What is this thing inside the pupa?

carlitozik

Hello,

This is what i found inside the pupa of the poplar hawk-moth. This thing is the size of a pupa itself. It looks like a big yellow maggot. What is this thing?

strieze

Hi

I guess that's exactly what it is - a big yellow maggot. It's a parasite that is now fully grown and ready for its own
pupation. No idea about the accurate species / type of parasite, but I am sure there are enough experts in this forum
with the right expertise to be able to clearly identify it.
You may as well just let it pupate and emerge and post a photo of the adult insect then ..

Kind regards,
Markus.

Rudi

Hi

that is the pupa of a large parasitic parasitic wasp, like Markus said. Possibly from the Ichneumonidae family.
They are very fascinating animals; just let it hatch.

greetings
Rudi

carlitozik

Thank you Markus and Rudi for your explanation! I hope someone will tell exactly what kind of parasitic wasp it was or similar to this species. I don't like them, so unfortunately I got rid of it. Once I opened the pupa of the elephant hawk moth and a large imago of a parasitic wasp crawled out, from then on I don't like them. As in this case, this creature ate a very good and large female for which I had plans.

Cheers,
Ilya

Rudi

Quote from carlitozik

I hope someone will tell exactly what kind of parasitic wasp it was or similar to this species.

Hi Ilya,

For a determination, you also have to let them hatch.

Regards
Rudi

carlitozik

Hi Rudi,

^{Yes, I understand that, knowing that this is one of the largest and least studied families of insects. I thought maybe it was some kind of well-known species of wasps that parasitizes exclusively on hawk moths. Well then, next time I'll give it a chance to hatch.}

^Cheers,
^Ilya

What is this thing inside the pupa?

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