I'm not very good at rearing larval insects, and on the few occasions that I have I've wound up with parasitoid wasps rather than what I was hoping for. Parasitoid wasps are hugely important in shaping insect populations, to the extent that I have often wondered how any insects survive. A new research paper shows that a Japanese shieldbug, Megymenum gracilicorne, uses fungi to ward off attacks. The females have organs on their hind legs which harbour fungi that the females use to coat newly laid eggs. The fungal hyphae grow to envelop the eggs and this physically excludes parasitoid wasps until the eggs hatch. While we don't have any Dinidorid shieldbugs in the UK, it might still be worth checking the hind legs of female shieldbugs carefully for any signs of similar structure.
Nishino, T., Moriyama, M., Mukai, H., Tanahashi, M., Hosokawa, T., Chang, H. Y., & Fukatsu, T. (2025) Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs. Science, 390(6770), 279-283. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10996522/pdf/nihpp-2024.03.25.586038v1.pdf
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