran??
Referring literatures, I came to know that some family of diptera (mostly tachinidae) act as parasitoids. They have parasitized the host beautifully!!:dizzy_face:

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One thing about your caterpillar is that it has a vibrant green color with light blue. One thing to ask is, does this caterpillar have three eyes? :exploding_head: Because I used to see caterpillars with two eyes.

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Yes caterpillars can even have 6 pairs of simple eyes depending on the species.

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Thatā€™s interesting @Ayana_Sudheer. Please discuss this in the Context2Curriculum. :+1::handshake:

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