Posts Tagged ‘insect maggots’

Flying Insect Ovipositing on Terrapin Nesting Dune

Monday, August 25th, 2008

Voracious and aggressive predators of just pipped diamondback terrapin hatchlings are insect maggots. A large percentage of terrapin nests are invaded by these maggots that destroy hatchlings before they can ever emerge. We have identified at least one species of these maggots. On Monday, 25 August, I observed this flying insect inspecting the tracks of recently emerged hatchlings and then ovipositing immediately atop these tracks on the terrapin nesting dune at Turtle Pass.

Wasp-Like Insect Ovipositing on Turtle Pass Dune