Hop to It! Cocooned Wasp Larvae Jump to Survive

by Mindy Weisberger, Senior Writer | December 23, 2015 09:21am ET

Tiny, cocooned parasitic wasp larvae hop their way to safety, jumping to get away from predators and to find cool, shady areas, a new study finds. These wee jumpers are adorable — though perhaps you might find them less so, once you learn that their cocoon shells originally held alfalfa weevil larvae, which the wasp larvae consumed after hatching.

Females of the parasitic wasp species Bathyplectes anurus lay their eggs in alfalfa weevil (Hypera postica) larvae. As the parasitized weevils spin cocoons during their final development stage, or instar, they're essentially sealing themselves into a tomb with their murderer. Once the wasp larva hatches, it eats the host, spins its own cocoon inside the host cocoon, which measures about 0.1 inch (3.5 millimeters) in length, and settles in, double-sealed for safety, waiting to pupate.

But even within their double-layered cocoons, the wasp larvae are responsive to their surroundings, the scientists found. Researchers observed the larvae moving their cocoons by using a "whipping movement," to shift away from danger or environmental stresses. 

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Caterpillar Can Hop for 3 Days in Leafy 'Sleeping Bag'

Hop over, Mexican jumping beans: Scientists have discovered another fascinating caterpillar species with impressive jumping skills.

During its larval stage, the moth Calindoea trifascialis crawls the dry forest floors of southern Vietnam amongst elephants and flying insects, spending most of its time chewing away at a protective, tent-like structure it makes out of leaf parts.

Eventually, when the caterpillar prepares to pupate andmetamorphose into a moth, it rolls itself into a new type of protective leaf structure the thickness of a pinky finger, and then quivers itself onto the forest floor. It proceeds to hop around the forest floor within its leaf-roll for up to three days, directing itself away from sunlight.

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