The parasitic wasp Glyptaplanteles is known to lay about a hundred eggs in young geometrid caterpillars. The hypnotic dance of submission plays out on fields everywhere where this species is found. The purpose? To simply pass on its genes, to propagate, to protect and to perpetuate the genetic legacy of its paleontological existence. But it is not the act itself that fascinates but what happens after, that is going to truly shock your mind.
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The gestation process simply finds the larvae semi-developed inside the caterpillar gnawing its way out as it matures. Not too rapidly, oh no, but in precise, delectable chunks of cold evolutionary motive. First, feasting on the internal bodily fluids, then the secondary organs and finally the piece de resistance moment of an Alienesque outburst, when the larvae eat their way out of the skin and attach themselves to a leaf or tree, cozily settling themselves into a cocoonish nap, awaiting the next phase of the developmental cycle.
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The gestation process simply finds the larvae semi-developed inside the caterpillar gnawing its way out as it matures. Not too rapidly, oh no, but in precise, delectable chunks of cold evolutionary motive. First, feasting on the internal bodily fluids, then the secondary organs and finally the piece de resistance moment of an Alienesque outburst, when the larvae eat their way out of the skin and attach themselves to a leaf or tree, cozily settling themselves into a cocoonish nap, awaiting the next phase of the developmental cycle.
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It’s almost poetic.
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Now, things get a lot more interesting. The tortured, ravaged and hollowed caterpillar, instead of moving on, like any decent one night stand after the fun is over, “choose” to further their relationship and stands guard over the cocoons, literally thrashing its head at any potential predators that might even come close to harming the cocoons. Yes, that’s right ladies and gentlemen, two for the price of one, not only do you get free food but free bodyguards, all in the price of a single sting.
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What should interest us here is not the gore (as beautiful as it maybe), or the simple elegance of the evolutionary imperative but the manipulative brilliance of genes and nature in general. Not only is the caterpillar an unwilling parasitic host but during the gestation period also becomes a close and personal confidante of the wasp larvae. A sort of insectoid Stockholm Syndrome, if you will, a emotionally, psychologically binding relationship between the caterpillar and the larvae, except the larvae don’t actually reciprocate.
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What should interest us here is not the gore (as beautiful as it maybe), or the simple elegance of the evolutionary imperative but the manipulative brilliance of genes and nature in general. Not only is the caterpillar an unwilling parasitic host but during the gestation period also becomes a close and personal confidante of the wasp larvae. A sort of insectoid Stockholm Syndrome, if you will, a emotionally, psychologically binding relationship between the caterpillar and the larvae, except the larvae don’t actually reciprocate.
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This zombie like behavior has left scientist and loafing college writers completely vexed for the longest time. But I think I can see the pattern, can you? Take a moment, recall for me, if you please, the first day in your college, the first really “good” lecture or the first really “good” hang out with friends…that was the sting. After that the idea was just planted in our minds, we are proud “(enter college name here)-ites”, our college is better than other colleges, we have better teachers, we have higher marks and so on. As much as we hate to admit it, by the time we cross the first year, we’re virtual zombie defenders of our reigning administration, incorruptible icons of our college spirit, yeah, and the caterpillars were just amicable hosts, right?
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It’s not that the caterpillars are drugged or even that they have the necessary psychological development to make rational role reversals (As if! Have you seen the colors they wear! So ‘80s!) but more to do with the simple human principal that – “if you can’t beat it, join it” or in this case “protect it” after all it’s a very motherly thing to do. Like singing lullabies.
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Easy eh? Not so. But you’ll take these words and accept them too. It’s in your programming - genetic, social and self-imposed. We do what we have to too survive, the wasp stings, the caterpillar sings and we college students just go ring-a-ding-a-ding at the opportunity to praise our college. The weird thing is we don’t even care to really find out why we’re doing it and neither does the caterpillar ever find out why it’s thrashing its head about.
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The point is - Snap out of it! Take control and confront. Criticize and critique. Question and compel answers to come. Otherwise I’m sure you’d be interested to know, that as soon as the wasps fly out of the cocoon, something odd happens, the caterpillars just drop dead.
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Do the smart thing. Quit zombying around and take control. I’d have used the sheep metaphor but nature gives us so much, I just couldn’t say no to parasitic wasps and zombie caterpillars. I guess that’s in my programming.
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