Voluntary or Involuntary

Wasps are known to lay their eggs inside the bodies of ladybugs, using them as some sort of surrogate womb.

That’s interesting, but not as interesting as the fact that the ladybugs survive the incident.

“What is fascinating is that the ladybug is partially paralysed by the parasite, yet it’s eventually released unscathed. Once liberated, the ladybug can continue to eat and reproduce as if nothing happened”

Entomologists at University of Montreal are currently doing research on this. They’re studying a number of things, such as whether or not the ladybug has a choice in the matter.

The article also mentions a similar case in the animal world.

Brodeur claimed that wasps aren’t alone in offloading their offspring, since magpies look after the chicks of great spotted cuckoos.

The cuckoo visits the nests where it leaves its young and kills those magpies that don’t protect their offspring.

Are the ladybugs being bullied into their surrogate duties like the magpies, or are ladybugs simply highly compassionate creatures?