Spit 'n Flick-fires? - a photo on Flickriver

            This is the most appalling video (and serious downsizing hasn't helped), but I didn't have any of my army of helpers with me (bliss) and I had to do this one handed.  As I didn't want to be fired at, it was quick and wobbly (and out of focus etc etc)

Basically this clip just shows how the tails loop up, dip into the "spit", and then returns to its old level.   There is then a trail of the juice over the back of the larva.

My theory (?)  (possibly every else's well known fact) is that the Sawfly larvae regurgitate out their stomach contents until they have a nice glob, wave their tail up and into the liquid, and then catapault it away??   I'm guessing that the caterpillars are not yet big enough to do it in a very spectacular way yet, but they must still have a number of months left to grow.

I'm now wondering if the yellow thing at the end of the body is designed as a good spit collector (like the tennis ball throwers for digs :-)  )

I'll leave it to Jean to work out if it makes children go blind (as the rest of my schoolyard belief stated)  :-)

Taken in: Australia / Tasmania / Huntingfield (show map)

Taken on: May 27, 2009

Tags:

Australia

Canon Powershot SX10 IS

hymenoptera

Insecta

larvae

macro

Pergidae

Sawfly

Spitfires

Symphyta

Tasmania

terrible movie « less

Sets appears in: • Tasmanian Hymenoptera • Symphyta:Pergidae

Groups appears in: • Field Guide to Insects of Australia

Stats: 996 views / 5 comments

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