| In the past several weeks, we have noticed numerous caterpillars around
our Wildscape that look similar to this one (photographed on a salvia)–black
and dead. I saw one on a cement bench. Five (different locations) atop
bricks on the exterior of our house. On a rose of Sharon. On a wooden
fence. So I asked the experts at Bugguide.net. "Possibly baculovirus...they cause caterpillars to liquefy and eventually
splash new virus paricles onto the leaf, which may then be consumed by
more caterpillars," replied Ian Stocks. He pointed me to an academic article in the Journal of Invertebrate Pathology: "A newly discovered baculovirus induces reflex bleeding in Heliconius himera." Oh, my! |
1 comment:
Now if that were a tomato horn worm I wouldn't be too unhappy! Love your wooly butterfly bush.
Post a Comment