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Project Noah Nature School
Lapara coniferarum
Okay, I found it. There are two animals represented here. The hornworm and the Braconid Wasp. The wasp is a parasite but is beneficial to your garden, while the Hormworm is not.
The stripes on this caterpillar and lack of a horn on the rear end match the Pine Sphinx. The white things on it's back are actually cocoons from parasitic wasp larvae. It looks like the cocoons have already hatched. Really neat find!
Well done investigating this spotting! I moved it to the arthropods category for you as it concerns insects.
The caterpillar is being parasitized by wasp eggs laid on its back. It most likely is paralyzed but still alive. Gruesome eh?
Spotted on Aug 9, 2013
Submitted on Aug 9, 2013
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