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Voodoo wasps are called such because of their ability to turn caterpillars into what amounts to a zombie. This charming process begins when the wasp lays its eggs inside of the caterpillar, around eighty at a time. The caterpillar is perfectly fine until the eggs hatch into larvae stage, during which they feed off the caterpillar’s bodily fluids. Once fully grown they eat their way out of the caterpillar and spin cocoons nearby. And so goes the circle of life. Sunrise, sunset.
Except the caterpillar isn’t dead yet. Instead it stands over the cocoons as though being controlled by the growing larvae inside. Should anything have the misfortune of approaching the cocoons, the caterpillar will thrash about until the predator is knocked away or is freaked out enough to leave on its own accord. Once the wasps hatch from the cocoon, the caterpillar finally kicks the bucket. The wasps then show their gratitude for their brave guardian by eating its bod. It’s sort of like nature’s Stockholm Syndrome meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and it looks something like this:
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Except the caterpillar isn’t dead yet. Instead it stands over the cocoons as though being controlled by the growing larvae inside. Should anything have the misfortune of approaching the cocoons, the caterpillar will thrash about until the predator is knocked away or is freaked out enough to leave on its own accord. Once the wasps hatch from the cocoon, the caterpillar finally kicks the bucket. The wasps then show their gratitude for their brave guardian by eating its bod. It’s sort of like nature’s Stockholm Syndrome meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and it looks something like this:
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