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Strategies & Market Trends : Fascist Oligarchs Attack Cute Cuddly Canadians
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To: Snowshoe who wrote (1118)11/14/2004 5:23:38 AM
From: Crocodile  Read Replies (1) of 1293
 
Well, it doesn't look good for the big moths. I've read a few research papers on the topic and the numbers of these big moths are really down. It's partly a problem with the pressure from diminishing habitat (due to the expansion of the human footprint), but probably mainly due to these introduced parasitic flies and wasps. The big problem, as I think I mentioned, is that these larger caterpillars are very easy prey to the adult flies and wasps that fly around searching for something to lay their eggs on. One thing that some researchers are suggesting is that, possibly, the diet of certain caterpillars might help to prevent the parasitoids from surviving on their host -- basically making the caterpillar almost toxic to the parasitoid. I was sort of hoping that might be the case for this caterpillar as I found it eating European Buckthorn (another invasive species, btw). Buckthorn is not eaten by many creatures as its leaves are somewhat toxic. However, the damage from those parasitoids looks pretty bad in that photo and I checked that tree a couple of days later and could not find either a caterpillar or cocoon, so I suspect it might already have succumbed -- much like the Luna caterpillar which I found dying around the same time this autumn. Anyhow, I don't know -- it will be a real shame to see the last of these beautiful big moths if they can't survive depredation by these introduced species of parasites. Bummer.

croc
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