Parasite on the caterpillar?

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MacroLuv
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Parasite on the caterpillar?

Post by MacroLuv »

I was looking back in my archives for the photographs of caterpillar Hyles euphorbiae euphorbiae (aka "roller coaster") and found one interesting detail. Look at that cushion alike organic thing under caterpillar's leg. Wondering what it could be? A parasite?

Image

Camera model Olympus SP-320
Date/time 12.06.2006/16:53:54
Exposure time 1/640 s
F-number f/3.2
ISO 64
Focal length 8 mm

Image
The meaning of beauty is in sharing with others.

P.S.
Noticing of my "a" and "the" and other grammar
errors are welcome. :D

Bruce Williams
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Post by Bruce Williams »

Firstly Nikola - that is one beautiful photo!

Could it be a seed head that the cat picked up on its travels?

Bruce

Ken Ramos
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Post by Ken Ramos »

You know guys, this may sound odd but it could be the caterpillars "feet?" They or it, are much the same color as those areas of reddish orange on the posterior of the cat.

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

Ken Ramos wrote:You know guys, this may sound odd but it could be the caterpillars "feet?" They or it, are much the same color as those areas of reddish orange on the posterior of the cat.
I assume that Nikola is talking about the more balloon-like thing that we can see only on the left-most foot, and not on the the second one.

But even so, I think it's a normal part of the foot. This one is sticking out a bit more than I'm used to seeing, but those abdominal prolegs are generally pretty fleshy and expandable. The normal grasping action is to expand the fleshy part, which exposes the little hooks ("crochets"), then retract the whole mess, making the hooks dig into whatever the critter has a grip on. (See Claws of a cutworm.) It could be that this caterpillar just got a hook or two caught and is trying a little harder than normal to get loose.

Nikola, have you watched these things enough to know whether that's not a normal part of this species' foot?

--Rik

acerola
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Post by acerola »

I like this catepillar. I have pictures from it, maybe it explains much.

Is it OK to post here?
Image

The feets are elastic and they can fold up while make a step. Then the feets spread on the surface.

MacroLuv
Posts: 1964
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:36 pm
Location: Croatia

Post by MacroLuv »

Thanks folks! I've checked out my archive photographs carefully again and found that feet feature visible indeed on some of them but not as much as on the photographs above.
Thanks again for making this thing clear. :D
The meaning of beauty is in sharing with others.

P.S.
Noticing of my "a" and "the" and other grammar
errors are welcome. :D

beetleman
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Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:19 am
Location: Southern New Hampshire USA

Post by beetleman »

Wonderful photographs fellas. Very nice investigation also. :wink:
Take Nothing but Pictures--Leave Nothing but Footprints.
Doug Breda

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