Praon Cocoon Under Dead Aphid Host

e6filmuser

Praon is a braconid wasp which parasitises aphids. When it has consumed the insides of the aphid it exits beneath, where it builds a cocoon and pupates.

These were very difficult to spot. looking just like a spot of white fuzz to the naked eye. The leaf shown in the last image is about 40mm wide.

This is a subject which reflects very burned-out highlights. I was not prepared to do anything exceptional to control this but have pulled them back digitally.

Olympus EM-1 (manual mode), Laowa 25mm f2.8 2.5x-5x ultra-macro at x2.5 and f11, single TTL flash hand-held.

The stereo is crosseye.

Harold

Paul Iddon

I've seen a couple of these this summer (on here somewhere I think).

Fascinating life cycles for the wasp.

Paul.