Franco
Jedi Master
"The study is absolutely fascinating," says Frédéric Thomas of the Institute for Research and Development in France. "It is the first documented case of manipulative parasites making the host behave as a true bodyguard to protect the parasite. And the experiments show the behavioural change is beneficial only for the wasp."
Although Janssen and his colleagues do not know how the parasites make the caterpillars change their behaviour, they think that a few larvae in each brood may sacrifice themselves to help their brothers and sisters.
"If we dissect the caterpillars, we find one or two parasitoid larvae have stayed behind, even after the rest of the brood has emerged and formed cocoons," says Janssen.
It could be that the larvae that remain in the host control its behaviour in order to make it protect the rest of the brood.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14053-zombie-caterpillars-controlled-by-voodoo-wasps.html
Although Janssen and his colleagues do not know how the parasites make the caterpillars change their behaviour, they think that a few larvae in each brood may sacrifice themselves to help their brothers and sisters.
"If we dissect the caterpillars, we find one or two parasitoid larvae have stayed behind, even after the rest of the brood has emerged and formed cocoons," says Janssen.
It could be that the larvae that remain in the host control its behaviour in order to make it protect the rest of the brood.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14053-zombie-caterpillars-controlled-by-voodoo-wasps.html
