“It’s true that these are soil-dwelling nematodes, and that we would be unlikely to see infected insects exposed on the soil surface. However, many birds that feed on soil-based insects (eg starlings, blackbirds etc) do so by probing in the ground and looking for grubs. Starlings in particular open their beaks in the soil to create a hole which they examine for prey – and it is at this point the infected insect would be seen.

It is a fair point though that the experimental set up we used was artificial, as an initial test of the idea that the colour change could be a deterrent, and it would be great to now test it under more realistic conditions.”

Also @Dan Bailey
The secretions of the worms and bacteria are almost exclusively larvacidal but can cause minor infections if the bacteria get into the underlying skin layers, generally causing ulceration but are easily treated.

Great piece Ed, always love your write ups

This one’s a doozy, though, and may not be suitable for dinner parties.