A caterpillar transformed into a zombie

Of course, zombies don’t exist. Obviously ? Of course, we have never seen a human being come back to life. But on the side of certain small beasts, the thing is not as clear as one might imagine. See the example of this poor caterpillar…

A zombie, all gore movie lovers know, it’s a dead man brought back to life. Usually following a mysterious infection. But originally, the term also designates an individual whose conscience has literally been reduced to nothing. An individual who has become obligatory at will. And it’s a bit of a misfortune that happened to this looper caterpillar. She will never become butterfly !

Because this charming caterpillarGeometridae was attacked by a wasp parasitoid . A wasp that has laid its eggs… inside the caterpillar. The larvae then began to grow there. And as if that wasn’t disgusting enough, they then took control of the unfortunate caterpillar. Turning her into the ideal babysitter. A babysitter devoted to defending the pupae and ensuring their survival.

A parasitic wasp among many others

Once the larvae are fully developed, the caterpillar turns into a zombie even more. The larvae, in fact, burst its skin and wrap themselves in cocoonssurface. Surprisingly, the caterpillar does not die. Of course, she doesn’t move much anymore. She also stops feeding. But it remains able to stand up to attack any predatory insect that approaches. All under the control of a few larvae that remained hidden in the entrails of the caterpillar to manipulate it. When the wasps finally emerge from their cocoons, the caterpillar dies of starvation. Sad story…

Yet quite common. Because of parasitoid wasps, there are plenty of them. Some target caterpillars. Others target cockroaches. Still others of spiders . All big reinforcement of venoms for some. Simple hormonefor the others. “Without conscience, remorse or illusions of morality. » But with a certain resemblance, you will agree, with the alien monster of the film Alien.