Monday, January 17, 2011

Sawfly Larvae on a eucalyptus

From the video's description: They look like caterpillars, but they are sawfly larvae on a gum tree. They are sometimes called 'spitfires' as they secrete an irritating or distasteful liquid from their mouths. Just before video-taping them, I saw a tachina fly trying to lay its eggs on the larvae. Their dance seemed to scare off the fly, although I didn't see the 'spit'.

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