I almost ingest some extra protein

lepidopteran x4

Several days ago I was washing some brassicacean foliage for dinner. To save time, let us just skip to the conclusion (see above/below):

syrphid(?) x1

(there was also a tiny black hemispherical beetle, likely coccinellid; I dumped it into the yard though.)


The caterpillars have window-fed from several brassicacean leaves and have visibly enlarged already. I am currently transitioning them to defrosted broccoli (which is also brassicacean), as you can see in the picture. They spend large quantities of effort tying down the leaves with silk and then sleep for long periods under them; actual feeding occupies a relatively small portion of the day. Rather amusingly, they appear incapable of recognizing conspecifics as harmless and thus engage in long panicky headbashing contests whenever one manages to make contact with another.

The syrphid(?) maggot has ingested at least two aphids, but it appears to be even more torpid than its herbivorous counterparts. It appears to have occupied a largely stationary position soon after aphid one! Despite said position being next to a whole budful of aphids it did not seem to have even attacked any until I manually woke it up for #2 (the rest of the poor aphids, though completely oblivious to the threat, were at this point quite alarmed that their hibiscus bud was wilting; I released them back into the garden).

Hopefully I will be able to rear all five to adulthood, since there is a chance they may be newly imported species.