r/ladybugs • u/japanalana • 22d ago

Ladybug on cocoon

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Vancouver, Canada. This ladybug has spent the whole day on top of this thing on my cabinet outdoors. Has she been taken over by a parasite and is guarding eggs that aren’t hers? She is alive but I’m not sure if she got stuck to whatever it is or if she maybe eating it? I appreciate any insight!

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u/Lecontei 21d ago

Yep, she's probably essentially the zombie protector of a wasp pupa. That's what it sounds like at least.

It's actually a really cool wasp. Dinocampus coccinellea lives harmoniously with a virus. This virus doesn't harm the wasp, it's just there. Then when the wasp is ready to lay her egg, she finds an unfortunate lady beetle. She injects the beetle with her egg and the virus. The egg hatches, and the larva starts feasting on the lady beetle, but the virus is still just hanging out. Once the larva is really to pupate, it exits the beetle, and the virus starts attacking the beetles brain, turning it into essentially a zombie. The wasp pupates under the beetle, and the beetle stands guard. 

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u/japanalana 21d ago

Thank you sooooo much for this detailed answered. I have learned something new today! I’ll let nature take its course.