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Project Noah Nature School
Doratifera vulnerans
Cup moth cocoon which has been raided by another creature. Dissection shows the remains of the pupating caterpillar. Although I am not too good at identifying the parts here it looks like the caterpillar was not far into metamorphosis when the parasite struck. It's possible (or probable?) that they were encased together. If the pupation had gone successfully the cap would have opened neatly at the dark ring.
Eucalyptus open forest to suburban.
This cocoon is one of the spottings at .... http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/983... and also at ... http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/964...... and six months later one has emerged successfully... http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/154...
Spotted on Apr 21, 2012
Submitted on Apr 21, 2012
6 Comments
stunning work! Congrats Mark!
wow,,
very interesting spot
Wow interesante hogar
Looks more like a lunar module than a chinese junk ship ha ha!
I just noticed also the dark 'figure of eight' threads around the base of the cocoon. This shows how the caterpillar moved its head when building the skin.