Comments on: Parasitic wasps hitchhike on butterflies by smelling for chemical chastity belts

By: Blackbird

Blackbird — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:26:13 +0000

This is sooo cool! A little nitpicking: the Small White does not lay a single egg, but the eggs – many – are laid singly, that is, isolated from each other, not in clusters as in the Large White, but there can be several on each cabbage leaf a few cm from each other.

By: Trond Engen

Trond Engen — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:43:34 +0000

If it's so Catholic in its tastes, why doesn't it prefer the Cardinal?

By: Ralph

Ralph — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:37:55 +0000

I presume the research was done in Europe. Any idea if these wasps also occur in North America on our Cabbage Whites here?

By: Bob Carlson

Bob Carlson — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:43:08 +0000

“Two species of parasitoid wasp – Trichogramma brassicae and Trichogramma evanescens – are particularly skilled at chemical espionage. They’ve learned to hone in on sexual chemicals used by male cabbage white butterflies.”
You mean: home in.