You might think that ladybugs are well protected from animals that want to eat them. They have a protective covering with a colorful pattern that warns animals that there is poison beneath the surface. But a tiny wasp can get past the ladybug’s defenses, invading both its abdomen and its brain and controlling its behavior. This wasp is called a parasite because it feeds on another living thing and causes harm.
The invasion begins when the wasp inserts an egg into the ladybug’s body. At the same time, it injects some chemicals and a virus. The larva then feed on the ladybug while the chemicals and virus take over the ladybug’s brain. The larva grows and then leaves the ladybug’s body. But it doesn’t go far. It forms a cocoon directly underneath
The invasion begins when the wasp inserts an egg into the ladybug’s body. At the same time, it injects some chemicals and a virus. The larva then feed on the ladybug while the chemicals and virus take over the ladybug’s brain. The larva grows and then leaves the ladybug’s body. But it doesn’t go far. It forms a cocoon directly underneath