Chien C. Lee

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Parasites & Parasitoids 39 images Created 19 Aug 2020

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  • The bizarre bloom of a Rhizanthes (R. lowii) unfurls its odorous and sinister-looking petals. A member of the Rafflesia family, this rare plant is also completely parasitic, living within its host vine and possessing no leaves, stems, or roots of its own. Like the more well-known Rafflesia, the flowers mimic a rotting animal carcass to attract carrion flies as pollinators. Measuring perhaps 30cm across, the bloom is only open for a few days before dying. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The haunting hollow skeleton of a fly is all that remains after being consumed alive by a parasitoid fungi (Ophiocordyceps cf. dipterigena) in the New Guinean rainforest. Two different types of fruiting bodies have emerged from the fly's body: the dorsal 'mushrooms' (ascostroma) are perfectly positioned to release tiny spores on the fungi's next victim. The tropics hold a great diversity of these entomopathogenic fungi, with undoubtedly many undescribed species, each apparently tailored to target specific insect hosts. West Papua, Indonesia.
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  • Unable to fly with a load many times her own weight, a female Thread-waisted Sand Wasp (Ammophila beniniensis) hauls a large caterpillar which she has paralyzed with her sting. She is seeking a burrow she has prepared in advance and, even though it may be a considerable distance away, she shows a remarkable orientation ability even though there may be numerous obstacles in her path. Once placed inside, with the burrow sealed shut by small rocks and its entrance hidden from potential thieves, the ill-fated caterpillar will serve as live food for the single egg the wasp has deposited along with it. Fianarantsoa, Madagascar.
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  • A potter wasp (Omicroides singularis) returns to her nest with a paralyzed caterpillar. Each perfectly crafted urn will be filled with a dozen or so caterpillars before she deposits a single egg and seals the entrance. The developing wasp larvae will feed on the caterpillars before pupating and emerging as an adult. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The interior of a giant Rafflesia flower (R. tuan-mudae). With petals sometimes spanning over a meter in diameter, Rafflesia are the world's largest flowers. Flies, which act as pollinators, are attracted to the color and stench of the bloom, which mimics rotting meat. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Undoubtedly one of the world's most remarkable plants, the parasitic Rafflesia holds the record for having the largest flower, sometimes reching over one meter across. Their macabre beauty belies a clever deception: the dark reddish coloration and putrid stench of the bloom mimic the rotting carcass of an animal, which thus lures carrion flies into the interior chamber where they will pollinate it. There are around 30 species in the genus, with variable flower sizes, this being R. tuan-mudae from Borneo, one of the largest. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Nearly mature flower buds of Rhizanthes lowii, just several days before opening. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Although the ‘zombie ants’ are undoubtedly the most infamous, entomopathogenic fungi come in a great diversity of species, many of which specialize in a particular type of prey. Here, a weevil has been killed by Ophiocordyceps curculionum, and is now a host to three fruiting bodies that have been releasing new spores. Like the mind-controlling fungi in ants, this pathogen similarly manipulates the weevil like a puppeteer to position itself in the ideal spot before it dies. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • The dreaded Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata), in possession of the most painful sting on the planet, here has fallen prey to an even more sinister organism: a parasitoid fungus (Ophiocordycipitaceae). The ‘zombification’ of insects in tropical rainforests has been well documented, but the incredibly precise way that these fungi control the behavior of their hosts prior to consuming them is not yet fully understood. Recent research indicates that, rather than invading the brain which might kill the insect prematurely, the fungus may directly control the muscles of its host like a puppet. In this way it can lead the ant to a location where it is more likely to infect others. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Tiger Leeches (Haemadipsa picta), mating. Mount Kinabalu National Park, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Sometimes gregarious while feeding on the sap of trees, the whitish color of these lanternflies (Pyrops sultanus) is a waxy substance which serves to protect them from parasites, mildew, and predators. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A cluster of large mushrooms (Armillaria sp.) emerges from the forest floor in Maliau Basin Conservation Area in northern Borneo. Parasitic on woody plants, Armillaria fungi can spread over large areas and be fatal to many tree species. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A butterfly caterpillar (Cupha erymanthis) standing guard over a clutch of parasitic wasp pupae that recently hatched from its body. Having been impregnated by eggs from a female wasp, the larvae develop within the caterpillar, consuming its flesh as they grow. In order to keep their host alive, the wasp larvae are careful to avoid all vital organs and the caterpillar thus appears and behaves rather normal until the larvae eventually emerge. In a similar vein to the mind-controlled zombie ants, the wasp larvae also secrete some cocktail of hormones that modify the behavior of the caterpillar, in this case it is induced to stand guard and protect the wasp pupae from predators or other parasitic wasps until it eventually dies of starvation. Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Stick insect (Orthomeria superba), male showing parasitic mites. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • After detecting the presence of a wood-boring grub with her antennae, a female ichneumon wasp drills through the tree bark with her ovipositor to deposit an egg on the insect's body. Halmahera, Indonesia.
