While going through some Conostigmus sp. specimens from the Czech Republic, I found a male specimen that had something odd on one of its hind legs.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7772/17208396269_e4d4e1da77.jpg)
It seems to be wrapped around the hind leg. When I first looked at it under the microscope, I thought the ball could be made of silk. Taking a closer look below, there seems to be some sort of segmented larvae wrapped around the ball.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7711/17208397409_9ecf7b19ef.jpg)
What is this?
One possibility is that it could be a centipede egg that somehow got stuck on the wasp’s leg. Another possibility is that it could be a triungulin, which is a type of planidium. Planidia are specialized first-instar larvae that are flattened, scleritized and very mobile. Planidia are unique in that they actively seek out their hosts. In some cases, this may involve climbing onto an adult insect in order to gain access to the offspring, or in the case of social hymenoptera, to gain access to the nest.
István previously wrote about a ripiphorid he found riding on the wing of a braconid wasp, but we’ve never seen something like this before in Conostigmus.
Have you ever seen anything like this? Leave a comment below!
Object of spherical, would sporangia of ferns.