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  • Rafflesia keithii. With blooms up to nearly 1 meter in diameter, this parasitic plant produces some of the largest flowers in the genus. It is endemic to Sabah (northern Borneo). Twin blooms such as this are a rare occurrence. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The stinking Rhizanthes flower (Rhizanthes lowii) mimics a rotting carcass so well that carrion flies swarm around it to lay their eggs (visible as white flecks near the center of the flower).  In so doing the flies act as pollinating agents for this strange plant. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Producing the largest flowers in the world, the parasitic Rafflesia plant has no leaves or roots and lives entirely upon its host Tetrastigma vine. Each flower, which can take over 6 months to develop, is open for less than a week, during which it emits a fetid odor and attracts masses of flies for pollination. This species, Rafflesia pricei, is endemic to Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Undoubtedly one of the world's most remarkable plants, the parasitic Rafflesia holds the record for having the largest flower, sometimes reching over one meter across. Their macabre beauty belies a clever deception: the dark reddish coloration and putrid stench of the bloom mimic the rotting carcass of an animal, which thus lures carrion flies into the interior chamber where they will pollinate it. There are around 30 species in the genus, with variable flower sizes, this being R. tuan-mudae from Borneo, one of the largest. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Parallel-spiined Spiny Spider (Gasteracantha diardi), female with eggs of parasitoid Chloropid fly (Pseudogaurax sp.). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • “Parasitoids” are defined as different from “parasites” in that they ultimately kill their host, and among the most nefarious of these are those that are able to manipulate the behavior of their host, keeping them alive only until they no longer need them. This unfortunate katydid is in the process of having a horsehair worm (Nematomorpha) vacate its body. Although the katydid is still alive, the worm has slowly devoured most of its internal organs while growing inside to many times the length of its host’s body. Even when fully developed, the worm keeps from killing the insect because it uses it for transport – somehow compelling the katydid to seek out a source of water where the worm can finally complete its life cycle. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • A female pompilid wasp (Eragenia congrua) hauls a paralyzed spider (Corinna sp.) towards her nest, after having neatly amputated its legs to make the transport of her victim easier. This will not be food for her, but for her offspring. Her nest consists of a hole in the soft bark of a tree, and once depositing the spider inside she will lay a single egg, which upon hatching into a larva will consume the still-living host. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • A colony on the move: a swarm of giant stinging ants (Leptogenys chalybaea) moves across the Borneo rainforest floor carrying their brood (grubs, pupa, and winged reproductives). These are Asia’s equivalent of ‘army ants’: nomadic hunters that deplete their prey in one area before moving their entire nest to a new site every few days. Leptogenys ants, and this species in particular, are aggressive and possess a painful sting, reasons that they are well respected by other animals in the forest. Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Lichen Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda boiei) with parasitic biting midges (Ceratopogonidae). Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Rafflesia keithii. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata) killed by parasitoid fungi (Ophiocordyceps sp.). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • With almost a sinister beauty, this garden of parasitoid fungus (possibly Akanthomyces) sprouts its fruiting bodies from the back of a moth it has killed. These release millions of microscopic spores which are dispersed into the surrounding area. When ingested by another insect they spell certain doom. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Rafflesia hasseltii, developing bud. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Covered in gaudy colors to warn of her painful sting, a female velvet ant (Odontomutilla grossa) scurries about the rainforest floor in search of a nest to parasitize. These are not ants at all but actually a type of wasp (family Mutillidae) in which the females are completely wingless. Eggs are laid in the nests of other wasps or bees where they feed on the larvae of their host. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A Golden Forest Ant (Polyrhachis ypsilon) has been killed by a parasitic Ophiocordyceps fungus which has consumed its body. Before dying, the behaviour of infected ants is controlled by the fungus, and are directed to climb to a suitable location usually on the underside of a leaf. There the fungus kills its host and produces fruiting bodies which releases spores to infect more ants below. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Tiny, ubiquitous, and comprising many thousands of species, parasitoid wasps extract a heavy toll on their hosts, with many species responsible for keeping other insect populations in check. Here, a female wasp (Anastus sp.), just a few millimeters in length, drills her ovipositer into the eggshell of an Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas), the world's largest moth. Her developing larvae will consume the contents of the egg and pupate therein before emerging as adults. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Rhopalocnemis phalloides, a rare root parasite related to Balanophora. Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.
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  • Rafflesia keithii. With blooms up to nearly 1 meter in diameter, this parasitic plant produces some of the largest flowers in the genus. It is endemic to Sabah (northern Borneo). Twin blooms such as this are a rare occurrence.
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  • A robber fly (family Asilidae) killed by parasitic fungus (Ophiocordyceps dipterigena). This fungus specializes in feeding on adult flies. After consuming the interior of its host the cream-colored fruiting bodies emerge and release spores to infect new insects. North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
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  • Parasitic plant (Balanophora papuana), female inflorescences. Completely lacking chlorophyll, Balanophora plants are parasitic on tree roots. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A giant bloom of Rafflesia arnoldii, the largest flower in the world, unfolds its petals in the Sumatran rainforest.  It takes nealy 2 days for the flower to fully open. West Sumatra, Indonesia.
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  • After developing as a large bud over many months, this flower of Rafflesia cantleyi will take just 24 hours to fully open, and last for only 3 days before withering. Perak, Malaysia.
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  • Tiger Leech (Haemadipsa sp. aff. picta). Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Moth killed by Akanthomyces fungi. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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